Total pages in book: 123
Estimated words: 116220 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 581(@200wpm)___ 465(@250wpm)___ 387(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 116220 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 581(@200wpm)___ 465(@250wpm)___ 387(@300wpm)
By the time things wind down, it’s much later than the bar has ever been open on a weekday. Once the last few customers are gone, Becks stays to help Cade with the cash while Kyle and Leland clean up the place. The police chief also stays behind to be with his son. Jeremy seems positively set on locating every last post of the video online, now and then calculating the total number of views and giving an update, the latest being over two million. “Some are being taken down,” Jeremy explains, “likely because of the violence or language, but then they pop up again in new places. Who knows how many more there are? There could be hundreds of thousands of views I haven’t even found.”
“You’re in over your head, son,” says the chief tiredly. He’s had a long night. “Too obsessed with those numbers and it isn’t even your math homework, if only you’d apply as much effort into that. C’mon, son, put away the phone.”
“I wish Layna was here,” says Jeremy, glancing over at the office where Cade and Becks are. “Her mom won’t let her out of the house right now. Oh, another posting! Hmm, just 16k.”
The chief sighs, giving up.
It’s only when the bar is fully closed down that Kyle leaves, together with Cade, Becks, Leland, Jeremy, and a weary police chief. “I still don’t like it,” says the chief to Kyle, “what you did in there, telling everyone, but I guess time will tell whether you just dug your grave. I’m gonna have a tough conversation with the mayor come the morning as it is, and the last thing I need is any more scandals in this town.”
To that, Cade quells him with: “Juan, we’ve all had a long day, please, let’s put it to rest for the night, shall we?”
Before Leland takes off, he comes up to Kyle. “Just curious, though,” he asks with a funny face, “but if you’re still human with blood in your veins, can’t you, like, feed yourself …?”
Kyle only wrinkles up his face in reply.
“Never mind,” says Leland, “I need sleep. Like, tons of it.” And off he goes with Becks, who both live on the same side of town behind the school.
When Jeremy is getting into his dad’s car, he stops, rushes up to give Kyle an unexpected hug, then pulls away. “Sorry. I just wanted to say thanks again. For … everything.”
“He knows you’re grateful, son,” says the chief tiredly from the driver’s side door. “Now let’s go home. Still have school in the morning. In a handful of hours, at that. Phew, if Gloria was here, I’d never hear the end of it, letting you stay up this late, at the bar, no less.”
“Doubt I’ll sleep at all tonight,” says Jeremy, but he heeds his dad and gets in the car. Kyle watches as they drive away and turn the corner.
It’s just Cade left. “Sure you’ll be okay?” she asks. “You still gotta walk all the way home.”
“Night’s my awake time,” Kyle reminds her, feeling oddly exposed in doing so. “I think I’ll take a walk around town, clear my thoughts.”
Cade nods, understanding. “I hope tonight proved to you, other than my daughter needs a serious lesson, that you aren’t alone, not here in this town.” She takes his hand and gives it an assuring squeeze. “I’ve got your back, Kyle, just like you’ve got mine. This is your home, where you belong.”
“Thank you, Cade. Hey, don’t be too hard on Layna.”
“Never am. Oh, also,” she adds, “I’m giving you the next two nights off. No arguing,” she says when Kyle makes a face. “You need them. Rest up. I’ll tell Layna you’ll forgive her only if she gets straight A’s this semester. Back me up if she asks.” Cade shoots him a wink, then crosses the street. Kyle watches her for a while, then heads the other way, hands in his pockets.
In truth, it doesn’t matter whether or not everyone in this town approves of him or banishes him to the desert. Now that he’s alone, all his thoughts are pulled right back to Elias.
Elias, who said he was going out for a walk. Some sun, to be precise. Then never returned.
Where is he?
Kyle finds himself in front of Elias’s house again, staring at the truck still sitting there. Frowning, he pulls out his phone and calls Elias again. Five times, all failed. After pocketing his phone, Kyle comes right up to the front door and knocks. No answer. Knocks again. Only silence greets him.
He grips the handle and gives it an experimental turn.
The door is unlocked, creaks, opens.
Kyle cautiously steps inside. He has never been in the main part of the house, only the back bedroom where Elias fed him a chocolate donut he couldn’t taste. Leaving the door ajar, he walks through a dark living room, unexpectedly big, cluttered. A couch with laundry stacked on it, and a giant brown box with “MY STUFF” written on the side, wrapped in packing tape. A shelf of action figures with a tiny hourglass at the end. Another shelf with comic books, manga, and a thesaurus. Kyle stops at a bright orange armchair that looks transported from the 70s, in front of which are a pair of dumbbells on the floor. Kyle moves to a short hall that leads to the bathroom, to the kitchen and dining area, and to two bedrooms.