Page 24 of Catcher's Lock

“Keep telling yourself that, Rocket.” I flash my guns at him.

Flopping back into the pillow, he grins at me, and the room gets a little brighter.

“You gonna be back in school tomorrow?” I ask after a few minutes of companionable silence.

“Why? You miss me?”

“Nah,” I tease. “I’m asking for Penny.”

The mood shifts, and I mentally kick myself for poking at a spot I know is vulnerable when I’ve finally got him playful andrelaxed.

“I told Penny two weeks ago,” he says, and I sit up sharp to turn and stare.

“About…you?” I shouldn’t be startled, and I definitely shouldn’t behurt. It’s his life, not our secret. His gayness doesn’t have anything to do with me, and it was nevermine, anyway. Plus, Josha is a good fucking person, and she was his best friend before I came into the picture. The only surprising part is that he didn’t come out to her before now. “How did she take it?”

“Mostly relieved. Means it wasn’t abouther, you know?” He scrubs a hand over his face. “Rightfully pissed that I waited so long.”

“Sounds about right.” Twisting around, I tick off names on my fingers. “So, Penny knows, I know, Dickhead Carmichael knows…”

He ducks his head, blushing, and I poke him in the ribs.

“You might as well come out in Morning Meeting, because the whole school’s gonna know by the end of the week.”

“Maybe I will.”

He won’t. Big declarations aren’t his style, but since I’m still a little salty for absolutely no good reason, I can’t resist one last jab. “What’s next? A big announcement at family dinner?”

“Oh god,” he groans. “Don’t even joke about that.”

9

Laundry

Gemiah

Age 24 (Now)

“Itake it they hired you?” Josha doesn’t look at me as I climb back into the truck. Probably because of Brandi’s “boyfriend” comment, which has me unreasonably delighted.

I spent half the interview—which consisted of taking off my clothes to show that I do, in fact, have both the balls and the goods and convincing the shift manager that the bruises aren’t as bad as they look—turning the word over in my head to examine it from every angle before concluding that it’s my new life’s mission to call him that at every opportunity.

He’ll come around eventually.

“I’ve got the shift tomorrow night, yeah,” I say. “It’s not really ‘hiring.’ They don’t put me on payroll or anything. I’m an independent contractor—they let me pay the house fee to show up, and then it’s on me to make it worth my time.”

“And this is what you’ve been doing for money?” His disapprovalsparks a nerve.

“Why not? Is virgin Rocket getting puritanical on me?” I guess it was too much to hope he’d be turned on, or maybe a little jealous. “Besides, it’s the one thing I’m qualified for that pays good cash, isn’tillegal, and doesn’t require me to sign anything or stay in one place for too long.”

“God forbid you actually commit to anything.”

“Hey, at least I’m using my skills. Think Shilo would be proud?”

He knows me too well for me to sell the sarcasm, and he doesn’t pull his punches.

“I think she’d be happy to know you’re alive.”

“What have you told them?” I ask.