Arno turns up his nose and does one of his mincing nasal imitations: “‘I realize this may come as a shock to you, but human beings aren’t interchangeable.’”

He’s right. It sounded pompous. I sigh. “And if you want to know the whole truth, I couldn’t get it up with Tinsley the other night. Couldn’t stop thinking about Robin. And how the draft’s got me dead in its sights. And how my family’s falling apart, and how, if by some miracle I don’t get drafted, I’m looking at the end of the summer when you guys go away to college and I’m stuck here with nothing to do and no future in sight.”

There. I’ve laid it out for him plain as day so he can see that maybe I’m not quite the luckiest fuck ever. Arno drives quietly, one hand on the wheel. Someone else would appreciate the honesty, but what does he do? Says, “For your information, limp-dick, some girls like aftershave.”

That’s it. “Pull over, asshole.”

“What?”

“You heard me. I’m gonna walk the rest of the way.”

“Suit yourself.”

He hits the brakes and screeches to the curb. I get out, am about to slam the door, then think of something and stick my head back in. “What about the gun? We can’t just let him walk around with it.”

“Maybe he should give it to you. Probably help where you’re going.” Arno pops the clutch, and the GTO’s tires scream loud enough to wake the dead as he leaves forty feet of rubber.

Wednesday, August 6

“I understand completely. He shouldn’t have done that. I’m sure if you sit him down and speak very seriously . . . Yes . . . Yes . . . No, he will cooperate. Alan just needs to see that you’re very, very serious.”

Mom has stretched the long white telephone cord taut, all the way to the sliding glass doors that face the backyard. With one hand she holds the phone to her ear and listens. The other hand is clasped tightly over her mouth as if she is trying to keep from screaming.

“Yes, I do understand. I cannot begin to tell you how sorry I am. . . . Yes, I realize it’s beyond the scope of your responsibilities. If you’ll give him . . . Of course I’ll speak to him. . . . Yes, yes, I’ll tell him that. Those very words. . . . Oh, thank you. I can’t tell you how grateful I am. . . . Yes, yes, thank you. Really, thank you so much.”