Page 77 of The Lies Always Told

I take a slow, steady breath, grounding myself before speaking. Cody’s voice is small, but the weight of his words is anything but.

I lower my voice, keeping it soft. “Cody, I hear you. I’m really glad you’re telling me this.”

His fingers twitch, clenching into fists before relaxing again. He nods, but his eyes stay locked on the floor. He walks in and plops on the couch, closing his eyes and shaking his head again.

“Can you tell me more about what your brother was saying?” I ask gently.

Cody swallows hard. “I don’t know. It was—he kept saying stuff like ‘it doesn’t matter,’ ‘they don’t even care’, and ‘it’s too late.’” He finally looks up at me, his eyes glistening. “And he kept gripping his backpack like…like he needed it to breathe.”

My stomach twists. This isn’t just about a rough morning or an argument at home. This is something else.

“Cody,” I say carefully, “I think we should check on your brother. Can we do that together?”

He hesitates. “He-he wouldn’t like that.”

“I understand,” I say, nodding. “But I just want to make sure he’s okay. We don’t have to do this alone. How old is he?”

“Sixteen.”

“Does he go to Baker High?” I ask, and he nods.

Cody’s breathing is uneven now, his small shoulders rising and falling too quickly. I lean forward slightly, keeping my tone steady. “Listen to me, Cody. You don’t have to carry this by yourself. I can help.”

He wipes at his nose, sniffling. “What if he’s mad?”

“Then we’ll handle that together,” I promise. “Right now, the most important thing is making sure he’s safe.”

A long, shaky pause. Then, finally, a nod.

“Okay,” he whispers.

I exhale slowly, already reaching for my phone. “Does he have a cellphone?” The high school doesn’t have a phone-free policy. Students are allowed to carry their phones to class as long as they don’t text or call during it. Middle school is different, so I’m happy to use my phone with my Telzio extension—a program to make calls to protect our phone numbers. He nods, giving me his brother’s phone number, and I immediately call. The phone rings, but nobody picks up. I smile at Cody, reassuring him, but his brother doesn’t answer.

“Hey—” I realize I don’t even know this kid’s name “—it’s Ms. Thompson, the school counselor at Baker Middle. I have Cody in my office. He’s okay but wanted to check on you. Give me a call back when you can.” I hang up after leaving a voice message and get Cody a water and a granola bar. He grabs them both from me without uttering another word. I don’t want to press or push, but I really need to find more information. My head is killing me—time for another sip of the coffee I left untouched on top of my desk. I walk to grab it before getting back to the couch area where Cody waits.

“My sister’s best friend works at the high school, and I’m pretty sure he’s a coach. Your brother plays football like you, right?” He nods but doesn’t say anything else. “Can I text herto get his phone number, and maybe just give him a heads up to check on him?” He nods again, so I get my phone out and text Cara.

Me:

Hey Care, do you have Jake or Nick’s number? I have a kiddo in my office worried about his brother at the high school.

Sis:

Shared Contact.

Shared Contact.

Sis:

Here you go. All good?

Me:

With me? Yeah. Him? Not sure. I’ll text you later.

Sis:

<3

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