“Andy should know more than anyone, but he’s selfish and arrogant.”
“Hmm…” Conner grunts. “He needs to control his emotions better.”
I nod.
Conner asks, “So, who’s the other violent person in your life?”
My words flit out like air as I watch Conner begin his inward investigation. Like a detective on a crucial case, he stands before the corkboard, pictures and clues connected by red lines.
“I wasn’t at Andy’s Friday night,” I confess before his mind connects the dots. “My parents argue a lot and…” I close my mind momentarily. It’s like picking at a wound that hasn’t fully healed. I need to peel back the flesh and give Conner something to work with before he sticks the entire hot iron rod into the wound to find all the answers. “And I didn’t like it, so I jumped out of my window and sat at the bus stop.”
“I’m sorry,” he says.
I look away, only to realise we are entering the school parking lot. I freeze, finally soaking in our surroundings. “Why are we here?”
“I thought we could take a mental health break day,” he says as he takes his keys out of his pocket and unlocks the car door.
“Where will we go?”
“Anywhere.” He opens the car door for me, but I hesitate and look back towards the school. I think of Andy before understanding that it is best that I leave. “There’s a movie I wanna see.”
“A movie?” I say, accepting my fate and entering the car. Conner rounds the front and hops into his side.
“Yeah…”
“I’ve never been to the movies,” I admit. Conner’s eyes widen, and his jaw drops. I blush and look away, mumbling, “It’s not a big deal.”
“It’s atremendousdeal! I’m taking your ‘M’ card.”
“Sorry?”
“Movie card,” he declares.
A giggle escapes me as I put the seatbelt on. That’s such a strange thing for Conner to say.
He leans across, a wicked grin as he says, “Are there any other cards I can take? Please don’t tell me you’ve never been to the zoo before?”
“Never…”
Conner scoffs as he leans back comfortably in his seat. “At this rate, I am going to have a whole alphabet of cards.”
My barked laughter turns into a snort. My eyes widen after hearing the sound, and Conner doesn’t say a word. He presses his lips thin, and his shoulders tremble, but he keeps his eyes on the road as we pull out of the car park.
Relief washes over me when he doesn’t make a scene. Instead, he turns the music up and sings along to the songs on his playlist.
18
M CARD
When we reachthe movie theatre, I stay in the car a little longer. My phone vibrates, and multiple messages from Andy come through—one. After. Another.
I open the first message, but as I realise he’s asking where and who I am with, I ignore it.
Switching my phone off, I step out and meet Conner. He’s leaning against this car, cigarette pressed between his lips, fiddling with the lighter in his hand. As he leans down to light the smoke, I notice the red mark across his cheek.
“Does it hurt?”
“Nah,” he says after blowing smoke up and in the wind’s direction. “How about your wrists? He grabbed on pretty tight.”