Page 74 of So Far Gone

Still on the porch, Davy folded his arms. “What did my parents sayexactly?”

Bethany looked over at Kinnick again, who could do nothing but shrug. He felt like he’d dropped out of 300-level parenting, and this was some PhD stuff.

“Well, you should talk tothemabout it, but they told me that maybe there were some images on your computer?”

“I was looking into bodybuilding!”

“And they overheard you saying you had feelings for a boy at school. A boy who might be gay?”

“Marsh! I said I loved Marsh! Everyone loves Marsh. Marsh is hilarious!”

“And Marsh is bi,” Leah said, “not gay.”

“Yeah,” Davy said, “Marsh is bi!”

“What’s bi?”

They all turned. Asher was climbing out of the backseat of the Outback.

Leah screamed, “Would you shut up, Asher!”

Davy was still interrogating Bethany. “Wait, so you’re telling me my mom thought I was gay because of muscle photos on my computer and because I said I loved a friend at school?”

“Well,” Bethany said, “she said something about knowing that you were gay since you were six—”

“Seriously? I don’t believe this.” Davy put his hands on his head. “That happened, like, three times, total! I mean, what six-year-olddoesn’t wonder what he looks like in a dress?” For some reason, he looked at Asher when he said this.

“Oh, I’m nine,” Asher said.

“And even if I were a cross-dresser, which I’m not, that’s not even a signifier of sexuality!” Davy was working up quite a case. “It’s like they’re stuck in the 1980s.”

“What’s a cross-dresser?” Asher asked.

“Asher!” Leah yelled again.

Bethany shot another glance to her father, looking for more help, perhaps calling on his parental seniority, but Rhys had nothing to offer in this situation except a change of venue. “Look. Why don’t we go inside and talk about this?”

“Not with him!” Leah pointed at her little brother.

Asher was stunned. “What didIdo?”

Six

What Happened to Asher

It was a hard decision, but Asher knew what he had to do. He resigned his post as the greatest scout the cavalry had ever seen, effective immediately, telling gruff old General Kinnick that from now on he would only fight on the side of the Indi— er, the Native Americans.You know my soldiers will have to kill you if they see you, the general stated.But I have been the best scout you’ve ever had,stated Asher. I know,the general stated back. It’s true. Asher saluted and stated,I’m sorry, sir, but this is my destiny. The general stated,Well, then go with God, soldier, Asher immediately stating back,Cool. The tribe had given him a special name,Six-nut, because he was the bravest nine-year-old anyone had ever seen. Nobody could believe what a good scout he was. He talked the chief of the tribe, Standing Water, into moving their horses to a safer river up north, one that he had discovered (and leaped over) on an earlier scouting mission to this remote territory. Six-nut knew that, hidden on this secret river, the horses couldn’t be shot by the cavalry solders. Standing Water said this was a brilliant strategy, but that it would be dangerous. He would be taking his life in his own hands.That’s what I do every day, Asher stated. He found a rifle on the ground, but then he found a better stick and tossed the first one away, and that’s when—

“Asher?” It was General Kinnick again, coming out of the back door of the house.

“Yeah.”

“We’re still talking in here. Are you all right outside by yourself?”

“Yes. I’m fine.”

Grandpa Rhys looked all around and breathed in deeply. “Nice out here, isn’t it?”

“Yes.”

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