Page 47 of String Boys

“Seth knows what he did,” Matty snarled. “It’s his fault this happened. Once word hit the street, everybody knew my brother would bend over for anyone!”

Seth had to hold on to the praise Jesus bar then, because Linda cut across three lanes of traffic to screech to a halt in the parking lot of a Black Bear Diner.

“Matty! Not another word—”

“How did he know?” Seth asked, from the part of him still there. “How would word get out? How would anybody connected to Castor Durant’s gang know anything about Kelly?”

“Because you two don’t make no secret about being fucking faggots!” Matty snarled. “Everybody fucking knows—”

“Matty, get out!” Linda ordered, and Seth closed his mouth so fast, he almost bit his tongue.

“Mom?” Matty was shocked. Shocked and hurt, and Seth wasn’t sorry at all.

“Your sisters are in the back of the car, and you can’t use either one of those F words here. Not about your brother. Not about Seth. Not about anybody. You shut up, or you be nice about it, or youget out of my fucking car!” She finished off on a shriek, and Seth looked back and saw Matty huddled against the back of his seat.

“I don’t know the neighborhood, Mommy,” he said humbly. “I don’t even know how to get home.”

Seth did. Seth knew you took the 29 to midtown, and then took the 8 to the fourplexes off of Carro. But he wouldn’t tell Matty that. Not now.

Matty had pretty much sicced Castor Durant on him and Kelly.

Matty, screaming terrible shit in the back of the car, had turned his brother over to the wolves.

In spite of everything that had happened, until that moment right there, Seth had thought they were still friends.

But now he knew. Now that he knew how much Matty hated them, he realized that part of their lives was over.

“Then you know how to stay in the car,” Linda finished, and Seth, snapped back to the here and now, saw her hands shake.

Kelly’s mother was not okay.

Matty had betrayed them, and Kelly’s mother was not okay.

Seth had to live with that information. He had to close his eyes and live with it, counting the seconds until he could see Kelly.

Of course, the Cruz family went in first, but Matty came out after just a minute, scowling.

Seth just looked at him, too stunned to hide his hurt.

“He doesn’t want me there,” Matty spat. “I hope you’re happy. My brother hates me.”

“You betrayed him,” Seth said quietly. “You turned them onto him. You’ll have to live with that.”

Matty took two steps forward, cocking his fist back, and Seth stood up and met him.

“Go ahead,” Seth said. “Hit me and tell everybody why it’s my fault. You’re the one who’s choosing to hate, Matty. Your mom didn’t tell you to. They’re fine with it. Hit me and tell everyone why I had it coming.” He sighed and let himself wander away in his mind. A song was forming, swelling, something that had Kelly’s smile in it, the way he slouched when he walked, like he knew it was sexy, the way he rambled like a stream in the spring.

Seth needed a song for Kelly so Kelly could remember himself.

Matty was frozen, his fist falling limply to his side, and Seth wandered away for real, until Kelly’s dad stuck his head out. “Seth? He’s been asking for you.”

“Dad! You’re just going to let him—”

“Shut up, Matty.” Xavier Cruz looked exhausted. “I don’t want to hear it. What you said to him last night? You think you’re not responsible for this? Just sit down there and be glad it’s not you in the hospital.”

Seth didn’t even look at Matty as he walked into the room, passing Linda and the girls as they left.

They were all crying, Lily and Lulu leaning painfully against Linda as she guided them out.