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
His shadow hits me first, rising up my legs and over my knees, hitting my chest and face. He blocks out the sun as he stands before us, looking down, eyes hidden again behind those mirror shades. His expression is unreadable. But somehow, even though I can’t see his eyes, I know he’s looking at me.
Seconds go by, I’m sure, but it doesn’t seem to matter. I almost forget that Kori’s sitting right next to me. I almost forget that my life is most certainly over. I almost forget everything aside from the fact that I breathe, but I can’t catch my breath. I can’t catch my breath because all I can see is him, all I can feel is him, all I can breathe is him.
No, I think. I am done with this. I am over this.
Sure you are, it laughs. Because this is the normal reaction of someone over it.
“Get up,” Dominic says gruffly. “Both of you.”
Somehow, I do. I push myself up with my legs and stand before him. He towers over me, and there’s no doubt in my mind he’s looking directly at me.
I feel Kori brush against me as she stands.
“Follow me,” Dominic says, and then he turns and walks toward the parking lot, where his cruiser sits.
“Here we go,” Kori says softly.
I, for once, don’t know what to say.
WE’RE STILL cuffed in the back of the cop car as we drive through the streets of Seafare. The police radio crackles with language that sounds like every stereotypical cop show I’ve ever seen. He spoke into the handset once, muttering something I couldn’t quite make out, but has said nothing for the last five minutes.
Naturally, both my brain and mouth want to fill the silence with as much noise as possible. I’m barely able to restrain them both from blaring out the most asinine drivel ever uttered in the back of a police car. There’s a bird outside that I want to talk about. There’s a new hotel I’ve never seen before. I sure am sorry about the window being broken. I don’t know the real names of the hippies. I could help him find them, though! Sure! We could be like detectives and go sleuthing. Why was he at BJ’s? Was he really eating the food there? Does he remember nothing I’ve taught him? Oh, and I’m so fucking sorry for the last four years. And how’s Stacey? How’s your wife? You fucking bastard. You fucking asshole. And I sure would be grateful if Bear didn’t find out about this.
And on. And on. And on.
So much wants to come out. So I say none of it.
It’s Kori who starts. If I wasn’t restrained, I’d probably clock her upside the head. “So, Officer.”
He says nothing.
“Shut up,” I hiss at her.
She ignores me. “I understand you know our Tyson here.”
Nothing.
“He coerced me into being here today,” she says with a sweet smile. “I wanted nothing to do with this. I am completely innocent in this matter. If you let me go, I promise I’ll testify against him in court.”