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"Ouch," ca You’d better snap out of feeling sorry for yourself I will not…" her voice lowered to an indistinct mumble I couldn’t hts off before cli like I was asleep Mom usually checked in on ht I was conked out for the night they’d talkon

Except I fell asleep and woke up late the nextwithout any answers

I jumped up fro open The sounds of so emanated from the bathroo at the trashcan overfloith beer bottles I cursedon withall the ti oing on Captain Tibbs hopped onto the table and ured I’d also need to buy him soed from his bedroom as I finished breakfast His tired face looked almost inhuman In fact his skin had a bluish hue and his eyes--usually a dark hazel like laciers He zipped up a hoodie and ?"

He jumped a foot into the air and spun to facethere feeling sorry for myself

"I have to run an errand I’ll be back soon"

"Where’s Mo "Work"

"On a Saturday? Don’t you guys usually go for hikes on the weekends?"

He shrugged and gave a smile that never warrabbed the doorknob "Oh, and take the trash out when you have a chance"

I stared at the door as it shut behind hiht He could clean up his own beer bottles And forget sitting around I wanted answers What the hell rong with hia ball cap low over my face, I dashed outside Dad hadn’t taken his car I ran to the nearest crossroad and looked down the narrow sidewalks, spotting his figure a few blocks down near the set my hair cut I hadn’t let that old barber touchelf warrior ’do

I jogged after Dad Maybe he was going for a haircut But when I arrived at the stores, I found hi in the Laundromat of all places Like the other businesses in the old strip e offered a view inside A flickering neon sign advised passersby it was open twenty-four-seven I edged to the end of the glass and peered inside Dad sat, one leg crossed over the other, watching a couple of gray-haired woossiped

He continued to watch them even after they took adjacent seats and pulled out smartphones to show off pictures, from what I could tell Did my dad have a fetish for old ladies? Was he a stalker? Gross! My social life was in the toilet and e I was so screwed

Thirty minutes later, Dad stretched, stood up, and left I hurried into the barber shop next door so he wouldn’t seesoave ry look

"Justin Case? I haven’t seen you in years, boy Looks like I’ll need to haul out h the mess on your head"

Dad trotted past outside I hid behind a azine and pulled the ball cap lower "Thanks, Larry, but I think I changedtoward hoh one to a Laundromat without laundry to stare at old wo proble after Dad but in my physical condition I wouldn’t ed me to my knees and murdered a few ht with Nathan It was a wonder I’dout I entered the front door ofdown cereal His skin looked perfectly norlanced up with lively hazel eyes "Why didn’t you take out the trash?"

It was all I could do not to gape at his sudden transfor colored contacts so old woin to describe this situation After I due stinky garbage can outside, I went into my room and stared at the wall Mark and Harry hated s and Castles tourna little old ladies, andapart Hopelessness welled in my heart I didn’t knohat to do with myself

I jumped up and went into the bathroom, splashed my face with cold water, and dried it off My trarabbed it and averted furtherit until I looked up froht outside one Captain Tibbs had curled up in his now-usual spot on the desk and watched h heavy-lidded eyes as I stretched I scratched him behind the ears He meowed

"You’re my one true pal, aren’t you? You’d never abandon me"

He purred, which told me in no uncertain terms that he’d be my true friend to the end no e door opened and shut Keys clattered on the kitchen counter I cracked open my bedroom door and found Mo at a picture on her smartphone I strained to ht blonde hair in pigtails I crept forward A creaking floorboard betrayed le" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7451196230453695" data-ad-slot="9930101810" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true"></ins>