Page 88 of Freshmeet
“I still can’t believe there’s a serial killer in Kirksville,” Tom said.
Grant huffed. “I really picked the perfect time to move back, huh?”
“Did you really see someone get killed?” Tom asked, a little too eagerly.
“Yeah.”
Tom looked at me expectantly, but there was no way I was about to relive that night for his sick curiosity.
Saving me from having to tell my best friend to shut the hell up, Jamie asked, “With everything going on, you still planning to have a bonfire on the 4th?”
Tom grabbed a handful of chips. “Yeah. I mean, there’s safety in numbers, right?” Casting a sly look my way, he added, “Laura’s going to be there.” When he didn’t get a response mentioning my ex, he added, “Looks like we’ll all be getting reacquainted now that she’s back for good.”
Jamie, Grant, and I sat up a little straighter, and Tom smiled. “She left med school week one but stayed in Chicago until she couldn’t lie to her parents anymore. They’re trying to get her into school here, but she’s not going for it.” He threaded his fingers behind his head and shrugged.
“Sounds like you guys have been keeping in touch.” I was surprised that Tom had info Grant didn’t.
Tom got up to grab another beer—and to build anticipation for whatever he was about to say. With his head in the fridge, he mumbled something, but none of us caught it. He set a couple of beers on the counter and started looking through our snacks.
“What was that?” Jamie craned his neck back, trying to make eye contact with a dodgy Tom.
“I said—” He rustled a chip bag. “Kimmy told me.”
Grant and I doubled over laughing.
“What?” Tom asked, way less entertained than he was when he was raking me over the coals.
“You’re ridiculous.” Grant tossed me an abandoned controller, and we started another match.
“I couldn’t turn her down,” Tom whined.
“You absolutely could’ve,” Grant laughed, knocking me clean off the stage within the first thirty seconds.
Tom walked in front of the TV, and we swerved to see the action. Too bad I was trash at video games and lost yet another life. “Fucker.”
He plopped down next to me on the couch. “Whatever. Kimmy’s not so bad when she’s not around Laura.”
“Too bad they’re always together. And that’s game!” Grant hopped up and danced.
“It’s not really an accomplishment to beat Connor,” Jamie chimed in. “I’ve been beating him at Smash Bros. since I was like eight. Dude has no game.”
I shrugged. “You’re not wrong.” I glanced at Tom as he shoved pizza in his mouth. “So, she’s back for good?”
He nodded.
“So?” Jamie joined us in the living room with a bowl of popcorn.
“So what?”
Jamie sighed. “Who cares if the wicked witch is back?”
Taken aback by his tone, I said, “I mean, I don’t, it’s just?—”
He slammed the bowl onto the coffee table. “Just an excuse for you to fuck things up with Sarah?”
“No. I was going to say?—”
“I hope you know she gets me in the breakup,” Jamie said with a straight face.
