Where Read Free Page B

and…”
    â€œDon’t.”
    The rest of the sentence goes: Tan his hide. My father, the retired judge, leader of men, back-benched at town meetings, contains the rage, but I know.
    â€œJust don’t.”
    Blink. Blink. “I wouldn’t think of it.” Pillar of the community, butter wouldn’t melt, sweet old Father, mild as milk. Fine old family, solid citizen— that’s what most people think; they’d rather not know. He needs the applause.
    And what did I need? I needed to go upstairs and speed-read my brother’s face, looking for bruises; ruffle his hair, checking his head for lumps. I needed to look into his face and without waiting for the answer, find out from Ned without having to ask, Are you all right? It hasn’t happened yet, but I worry. All these years and it’s still precarious. Patrice is embarrassed by the extra money, but she understands, and she knows why I can’t be there. Grandmother left me a little so I can afford to do this— did she know before I knew? Father drove me away with his drunken rages, the night crawlers: Father in my room; I was never sure what, or why. Ned’s fine, I told myself . He’s a boy. He’ll be fourteen next month, and he’s already big enough to hit back.
    â€œI’ll just run upstairs and tell him hey.”
    I found him staring into the magic box. I know what Ned is looking for: power, and in the game, he’s deep into it, scheming, slashing and blasting his way to the top level of that gorgeous CG mountain. He didn’t even hear me come in.
    I began, just the way I always do. “Are you OK?”
    Then I watched reflected fires and explosions playing on his face. He said, without looking up, “I’m fine.”
    Ned, Edward LaMar Poulnot, you look so much like our mother that it breaks my heart, sitting there mousing and grinning as the neon blood flies, lighting you up and filling your world here, and inside that game. I know you have something going with your friends in there; I know you talk to them in the night, tapping into the chat box with one hand while you mouse deeper and deeper into the game, the game! I was a gamer once; I know it doesn’t matter which game it is, when you’re into it, that’s all you are. It swallows you whole, and if I watch for more than a minute or two I’ll get sucked in and there will be two of us sitting here, lost in space and it will be wonderful, at least for a little while.
    â€œDon’t you have school?”
    â€œHome sick.”
    â€œYou look fine to me.”
    â€œSore throat. Sent home yesterday, in case. If my tongue turns red around the edges, it’s strep.” The magic box makes that kphchuuu sound better than kids do, and on the screen, whatever he is fighting dies. “Got a note from the nurse.”
    â€œShow me.”
    â€œCan’t, I’ll miss the…” Kphchuuu!
    â€œIf you say so. If you’re not up and around when I get here tomorrow, we’re going to the clinic on Poynter, so Dr. LaPointe can culture your throat, you hear?”
    KPHU, SKLZZT. FOW! A flying reptile thing swoops down on his character. “I said, do you hear?”
    That thing is poised to destroy you . Neddy, watch out!
    BLAT!!
    Oh, thank God. “Earth to Ned.” Late. There’s a hidden button on that sword. If he can only find that red button in the hilt  … One more minute and I’d be late.
    â€œOK.”
    â€œSick, huh.” Oh look, stairs up to a — temple? Neddy, watch out for the … I have to go. “Call me if you get worse. Say hi to Patrice for me.”
    BRAAAACK  … Sweet grin as he waves. “Later, dude.”
    It was a relief to get to work, where I know what to do and how to do it and my check comes on the last Friday of the month.
    Then at the end of the day the gorgeous stranger I met through Ray Powell showed up at my front