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
“Such threats!” Kori exclaims. “It seems as if the life of crime has changed you completely.”
“You going to let him out?” Bear says over my ranting. “I think he’s got the point. Kind of.”
Dominic shakes his head. “No. I’ve got some things to say to him. I don’t think there’s a better time than when he’s handcuffed and can’t go anywhere.”
Everyone goes quiet.
I see Bear stiffen even as my heart thuds in my chest. His gaze darts over to me then back at Dominic. Something flickers across his face that I can’t quite make out. Fear? Anger? I don’t know. I think he’s going to refuse to let me go, and even though I’m nineteen and perfectly capable of answering for myself, a part of me wants him to. To tell me to get out of the car. To make Dominic uncuff me so I can go hide behind my big brother, because, really, I’m just a little guy. I’m just a little guy who is not quite right in the head, no matter how much I try to convince myself otherwise.
Bear shrugs off Otter’s arm and walks until he stands in front of Dominic, who has a good six inches and a hundred pounds on him. But Bear has a bug up his ass, and not even the size of the cop in front of him is going to stop him. I feel a moment of fierce pride that comes out of nowhere and almost knocks my breath from my chest. I’m still royally pissed off at him (which is really a lie, because I’m mad at myself more than anyone else—well, myself and the beach hippies), and would rather be anywhere than here. But I can’t take my eyes off him as he glares up at Dominic, and I have to stop myself from shouting “Kick his ass!” I don’t think that would help the situation very much, and I think it’s technically illegal to threaten a cop.
I glance at Otter to see if he’s going to try to stop Bear, but Otter’s just watching my brother with that look of exasperated love on his face that he does so well. He knows as well as I do that Bear’s going to say what Bear’s going to say, and nobody can tell him otherwise.
Which probably means Bear is going to make it a billion times worse and embarrass the crap out of me.
“Now you listen to me,” Bear says in a low voice, his eyes flashing. “You haven’t been around for the past four years and—”
“That wasn’t my choice,” Dominic says quietly.
“I didn’t say it was. Don’t interrupt me again. We clear?”
Dominic nods. His jaw twitches.
“You haven’t been here, Dom. I know that’s not your fault. I’m not blaming you for anything. But things are different now. We make the choices we do to protect those we love. You, of all people, should know this. The Kid might be a pain in my ass, and he might not think things through all the time…”