8 Chapter 8

Pierce snapped, “Am I talking to you?”

“Eighteen,” Mikey muttered.

Mr. Pierce stood back. “Then fucking act like

it.”

Determined to have the last say, Mikey

whined, “He was trying to show me his dick.”

“You should’ve looked,” Mr. Pierce said,

surprising us both. He looked at me and for a brief moment our eyes

met. In that instant I could’ve sworn I saw the hint of a smile toy

around the edges of that stern mouth. “You might’ve liked it.”

Without another word, he turned and

disappeared down the hall. I snickered into my hand as beside me,

Mikey’s face purpled. “Dad!”

* * * *

Mikey was like a brother to me—annoying as

hell sometimes, but I knew I’d never know another as well as I knew

him. There was too much between us, too much time, too much

friendship, too much shared experience I was going to miss when I

went away to school. Part of our bickering stemmed from the

knowledge that the time we had remaining was short and neither of