Contents ( 42)
- The Art of Breathing
- Part One: How We Became Who We Are
- Prologue: Or, Where the Kid Hears the Word of the Day
- 1. Where Tyson Learns to Breathe
- 2. Where Tyson Makes a Phone Call
- 3. Where Tyson Graduates and Bear Freaks Out
- 4. Where Tyson Says Good-Bye
- 5. Where Tyson Gets the Mail
- Part Two: Coming Home
- 6. Where Tyson Comes Home
- 7. Where Tyson Gives a History Lesson
- 8. Where Tyson Attends the Most Awkward Party Ever
- 9. Where Tyson Plans Attends a Protest
- 10. Where Tyson Gets Arrested
- 11. Where Tyson Gets His Ass Handed to Him
- 12. Where Tyson Writes Bad Poetry and Gawks at Frat Boys
- 13. Where Tyson Decides to Man the Fuck Up
- 14. Where Tyson Asks Some Questions
- 15. Where Tyson Remembers Theresa Jean Paquinn
- 16. Where Tyson Learns the Benefit of Therapy
- 17. Where Tyson Meets the Man Who Becomes Helena Handbasket
- 18. Where Tyson Gets Screwed at His Own Birthday Party (And Not in a Good Way)
- Part Three: Just Breathe
- 19. Where Tyson Goes to Helena Handbasket’s Sex Dungeon
- 20. Where Tyson Beholds the Awesome Wonder That Is Paul Auster
- 21. Where Tyson Receives Advice from the Six Sages
- 22. Where Tyson Makes a Phone Call
- 23. Where Tyson Hears the Inevitable
- 24. Where Tyson Meets His Match
- 25. Where Tyson Says Hello, Where Tyson Says Good-bye
- 26. Where Tyson Touches upon the Inevitable
- 27. Where Tyson Faces the Music
- 28. Where Tyson Breathes
- 29. Tyson And Dominic
- 30. The Art Of Breathing
- Epilogue: Or, Bear’s Perspective, As It Were (Yeah, He’s Gonna Freak)
- Author’s Note
- Excerpt
- Prologue: Or, Where Bear Answers the Door
- More from TJ Klune
- Readers love the Bear, Otter, and the Kid Chronicles by TJ Klune
- By TJ Klune
“You already killed Carl. What’s another one?”
“Jermaine?” Otter asks from the driver’s seat. “Sounds delicious.”
“Do not egg him on,” Bear says. “You know what happens when he gets going. I told you getting fast food was a bad idea.”
“I’d rather listen to his cow murder love stories than hear you complaining about being hungry,” Otter says. “At least with him, I know he’s eventually going to stop talking at some point.”
“Oh, burn,” Corey says. Well, today he’s Corey. Sometimes he’s Kori, but that’s a story I’ll tell you in a bit. Just know he’s my very best friend in all the world. And my ex-boyfriend. And ex-girlfriend. It’s not as complicated as it sounds, I promise. Or maybe it is. Whatever. “He’s pretty much got you there, Derrick.”
“You just think that because you like his muscles,” Bear accuses him.
“They are pretty dreamy,” Corey agrees. His voice is soft and wispy, a bit deeper now that he’s Corey. It reminds me of the flutter of bird wings. Everything about him does, actually. He’s taller than me (damn him), but slight. He told me once his father was black and his mom was Hispanic, though how he knew, I don’t know. One of the first things I learned about Corey when I met him years ago was that he was raised in foster care and never knew his parents. He doesn’t talk much about those days. Foster kids tend not to. This I know for a fact. “You best be careful, Derrick, lest I swoop in and steal your man.”
“You can have him,” Bear grumbles. “He’s a big fat jerk.”
Otter winks at Corey in the rearview mirror and flexes his bicep. It’s a big arm, but he’s essentially my father, so of course I think it’s gross. Otter doesn’t look that much different, even though he’s approaching forty. Sure, there are a few more lines around his eyes and mouth, and maybe his hair is thinning a bit on top, but he still looks like I’ve always remembered him: bigger than almost everyone I’ve ever known and twice as tough.
Okay, and maybe I’m just a tad bit jealous. But only because I’m still as scrawny as I’ve ever been. And short. And not the object of Corey’s pseudo affections. Not that I really want to be or anything. It doesn’t matter. Fuck it, I’m not jealous.
Sort of.
Blah.
“Is this your hometown?” Corey asks, looking out the window into the rain. The Pacific Ocean looks as dark and choppy as ever. It’s so different from the Atlantic. I don’t know why I never saw it before.
“Not quite,” Bear says. “Give it a few more minutes.” He says something else to Otter in a low voice. Otter laughs and reaches over to grab Bear’s hand.
“You excited?” Corey asks me. He flashes me a quiet smile, and even though I try not to let it, my heart does a little flip in my chest. He’s gorgeous, that one is.