Page 73 of The Lookback

“Or you could tell me that you’ve been an idiot for the past two years.”

His scowl deepens.

“You could congratulate me on winning,” I say.

“You only won because Tommy threw you the win.” He crosses his arms.

“So what?” I ask. “He’s my friend, and?—”

“You have a lot of friends,” Jed mutters. “That’s the problem.”

“Only because my best friend stopped talking to me,” I say. “Who would you say is to blame for that?” I arch one eyebrow.

“I’ve always been your friend.” Jed’s still scowling.

“Oh, yes,” I say. “I can see that. Most people’s friends never talk to them, and they scowl all the time, and they refuse to do anything with them.”

“Who do you think has cut all your wood for the last two years?”

“What?” I blink. “What are you talking about?”

“Or what about your fences?” he asks. “You think they’ve been mending themselves?”

“Jed, are you saying?—”

“Don’t tell me you didn’t notice.”

I shake my head. “I don’t do that stuff. My dad does.”

His mouth opens, but he doesn’t speak.

“Have you really been coming to my house and chopping firewood?”

He sighs. “Not that it matters, apparently.”

“But why would you?—”

“Hey, gorgeous.” Clyde has finally reached us, and he waves. “They want a photo of Hansel and Gretel for the school yearbook.”

“They—what?” I shake my head. “Don’t be stupid.”

But Principal Lyons is actually waving us over.

“They’ll get photos of the prom king and queen later,” Clyde says. “Don’t be sore. Just come on over and smile.”

Only Clyde Brooks would somehow figure out how to be featured in the school’s yearbook two full years after he’d already graduated. “I’ll be over in a second.”

“Just go,” Jed says. “It’s not like we have anything else to talk about.” He’s scowling as much as he ever was.

“I’ll be there in a minute.” I shove Clyde’s arm. “Stop being such a nuisance and give me a second.”

Clyde’s eyes dart between Jed and me. “Is there something going on?—”

Jed kicks the ground, spraying dirt all over his brother. “Just go for once, will you?”

Clyde, covered in a spray of dirt, finally walks away, his eyes wide. “Calm down. Geez.”

“It’s a waste of time,” Jed says. “You and I are doomed, and we always have been. The timing’s always wrong. The universe is stacked against us.”

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