I lean against the wall of the hallway, staring ahead as I wait for Myles to change. I’m excited to see him play again. I used to go to all of his Little League games, sitting in the bleachers and cheering him on even though it embarrassed him. He hated being noticed, but it was hard to blend in when I was shouting his name at the top of my lungs each time he came up to bat.
Baseball isn’t my favorite sport. The games take forever and I had a hard time focusing. But each time Myles played, suddenly I was all in. I’d cheer and clap every time he hit the ball.
Sometimes he’d even play with me in the backyard, but I never could follow the rules. If he hit the ball and took off running, I’d tackle him even if he made it to the base.
“You’re cheating!” he’d say.
“I’m just hugging you!” I’d push him off the base and tag him with the ball. “Got you.”
There was always a hint of a glare in his eye, but I knewhe liked it. If he didn’t, he wouldn’t have kept asking me to play.
Myles rushes out of the locker room, but he’s still wearing the same clothes as before. His face is red and he scrubs his cheek with his hand to wipe away tears.
“What’s wrong?”
He doesn’t stop. He keeps walking.
“Myles,” I say, following him. “What happened? Why aren’t you getting ready for the game?”
“I’m not playing.”
This doesn’t make sense. He has to play. That’s the whole reason we came back.
Myles’s jaw is tight as he flees down the hallway. I haven’t seen him this upset in a long time and I want to help, but I need him to slow down.
I reach for him, my hand around his arm. “Please talk to me.”
He stops finally, abruptly, as he spins around to face me. “My mom is here, and she knows what I did.”
I step back, afraid to make him more upset.
He catches his breath, eyebrows dipping as he notices the added distance. He arches over and rubs his forehead. “I’m sorry.”
“How did she find out?”
He shakes his head. “I don’t know, but she knows I stole the test and that I’ve been lying to her.”
Did Mallory tell her? It doesn’t make sense because if she told her he stole the test, she’d have to admit he’d done it for her. She’d be in trouble too, wouldn’t she?
“Do you think Mallory said something?”
“I don’t know,” he says. “But it’s all over.”
I push away my questions and focus on him because Ineed to help him feel better. It’s like the need is still etched into me.
I test the space between us by inching closer, and he doesn’t try to stop me. I wipe his cheek, leaving my hand on his face. “No, you didn’t. Your mom will understand.”
He bites his lip and shakes his head. “She probably hates me.”
“She doesn’t.” She could never hate him. I know that. “She’ll understand if you talk to her. She loves you.”
He squeezes his eyes shut. “I hurt her. I told her I can’t stand being around her and Adam.”
I stare at the eyes I know so well. The curls on his head. The pink hue of his cheeks.
He’s the same. He’s the same boy I grew up with who misses his father. He’s not a killer. He’s crying in front of me because he knows he hurt his mother.
“Then go back and apologize.”
