Page 13 of Solo Stan
“How about the girl you saw at the record store, or the one who checked you out at the movies last week? Or Jules from math class. Or how about—I don’t know—me?”
“I know I try really hard to look for things that aren’t there sometimes,” Kai said, settling back and switching the phone to hisother ear, “but this time I have such a strong feeling about it. This can’t be a coincidence.”
Bobby huffed out a sigh. “It’s pseudoscience.”
“Can’t you just have an open mind for once, Bae?”
“I’m trying, but you’re giving me some seriousBut, Daddy, I love himenergy. I don’t want to see you get hurt. Again.”
“I’m not calling you Daddy,” Kai retorted. “And I’m not saying I love him; all I’m saying is that I’m going to invite him to the CYPHR concert with me. And didn’t you spend the better part of last year stressing over Winter?”
“That’s different,” Bobby replied, his voice suddenly smaller.
“Why? Because it’syou? Since when are you so judgmental?”
“Since you ditched me on the other side of the country!” Bobby exclaimed, and the two fell silent.
They didn’t usually bicker like this. Because the two of them were both introverted, they were far too polite to fight. The worst disagreement they’d ever had was back in seventh grade when Bobby borrowed one of Kai’s graphite drawing pencils without permission and used it all day as a standard pencil—the tip was dull by the time he returned it. “Thanks for letting me borrow this. You’re a lifesaver,” Bobby had offered. But when Kai saw the blunted nib, his response faltered. “It’s…cool,” he’d managed. To date, that tiny pause was the biggest fight they’d ever had.
“I’m sorry,” Kai said finally.
Bobby reined in his volume. “Me too. I just miss you already.”
“I know.” Kai buried his head in his hands. “I can’t believe you’re leaving.”
“I can’t believe you’restaying. I’m going to miss the hell out of you,” Bobby said, his voice breaking. Bobby was known to be a prolific crier.
And Kai was known to be a prolific empath. “Dude, if you start crying, I’m going to cry.”
“You know I can’t help it.” Bobby sniffed hard and cleared his throat, pausing. “My flight hasn’t even taken off yet and it already feels like you’re trying to replace me.”
Kai clicked his tongue against his teeth. “You know I can’t replace you. I’m sorry I couldn’t come see you off.”
“I know you had to work.”
“You fly safe, you hear? I love you. I’ll be waiting for you when you get back.”
“You always know where to find me. I’ll never leave you behind, I promise.”
“Don’t do that to me, man. Come on!” Kai said, tilting his head back so tears didn’t fall.
“I just called to say bye before Winter and I take off. I have to get to our gate. Just be careful, okay? I don’t want you to get hurt,” Bobby said, and then he was gone with a click.
Kai leaned his head against the wall, inhaling deeply to calm himself. A tear leaked from the corner of his eye and rolled down his cheek.
6
Elias
10:21 a.m.
Dakarai had barely said hello before he ran off. All alone in the bookstore, it dawned on Elias that the job probably wasn’t going to be as easy as he’d anticipated. He had worked in retail before, but it was a shoe store, and he’d just had to ring people up because most of the customers already knew what they were buying. He stared at the many shelves of comic books, cases of desserts and pastries, and the complicated-looking coffee machine. He was out of his depth.
His steps were light on the creaky floorboards as he explored the store. It smelled like the chemical scent of ink, aged paper, and cardboard mixed with Uncle Moodie’s famous peanut butter pie. Elias remembered running up and down the aisles with William when they were kids, before Nia was born. The shelves seemed so high back then, but now they barely came up to his chest. He and William would steal cookies from the case and get the books sticky. They would always hide the evidence, but there was no way Moodie didn’t know.
Elias finally decided that Dakarai was taking too long. He was sure he could interrupt Dakarai’s phone call for at least a second to ask how the speaker system worked.
He walked toward the back room door but stopped suddenly when he heard a quick, exaggerated inhalation followed by a few short sniffles. Elias rolled his eyes, muttering under his breath, “Is he crying? Dude is big as hell. How do his tears even know where to go?”
