The roller grill made a rhythmic clinking.
“I’m sorry—” Tean began.
“I found Maeve and Milo.Shit, sorry.Go ahead.”
“I was just saying I’m sorry about how I acted earlier.You found Maeve and Milo?”
“More like they found me.”Jem knuckled at some sleep crusties.“I’m sorry too.”
“Jem, you don’t have to be sorry.You didn’t do anything wrong.”
“Yeah, I did.I acted like a little bitch.I love you, and I hate when we fight.”
“I love you too.I never want to fight with you.I’m sorry I was so—so awful today.”
“You weren’t awful.You’re stressed, and I wasn’t listening, and you were right.”
Tean’s voice was dry when he said, “I don’t feel like I was right.”
“Do you want a roller dog?”
One second of silence.Two.“Is that a sex thing?”
“Guess you’ll have to come over here and find out.”
Tean didn’t groan.Not exactly.But Jem could practically hear him squirming.
“We’re in the movie theater,” Jem said, trying not to laugh.“Knock when you get here.”
“I’ll be right there.Oh, Jem?”
“Hm?”
“Maybe don’t say bitch.”
“Got it.”
“Especially around the kids.”
“Wait till they learn what a roller dog is.”
Tean disconnected.You knew you loved somebody, Jem thought, when you could tell they were panicking just from how they ended a call.
Maeve and Milo came back, and they ate their nachos, all three of them sitting crisscross on the floor.Maeve proceeded to tell Jem at length the plot of several books fromThe Mysterious Benedict Society, with Milo jumping in to provide corrections, additions, or sometimes only to repeat what Maeve had said.The booksdidsound pretty good, and Jem thought maybe they’d go on his list.You know, when he caught up with a ten-year-old.
A rap on glass made Jem gather himself.His head still had that thick feeling, but he was steadier on his feet now.Tean was peering in through the door, shading his eyes with one hand.When he saw Jem, his expression softened.
“Hey,” Jem said as he opened the door.
“Hi.”It only took seconds for Tean to scan him and say, “What’s wrong?What happened?”
“Uh.”Jem scratched his beard.“So, I might have taken something.”
“What did you take?”
“An Ambien?”It sounded a lot like a question, even to Jem, and he couldn’t help adding, “Maybe?”
“Jem.”
