Detached Read Free

swung open.
    â€œWhat’s up?” his sleepy-eyed roommate asked.
    â€œIs Joe here?”
    â€œHe’s sleeping. His first class isn’t ’til ten.”
    I pushed into the apartment my brother shared with three other students. When I looked around it became clear how all of them managed to fail enough courses that they were stuck in summer school.
    â€œTough life, starting the day at ten,” I said.
    Joe stumbled out of his room in grey boxer shorts.
    â€œAnna! What’s up?” He brightened when he saw me standing there.
    â€œI was out for a walk and sort of lost track of where I was. I was hoping you could give me a ride home?”
    I felt hollow standing there. Even seeing his puzzled expression didn’t bring me back to reality the way it should have.
    â€œYou walked all the way here this morning?” he asked.
    â€œYeah. I couldn’t sleep.”
    â€œAre you okay?” He stepped close to look into my eyes.
    â€œI’m fine except for this blister on my foot.”
    I reached down to pull off my sandal as he scrutinized my eyes.
    â€œJoe! I’m not on crack or anything. I just walked farther than I meant to. Can you please drive me home?”
    He sized me up a minute longer, then said, “Sure. Let me grab my keys.”
    Then he disappeared down a narrow hall.
    â€œGrab some shorts too!” I yelled after him.
    Jamal was still standing by the door watching me. It made me feel creepy.
    â€œWhat?” I finally asked so he’d say or do something — anything.
    â€œNothing. It’s just, do you know how long it takes to walk across the city like that?”
    I glanced at the clock in the kitchen.
    â€œAn hour and forty minutes. So what?”
    He shrugged. “Seems a little odd this early in the morning.”
    â€œI like to get fresh air and it’ll be too hot later.”
    He nodded, but I could tell he didn’t buy it.
    â€œYou might try some walking shoes next time,” he said.
    I didn’t get a chance to answer because Joe came out of his bedroom rattling his keys.
    â€œOkay, let’s hit the road before the traffic gets bad. You know what it’s like getting across at this time of the day.”
    â€œSee you, Jamal,” I said, and followed Joe out the door.
    I watched the top of Joe’s head as we walked down the stairs. It took me a while to figure out what was different, then I realized he’d cut his hair, like, military short.
    â€œThat’s a pretty drastic haircut. I haven’t seen your ears since grade school.”
    â€œYeah, it’s cooler.”
    â€œI didn’t know you were so worried about your street cred,” I sniped.
    â€œTemperature-wise,” he sniped back.
    We always tease each other. It’s our thing.
    I followed him across the parking lot in silence, then sat down gratefully in the passenger seat of his beat-up Toyota. It smelled like something was decomposing under one of the seats, but I didn’t complain.
    â€œEverything okay at home?” he asked when he started the car.
    â€œPretty regular. I sort of had a fight with Dad this morning, but nothing serious.”
    â€œOtherwise everything’s normal?”
    â€œYep. Dad went to LA this morning. Just one night.”
    â€œMom’s on mornings?”
    I nodded.
    He turned on the air conditioning and, after an initial blast of heat, I welcomed the cooler air. It chilled the sweat at my temples and made me shiver.
    The traffic was backed up for three blocks before the bridge, which is pretty standard for a weekday when everyone is trying to get downtown for work. The closer we inched toward it, though, the more nauseous I felt.
    â€œHope you don’t miss your class,” I said.
    â€œNo worries. I’ll make it back in time.”
    I leaned my head against the headrest, but the movement made me dizzy so I sat up straight again. Joe glanced over and I tried to