Page 14 of String Boys

If Matty hadn’t been having such a hard time, Seth would have been truly happy.

One night, he was taking the garbage out before his father got home and he met Matty as he was coming back from the dumpster.

“Hi,” he said, hoping Matty wouldn’t yell. For a moment, it looked like he was going to, but then his lower lip started to wobble.

“Castor Durant’s an asshole,” he blurted, as if he’d been dying to say it this whole time. “He told me he’d beat my brother up if I didn’t make him go away.”

“What’s going to happen when you go back?” Seth asked. Matty’s parents were trying, but… but the bad kid never just went away.

Matty shook his head. “My folks called the school, the school called Castor’s parents, and they called some social workers. His dad is big in the church, so he’s just going somewhere else for the rest of junior high. We won’t have to see him again until high school.”

Seth frowned. “He could be an even bigger asshole then,” he said, and Matty nodded with feeling.

“I don’t even want to know how bad it’s going to be,” he confided unhappily.

“Maybe you could come to my school,” Seth offered shyly. “At least in high school.”

“With what?” Matty demanded. “Kelly has art, and you have music. I don’t got nothing! I don’t got grades because I’m not smart, and I don’t got—”

“You don’t work,” Seth said brutally. “You’re plenty smart. You copied off me when your mom was pregnant because your family was busy. Only you got used to it. You’ve got a year to pull your grades up, Matty. I’ll help you study. Yourfolkswill help you study, but you’re right. Castor Durant is going to be gunning for you, and you have got to get out of that school!”

They both shivered. Seth had forgotten to put a coat on when he went outside. Matty just didn’t wear one that often.

“Missed you,” he mumbled, his face crumpling. From Matty, it was a huge admission. “Everybody else wants to be all grown-up and shit.” He looked both ways, like this was a terrible thing. “You still like to play with action figures. I miss that.”

Seth looked down, embarrassed. “I thought you thought I was a baby.”

Matty shook his head. “No. I don’t know how to be when you’re not at school with me. I… I hit my little brother. I can’t ever do that again.”

“Be smart,” Seth said soberly. “Just… be smart.”

Matty nodded. “Throw your trash away.” The bag handle was starting to leave a mark on Seth’s hand. “I’ll ask my mom if you and Kelly can come eat dinner.” He looked away unhappily. “I miss my brother too. He… he talks to you, right?”

Seth shoved the bag in the dumpster, and together they turned back to the fourplex, taking baby steps through the graveled parking lot. “When we’re going to sleep.” Every night, Kelly would just talk and talk until he drifted off. Seth had learned to cling to every word. “He misses your sisters.” Lily and Lulu and Agnes—every night he remembered one funny thing about each kid.

“They miss him too.” Matty shook his head. “The people where Dad works scare me. And not just the homeless guys. Dad works with guys who smoke, and they’re rough, and they get in fights, and… and every day Dad drives me home and says, ‘Jesus, Mateo, I want so much better for you.’ But I don’t know how!”

“School,” Seth said. “Bring a notebook. Write down what the teacher says at the beginning of every class. That’s the key. They have everything on the board.”

Matty laughed a little. “Everybody knows that,” he said gruffly.

“Please?” Seth begged, his stomach suddenly cramping. He realized he could have lived without Matty in his life, but he needed Kelly.

And Kelly needed Matty.

“For your little brother? For your sisters? Don’t be like Cormorant Dural—”

Matty cackled. “Castor Durant! Oh my God! Seth, are other people real to you?”

“I’ve never met him!” Seth defended, feeling stupid.

“Well, I hope you never do,” Matty said with feeling. “Guy’s a psycho!”

They had reached the landing now, and Seth looked at Matty unhappily. “You know, your suspension ends at Christmas vacation,” he said, and Matty looked surprised.

“It’s like they did that on purpose.”

“We can play a lot then,” Seth said.