The Diamonds by Ted Michael

Author:Ted Michael [Michael, Ted]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Published: 2009-10-10T16:00:00+00:00

Tommy drove an even older car than I did (a '98 Buick), which at a school like Bennington was a rarity. Everything about it reeked of Tommy: stacks of papers and colored folders littered the backseat, pens and pencils were strewn everywhere—the dashboard, the floor, the seat cushions—and the interior, a washed-out leather that once, perhaps, was a burgundy color, smelled like burnt coffee. A vanilla-scented air freshener (which definitely did not work) hung from the rearview mirror.

After a few minutes, Tommy said, “Am I allowed to speak yet?”

“Whatever,” I said as we made our way down Dover Avenue. I didn't live far from Bennington. I should have just walked.

“I'll take that as a yes,” he said, one hand on the wheel, the other fiddling with an old Bob Marley cassette. “So, how are ya?”

“Just make a right here,” I said, pointing to the green sign that said JOHN STREET,“and then—”

“A left on Clover,” he finished. “I know.”

Was Tommy stalking me? Did he park his car outside my window and keep detailed surveillance notes about when I left the house and snoop through my garbage to see what sorts of things I was throwing out? What if the phones in my house were tapped and he'd known all along that I was seeing Anderson and he was the one who'd tipped Clarissa off that we were in the closet at Ryan's party?

My expression must have given me away. “I'm a reporter,” he explained. “I know everything.”

“You're not a reporter, Tommy.”

“Oh no?”

“You write for the Bennington Press. It's not exactly the Times. Or even the Post.”

Tommy didn't say anything, and before I knew it, we were in my driveway. He shifted the car into park and the two of us sat together, listening to the music on his radio.

“I'm sorry,” I said. “You can't take anything I say right now to heart. I'm a mess. My life is…”

“Difficult.” He moved his hand toward my shoulder, as if to give me a comforting pat, but then seemed to change his mind.

“Yes. Difficult.”

“If there's anything I can do to make it easier, just let me know.”

I was taken off guard by his kindness.

“So,” I said, leaning against his window and staring at my house. The kitchen light was on; I could see the outline of my mother moving back and forth between the windows. “The other week, when I was with Duncan—what did you want to talk about?”

“Do you really want to know?”

The sky outside was losing its brightness, and Tommy looked older, somehow, and more handsome than I'd expected.

“I asked you, right?”

“Yeah,” he said, shifting in his seat. “You did. I wanted to ask you about writing an article for the paper.”

“You wanted me to write an article? About what?”

“You know,” he said carefully, “about being a Diamond.”

“I thought you were the one who wanted to write an article about me.”

“I did.”

“What made you change your mind?”

Tommy took off his glasses and rubbed them with the bottom of his shirt. There were

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