“Hey.Hey!What’s up—”
“Jem, I did something stupid.”There was a clicking noise Jem didn’t recognize, and then he realized it had come from Tean—like he’d tried to swallow and couldn’t.“I’ve been arrested.”
29
When they finished processing him out, Tean left the Bear Lake County Sheriff’s Office with a plastic bag of his belongings hanging from one hand.Wallet, keys, phone, loose change, a DWR pen.
Outside, sodium light washed the parking lot.Beyond that, the whole world was night, with the mountains like jigsaw pieces lined up against the stars.There was a post office next door, its windows dark.Houses across the street, little cottage-style structures that had to be a hundred years old.Welcome to Paris, Idaho.
The white Subaru was parked at the curb, and Jem was leaning against it, still dressed in his work clothes, arms folded against the chill.
There were two steps down to the lot.Tean took them carefully; his whole body ached.When his hand touched the safety rail, the metal was so cold it felt like it sparked against his palm.
Jem hugged him.Of course.Then, he stepped back and examined Tean, hands on Tean’s shoulders like he wasn’t ready to let go of him yet.“You okay?”
Tean nodded.
“That was a stupid question.How are you?”
“I’m fine.”But Jem waited, so Tean swallowed and said, “Embarrassed.”
“Don’t be embarrassed,” Jem said.
He opened the door for Tean like this was a date.Which, considering the two of them, actually wasn’t outside the realm of possibility.Once Tean was settled, Jem closed the door and gave it an extra, gentlemanly press, as though making sure it wouldn’t fly open once they got on the freeway.He started the car.Headlights threw white cones against the flickering gray from the security lights.And they drove out of the lot.
A two-hour drive ahead of them.And the clock said it was almost nine.
Tean leaned back in his seat.“Scipio’s going to be so upset.”
Jem didn’t say anything for several seconds.“Hannah went over to take care of him.”He seemed to consider something, and then he said, “I didn’t tell her why.”
“It doesn’t matter.She’ll know tomorrow.Probably right around the time they fire me.”
“They’re not going to fire you.”
It wasn’t worth arguing about, so Tean closed his eyes.
“Do you want something to eat?”Jem asked.
“No.”
“I said that the wrong way.What are you going to eat so I know you’re not starving to death?”
“They gave me something.”He cut the sentence off abruptly, because he could hear the self-pitying end of it.
But Jem, as usual, heard it anyway, and he sounded almost amused when he asked, “In jail?”
“Yes.In jail.”
“Did you eat it?”
“Yes.”
“Teangela Mackenzie Leon!I let you out of my sight for one day, and this is what happens: trespassing, assault, high treason, lying.”
Which was how they ended up at a Sonic, parked in one of the drive-in stalls, with two corn dogs, cheese fries, chili cheese fries, tater tots, jalapeno poppers, and what Tean thought might beminicorn dogs—much smaller, and not on sticks, but the general idea ofbattered wienerseemed to be the same.And he knew what Jem would say to that.Battered Wiener should be the title of our sex tape.OrBattered Wiener would be an awesome band name.OrBattered Wiener was my nickname in college.
As he swallowed an oily bite of tater tot, Tean felt his mouth quirk into a smile.