“They were always older,” she said, “and to them it was just a job. Besides, they were always church boys—you know, boys who are so weirdly polite, you always feel like you’re in church when you’re with them. My escorts were always boys who were safe . . . which is why I was so surprised that my grandfather chose you.”

“He must be going senile.”

“I heard that!” Crawley shouted from his bedroom. A few of the dogs perked up at the sound of his voice and ran off to torment him. Served him right for eavesdropping.

“So I guess we were like training wheels,” I said to her.

“What?”

“You know, like on a bicycle. One on either side. Me and Schwa. Dating wheels.”

“I can’t ride a bicycle. I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

But I think she did.

“Calvin must hate me,” she said, nervously picking at her fingernails.

“He doesn’t hate you. He just feels a little worked over, is all.”

“How about you?”

“No, of course I don’t hate you.”

She reached out and touched my cheek. I thought about how that felt. I’ll bet no one had ever touched the Schwa’s face until Lexie had. Touch is a freaky thing when you’re not used to it. It makes you feel all kinds of things.

I guess I didn’t respond the way she wanted, because she took her hand away. “What happens now?”

I had to think about my answer because my own feelings hadn’t settled yet. Were we going to keep seeing each other? I wanted to. Being with her made me feel like Anthony instead of Antsy. But my selfish streak had run its course, and my conscience kicked in with a vengeance. It would never be right if I did this at the Schwa’s expense.

“I think you’re going to have to ride without training wheels for a while,” I told her.

“So then . . . what are we? Are we friends?”

I took real care in my answer. “I’m your grandfather’s dog walker,” I told her. “Let’s start from there.”

Remember the Schwa.

Go to his house.

Go talk to him.

Remember the Schwa.

After I left Lexie, I kept repeating things about the Schwa over and over in my mind. I didn’t care how many brain cells it killed trying to think of him, I knew I had to go see him, or call him, or something. I couldn’t let him sneak out of my mind like he always did. Right then I knew how bad he must have been feeling.

Remember the Schwa.

Go talk to him.