Out of My Mind by White Pat

Author:White, Pat [White, Pat]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Joy Creek Press
Published: 2013-12-12T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fifteen

J.D. hated Monday mornings. It meant another week of hell at school. He wandered downstairs and poured a bowl of Cocoa Pebbles. Poured a second one for Billy.

Dad wouldn’t be up for another half an hour. With any luck J.D. and Billy would be gone before the old man regained consciousness. It was a miracle he could keep his job selling office equipment considering the amount of booze he consumed.

But the old man was a master salesman, wearing the smile, pouring on the charm for strangers and saving his rage for his sons.

J.D. spent Sunday in his room, studying and drawing. Watching the house across the street. Not sure why. He thought she’d changed, that she and J.D. were coming to a truce.

Then she threatened Billy. No one threatens Billy, not even the girl he’d wronged.

He heard Billy coming down the stairs. Morning wasn’t Billy’s favorite time of day. He shuffled into the kitchen with his backpack over one shoulder and skateboard under his arm. He dumped them on the floor, sat down and stared at his bowl of cereal.

J.D. slid the milk jug across the table. Billy grunted, poured milk and leaned back against the chair.

“Andrew’s party got busted,” Billy said.

“I heard.”

“Glad I left early.”

J.D. glanced up. “You were there?”

“For a few minutes. I heard Annie Sass was going to be there.”

“Was she?”

“Nuh-uh.” He shoved a spoonful of cereal into his mouth.

A few minutes passed.

Billy swallowed. “Saw Catherine the Great. She was running away from Greg.”

J.D. didn’t want to talk about her or even think about her, yet he couldn’t forget the look in her eyes when she’d raced toward the greenbelt. J.D. feared Greg had achieved his goal and “nailed the retard.”

And for some ridiculous reason, J.D. found himself wanting to protect her. He was drawn in and almost didn’t see it coming. Then she asked for weed. It was a perfect set up, her way to finally rid herself of her nemesis, J.D. Pratt.

“What’s the matter with you?” Billy said.

“Tired.”

“Uh-huh.”

“You got cross country today?” J.D. redirected.

Billy was a great runner. It came with living under the old man’s roof.

“Not today.” He dumped his half-eaten bowl of cereal in the sink.

“Dishwasher,” J.D. reminded.

Billy put his bowl on the top rack, grabbed his backpack and skateboard and headed for the door. “Later.”

“Helmet,” J.D. said.

“Come on, I’m—”

“Billy.” J.D. stood. “You of all people know what a brain injury can do to someone.”

“Whatever.” Billy whipped open the back door and J.D. watched as he swiped the helmet off a porch chair.

“Wear it,” J.D. called after him.

“Yes, mother.”

The kid shoved it on his head as he pumped the skateboard.

It was J.D.’s job to fill in for Mom, make that Mom and Dad. His warning had nothing to do with the Princess’s threat, her premonition about “seeing” Billy get hurt.

J.D. dreaded seeing her again but he couldn’t avoid it, not when they had a lot of the same classes. How was he going to survive?

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