“Just because you’re good at something,” he said, “doesn’t mean it has to own you. There are people that let that happen, and there are people that don’t. It’s a choice, not a prison sentence.”
“That makes it sound easier than it is.”
“Let me put it this way: you can push me away all you want, but I’m like a human yo-yo. I’m going to come right back at you.”
“It’s what I do. I pushed my family away without meaning to—or I wouldn’t be without them.”
“You don’t know that. You don’t know what happened to them.”
“I can imagine.”
“Wayne taught us to imagine the good, Amanda. It is an option, you know? Seriously.”
“The thing with Charlene.”
“You were pushing me. I get that,” he said.
“I’ll never let anyone get close.”
“You don’t know that. You can’t say that.”
She sighed, deeply frustrated.
He placed his hand onto hers on the bench. Hers was icy cold. His, phenomenally warm from nerves.
“A human yo-yo,” he repeated.
He won a smile from her.
“You’re Kingdom Keepers now. You and Jess. You know that, right?”
She nodded.
“There are ways we do things,” he said. “As a group. For each other. We always team up. No one ever goes alone.”
She looked totally stressed out.
“No one ever goes alone,” he repeated. “I’ll tell you something: I don’t like girls. But I like you. I don’t care about girls, but I care about you, and Willa, and Jess, and yeah, Charlene, too. Nothing bad is ever going to happen to them. Never going to happen to you. That’s just the way it is. You’re a part of that now. You can’t get out of it. We won’t let you. No one ever goes alone.”
“You going to eat that?” she asked, pointing to something that had pineapple in its name but was the texture of a kitchen sponge.
“No,” he said. “Go for it.”
She reached over and snagged it and ate it in two bites. “You haven’t forgotten about Jeannie Pucket, right?”
“Who’s Jeannie Pucket?” he asked.
“My roommate. Jess’s and my roommate. You promised you’d meet her.”
“Oh, great…”
“I was thinking an ice cream cone at The Frozen Marble.”
“You make it sound like a date.”
“It kind of is.”
“Help!”
“I could come along,” she offered.
“It’s sounding better,” he said.
“Thanks,” she said, still chewing.
“Well if it isn’t Thin Wit-less!” growled a voice from behind them.
Luowski now had a string of zits from his nose all the way over to his ear. Mike Horton stood to the side and slightly behind him.
“And the evil witch,” Luowski added. “Blown any houses off-course lately?”
“Take a hike, Luowski,” Finn said.
“You and me, we’ve got unfinished business.”
“Mike,” Finn said, “I thought you were going to get him a better writer?”
Horton tried to keep the grin off his face.
Luowski said, “Your girly-friend isn’t always going to be around, Whitman. Don’t you think it’s kind of spineless to need a girl to do your fighting for you anyway?”
“Sticks and stones, Luowski. You know I’m not going to fight you. You’re a cretin. And if you don’t know what that means, look it up. You’ll be enlightened.”
“I’m coming for you, Whitman.”
“Mike,” Amanda said, “do me a favor and get Greg out of here before there’s trouble.”
Horton led Luowski away. Luowski tried to look like he wanted to hang around, but Finn knew better. Amanda had him and half the school scared.
“You realize we’re outcasts?” Finn said.
“Yes. I’ve been one my whole life. It’s not so bad really. You get used to it.”
“I’m working on it.”
“I can help you,” she said.
“I’d like that, I think. But remember: I don’t like girls.”
“Yes. So you said.”
“Just so we’re clear on that.”
“Perfectly.” She wiggled her hand under his. And he squeezed hers just a little bit tighter.