Period 8 - By Chris Crutcher Page 0,29

that. You gotta admit, Mary. This is bizarre. Getting all up in my stuff, then running into Hannah in the middle of the road at midnight and then the whole school’s looking for you dead in the woods. Hannah told Justin you were wigged way out when she found you. What was that about? And where did you go?”

“I told you, Paulie, I can’t talk about it. It’s taken care of now, though, so you don’t have to worry.”

“Were you high?”

“Paulie, come on.”

“Hannah also told Justin you didn’t even know where you were.”

“Look, I was scared, okay? Can we leave it at that?”

“Not if I ran the zoo,” Paulie says. “But I fucking don’t run the zoo.”

There’s no open gym tonight, so Paulie drives aimlessly through neighborhoods killing time before putting in a couple of late hours cleaning up at The Rocket. He runs his earlier conversation with Mary over and over in his head and it still leaves him uneasy. Awful things, Paulie. What the fuck; he should get a million miles away from this.

The calories he’s burned in the water today are catching up with him and a giant bag of buttered popcorn fills his imagination, so he pulls into the parking lot shared by the mall and the 16-screen cineplex.

“Hey, Marley,” he says to Marley Waits through the glass at the ticket booth.

“Hey, Paulie. Going to the movies alone, huh?”

Paulie smiles. “It’s not that bad, yet,” he says.

Marley looks at him with a hint of pity.

“What I need more than sympathy right now is popcorn,” he says, grimacing. “Any chance you can get me in as far as the concession stand?” He raises his eyebrows.

Marley looks behind her to see that no bosses are near, then back at him, shaking her head. “Don’t look at me like that,” she says, “you’re in enough trouble. And don’t sneak in on me, okay?”

Paulie raises his right hand. “Good as my word,” he says, and Marley flinches. “I had that coming. I promise I will go only as far as the popcorn stand.”

“Listen,” she says. “I’m really sorry about you and Hannah. I mean, I’m on her side and everything, but . . . well, I’m sorry.”

Paulie turns to look behind him, aware he might be holding up the line. There is none. “Hell, I’m on her side,” he says, turning back. “It was dumb.”

Marley shakes her head. “Who in the world did you . . .”

“Privileged,” Paulie says.

“Have you seen Hannah’s Facebook page?” Marley grimaces. “Man, I wouldn’t want to be whoever the chick was if she finds out. I mean, have you seen the arms on her?”

Paulie smiles again. “I have seen the arms on her,” he says. I’ve also seen what they’re attached to. “Any chance I could get that popcorn?”

“Sure.” Something behind him catches her eye and her face pales. “Don’t look now. . . .”

But he does, in time to see Hannah getting out of the passenger side of Arney Stack’s Audi. Arney walks around the car toward her, places a hand in the middle of her back as they walk toward the theater.

“Guess I wasn’t as hungry as I thought,” Paulie says. “Thanks anyway.”

“Aw, Paulie.” But he’s gone. He jogs to his Beetle and in seconds is pulling onto the main street.

.9

When Mary Wells walks into Period 8 the following day, the room goes quiet.

“Ms. Wells,” Logs says. “Welcome back.”

“Thanks,” she says in a near whisper, and moves sheepishly to a desk. She sits, hands folded on the flat surface in front of her.

“Don’t mean to be pushy,” Justin says, “but how about bringin’ us up to speed.”

Logs says, “Justin . . .”

“No,” Mary says. “He’s right.” She’s quiet again, glancing quickly at Hannah, then Paulie. Almost imperceptibly Paulie shakes his head, don’t do it.

She looks at Arney, who smiles and nods.

“It was just some stuff at home,” she says. “My dad . . . I got all worried about my scholarship and was thinking about taking a year at the university here. It got ugly and I took off. I don’t know what my dad was doing reporting me missing like that.” She puts her head down. “I’m so embarrassed.”

Only the two or three students sitting adjacent to Hannah hear her singsongy whisper, “Buuullll-shit.”

“That’s it?” Justin says. Mary nods. “That’s it. I was being stupid.”

Logs watches. He starts to ask about her torn-up room, but lets it go. “It would be insincere not to acknowledge that we were talking about you,” he says.