The Fourth World by Christo Rose

Author:Christo, Rose [Christo, Rose]
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub
Published: 2013-05-18T04:00:00+00:00

* * * * *

"No wonder he's always hanging around after school. I mean, wouldn't you be? If you were afraid of getting the stuffing knocked out of you at home?"

Kyle looks up at me, pliers in his hand, the back of his computer monitor split wide open. It's seven at night. The rain soldiers on outside our bedroom window.

"Yeah," he says at length. "I'm surprised he came here."

"How do you mean?"

"Because I think this has been going on for a while, but he's never come here before."

"Oh," I say. "Well," I joke, "I never lived here before."

Kyle gives me one of his long, indecipherable looks. I contemplate smacking him with the bed pillow. Luckily I don't have to. Yazzie walks in just then, reluctant, his dog on his heels.

"Wow, Kyle," Yazzie says. "Are you building that computer yourself?"

"Mm."

"Is that the motherboard? Can I see?"

I lounge around on the bed in my fluffy pajamas. I close my eyes and listen to the rain. I listen to the idiot boys tinkering with nuts and bolts, Kyle's soft, scratchy voice encouraging, Yazzie's clear, kind voice chiming back.

Do you ever have the feeling that everything is just right? I don't mean perfect. I mean right. This ceiling is supposed to be above your head. That window is supposed to be at your side. Those two dorks to the left of you are supposed to be to the left of you. If anything preceding this moment had happened differently, this moment wouldn't exist. If Dad hadn't left Mom and me, we wouldn't be living in Aunt Lourdes' house. I never would have known Kyle outside of Christmas parties on the beach. I never would have met Yazzie. I never would have met Torrie.

If Torrie hadn't worn her hair in dreadlocks, maybe she would have gone into the caldera that day. And then I never would have heard her sing.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.