Page 29 of The Homecoming

“We’re not drinking,” Autumn said. “He ate some corn dogs, nachos, chicken, popcorn, a funnel cake, and cotton candy before we stuck him on the tilt-a-whirl.”

“I hate all of you,” Brandon said when he came up for air. He took a couple of steps back from the trash can and took some deep breaths.

“I have to ask,” Autumn said. “Earlier, that call, was it about a naked clown?”

Weasel shuddered. “I don’t wanna talk about it. I hate the fucking fair,” he muttered and walked off.

On the way back to the parking lot, a loud bang caused her to jump.

Jason hit the pavement making Autumn freeze.

The group looked at each other before turning to Jason, on the ground in a ball.

“A car backfired,” Justin said.

“Jason,” Autumn called out, realizing his actions. “Hey, it’s okay.” She knelt next to him, and he trembled. “You’re okay. You’re in White Oak, safe at home. There are no bombs, no danger here. You’re safe now,” she whispered. She rubbed his back until his breathing normalized. He sat up and looked at her, horrified. “Sorry about that, guys.” He got to his feet and shook free from Autumn’s grasp.

“No worries, man,” Justin said, slapping Jason on the shoulder.

18.

Autumn dragged her body into the Huntington Farms office, reasonably sure she’d been run over in her sleep. What little sleep she had gotten was unsettling and not restful. The goal was to crash on the couch in her office until she felt better or the phone rang, whichever came first. But when she walked in, Brandon was in the spot she’d fantasized about the whole drive there.

“I wanted to lay there. Don’t think the food at the fair sat right.” She rubbed her stomach.

“You’re not lying,” he groaned.

“How are you sick? You threw it all up.”

“I don’t know. I could be dead.”

“You’re not dead unless I am,” she replied. “I wanna lay down.”

He rolled to his side and patted in front of him. “You’re welcome to join me. But I’m not moving.”

She shrugged before curling up next to him. He was considerably smaller than Dan, not much bigger than her. “I miss Dan,” she whispered.

He patted her side and draped an arm over her as she drifted off. When her eyes opened again, there was someone else in the room.

“Hard at work, I see,” Ben said, staring down at them.

“Oh god, Ben. Nothing is going on here.” Bleary-eyed, she sat up and nearly slid off the edge of the couch.

Ben laughed, waving the idea away with his hand in the air. “Honey, I know that. He’s afraid of vaginas.”

“He’s what?” Autumn laughed so hard she actually did slide off and hit the hardwood floor. She looked over at Brandon, now awake.

“I am not afraid of va—” he stuttered. “Of those.”

She laughed. “What do you think is going to happen? They don’t have teeth. It’s not going to chomp you like Pacman.” She mimicked a chomping hand puppet and snapped it at him.

“No,” he laughed and playfully slapped her hand away, his face beet red. “Shut up.”

“Now that I’m down here,” she said as she looked down at the floor, “we need an area rug in here.”

“Pick one out and order it on the company card,” Brandon replied.

“Hundred-dollar limit,” Ben said. “Oh, how’s Jason?”

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