HERO by Perry Moore

Author:Perry Moore [Perry Moore]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781407042169
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

I HAD MY FIRST out-of-body experience when I walked in the door. I'd wiped my feet on the doormat and taken a second to muster up the courage to face my father. I took a deep breath, pushed the door open, and found Golden Boy sitting on our living room couch next to Dad. They had a bunch of old pictures spread out on the coffee table in front of them. I blinked a few times to make sure it was really Golden Boy sipping a cup of coffee with my father.

No one ever sat in the living room. Every once in a while my dad would meet with his insurance agent or financial planner, but it was rare. We barely even vacuumed the rug because no one ever walked on it.

And they were laughing, of all things. Together. Or at least trailing off. From the look of it, Dad had said something that had Golden Boy in stitches. I don't think I'd ever seen the guy laugh. In fact, if there had been a contest for most humorless League member, he certainly would have received my vote, and mine wouldn't have been the only one. Golden Boy stood up when he saw me.

"Hello, Thom," he said. He shook my hand, formally, like he was being interviewed and wanted to make a good impression.

"Have a seat," Dad said.

I wanted to ask Golden Boy what the hell he was doing here, but I was speechless. I sat in the armchair that matched the couch.

"I was just showing your father my scrapbook from when I was a kid."

Golden Boy held up an old photo album with a collage on the cover of Major Might in various poses, cut from cereal boxes and magazine articles.

"It's been a real honor to show them to your dad. Man, the stories he has, I mean, I used to dream about this when I was a kid."

Dad chuckled, slightly embarrassed. "Yeah, after girls and baseball games, I bet," he said. "I know where I fell on the totem pole." He grinned. "Who wants more coffee?"

I hopped up and offered to help Dad brew a fresh pot in the kitchen. It was comforting to know they had common things like coffee here in the Twilight Zone.

"Dad?" I said, once we were alone in the kitchen. "You aren't mad at me?"

Dad went about preparing a nice tray of snacks for his guest.

"Why didn't you just tell me about the team, Thom? I thought you were answering to that Froot Loop Uberman. Your team leader's great. Not at all what I would have expected."

Did this mean he was okay with what I was doing?

"So you're not mad?"

He pulled some dirty mugs from yesterday's breakfast out of the dishwasher and rinsed them off in the sink.

"No, I'm extremely mad that you lied to me. I'm extremely mad that you put me in a position where I looked foolish for trying to do what's best for my son."

"You and Mom never told me the whole truth, either.

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