Page 36 of Head Over Feels
@NotMyRealNameif you want to use a fake name, we’ll all understand
NotMyRealNameMarch26, 9:55am
I’llcome.I’venever had friends like you guys before andIcan’t wait to meet you in person.I’vedecidedIwant you to know.Myname isJames.
CHAPTER11
FELIX
MAY
Myhearing was beginning to come back, but everything sounded like it was underwater.Mymind was muddled and confused, even thoughIhadn’t hit my head.
Hangingon toMalcolmwhile we’d been standing had helped ground me.Nowwe were separated, the world felt on the verge of spinning.
Icouldn’t believe the box had contained a real bomb.Fuck,I’dpicked it up.Whatif it’d gone offthen?Achill went over my entire body.Iwouldn’t have survived, andIdoubtedMalcolmwould’ve either.
Iwinced, thinking of how he’d been limping.Ihadn’t seen him fall, but it was obvious he’d reinjured his bad leg.
Theparamedic finished cleaning and bandaging the cuts on my arm.Hegave me a thumbs up and went to pack his equipment away.Theother paramedic was still talking toMalcolm.
Myphone vibrated again.Anotherthing to feel guilty about.Calhad called right beforeI’dgrabbed the box—the bomb.IfI’donly answered the phone,Malcolmwouldn’t have been injured.
Ishouldn’t have been surprised to seeDetectivesOchoaandCallahan, but for some reasonIhadn’t expected them.TheBentOakPoliceDepartmentcouldn’t have very many detectives, though, so it made sense they’d be assigned.Twoother detectivesIdidn’t know were speaking toMalcolm.
“Hey,Felix, you remember us from the shooting last year?”DetectiveOchoahad made sureIwas looking at him before speaking.
“Hi,Detectives.Ican hear a little.Justspeak loudly, please.”Iwas so tired.HopefullyMalcolmwould let me take a nap in his bed, or at least in his guest room.
Thedetectives asked me to move away from whereMalcolmwas talking to the paramedic.Weended up standing in front of his neighbor’s garage.
Iwrapped my arms around myself.Fromthis angleIcould seeMalcolm’scane lying beneath my car.I’dhave to ask the detectives ifIcould grab it for him once they were done questioning me.
DetectiveCallahantapped me on the arm.Hehad a notepad in his hand, andOchoahad his phone pointed toward me.
“Sorry,I’ma little out of it.”Iwaved my hand around.
“Understandable,”Callahansaid. “Canyou tell us what happened?”
Isighed.Fuckit. “LastyearIpissed off several guys.It’sa long story, butIpromiseI’lltell you all about it later.Anyway,I’mnot sure exactly which of them, or how many are involved, butI’vebeen getting glitter bombs at my apartment every few days for the past four months or so.”Iran my hand over my face and surveyed the disaster in the street.Abig van marked with theAustinPoliceDepartmentlogo had pulled up.Thebomb squad, ifIhad to guess.
“Theglitter bombs are either in a brown box or in a tube.Mostof them have aPOBoxas the return address, if they have anything.I’vestopped opening them;I’vebeen stacking them in the corner of my living room.”Ididn’t want to throw them out and have them explode glitter all over some poor trash collector just trying to do their job. “Iconsidered getting a security camera, but money’s tight andIdidn’t necessarily feel threatened, you know?”Igrimaced.Hindsightand all that.
“Igot here last night around 7pm.”Callahanwrote this down. “Therain stopped around midnight, maybe?Thebox didn’t look wet.”Morenotetaking. “WhenIsaw it,Igot really mad.Like, it’s one thing for the glitter bombs to show up at my apartment.It’seasy to find out where someone lives.Butfor them to follow me over here?”Ishivered, hugging myself tighter. “That’sanother level of creepy.”Istared at the street again. “ButInever expected this.”
Callahannudged my arm again. “Howdid the bomb go off?”
“Oh, right.Well, likeIsaid,Iwas mad.Iwas yelling about the box toMalcolm, and he asked me what was in it.SoIdecided to show him.”Iclosed my eyes against the wave of dizziness that hit me whenIthought about how closeI’dcome to being killed. “Igrabbed the box off the car andIthrew it into the street.”Imimed the motionsI’dgone through. “Ifigured that way the glitter wouldn’t explode onMalcolm’slawn or anything.”Ishrugged, blinking back tears.
Ochoapatted me on the shoulder. “Thatprobably saved your life.”Hejerked his chin inMalcolm’sdirection. “Histoo.”
Inodded, wiping my eyes with the back of my wrist.
Oneof the techs collecting evidence waved at the detectives.Theyexcused themselves and told me not to leave.Hah.Iwasn’t sure howIcould’ve made a getaway.
Myphone buzzed again.I’dalready textedSteveandCalthatIwas okay andI’dupdate them later.Ipulled my phone from my pocket.
Will
