Page 75 of Psycho

He wasn’t the tallest boy around, but he had me beat by about five inches, and he was wide.

He smiled at me when our eyes met.

“Hi,” he said.

I didn’t respond. He laughed a little as if my silence was funny.

“Listen, I heard what happened with my sister.”

Josh was Jordy’s sister. If she was angry that my mom had broken her parents up, I doubted Josh was any less angry.

“Okay.”

I made a move to walk away, but he blocked my path.

I took a step back and looked up at him. I doubted he would do anything in a crowded hallway, but I was still wary of him.

He backed away from me a bit. “Shit, sorry. I didn’t mean to crowd you.”

I blinked up at him, and he placed his hand on the back of his neck and shifted around on his feet, looking unsure.

I wasn’t at all convinced it wasn’t an act.

“Anyway, I wanted to apologize to you about my sister. I want you to know we don’t share the same feelings over our parents’ divorce.” His face darkened. “I know where the blame goes, and it's all on my spineless piece of shit of a father.”

I blinked. “For what it’s worth, I am sorry they’re getting divorced.”

“Thank you,” he said awkwardly.

“Right. Well, I'm going to class now.”

“Wait!” He held out his hand as if he was going to touch me, but stopped himself at the last minute. “Sorry. I just… there's a party next Friday. You know where the abandoned cornfield is?”

I nodded. I had heard of it. That was a popular spot for the kids to hang out to get drunk, but I had never been. Never felt the appeal.

“I was wondering if you’d want to go… with me.”

“What?”

“Yeah. I mean, I know it’s a little last minute, but I thought it would be fun. I can come pick you up….”

I shook my head. “Thank you, but no. I don’t want to go.”

He blinked as if he was genuinely surprised I would reject him. I wondered where he got the idea that I would want to get drunk with him and his friends.

“Right.” He reached into his backpack and ripped a piece of paper from some schoolwork. He turned it around and wrote his number. I shifted on my feet, looking around and feeling awkward.

I wished he hadn’t approached me in the first place.

“In case you change your mind,” he said, then walked away.

I stood there and watched him for a beat.

I should probably throw the paper away. Besides, even if I wanted to go with him, it wasn’t like I could. It wasn’t like the fucking psycho would let me.

I shoved the paper in my backpack instead, a small part of me hoping Micah would find it.

If he was really a psycho with no morals, I would much rather know about it now than to hang in limbo.

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