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When it’s tiet serious "I’ll take the east-side deliveries," I say to Trey "I know the streets better" I lean against the door with my first loaded-up pizza sweater--that’s what Tony calls the insulating bag

Trey shrugs, distracted by the crap ton of orders that are piling up "That’s fine We need to er"

"I know," I say "I’ out" With a wave, I push out the back door into the cold, snowy afternoon I try to drive by Angotti’s every chance I get

Thirteen

The afternoon flies by Mo roo pizzas out of the oven, cutting the watch out the back door so she can see us co and run them out to us so we don’t have to park and co us down I’ when customers don’t understand that weather is a factor in how fast we get the food out But the upside is that the later into the evening we get, the drunker the custoet, and for e to drive by Angotti’s twice even though I really don’t have ti to happen tonight, there’s nothing I can do about it And so today, I realize that I absolutely do have to do so about this I have to tell Sawyer Because what if this vision thing is not just a big weird nothing? What if so really happens to hi to make me feel for the rest ofand feel horrible forever than to say so and make a temporary fool out of myself And, hell, e cry-for-help thing that’ll get ive me the treatment I apparently need That’s what all the experts say on TV, you know Here’schance to be heard

I head toward Traverse Apartments, which is across the street frohts turn to that night, that walk through the shadows of the apart at the back of my neck and the sweat that cauy grab uy shovedhis ar behind me so I couldn’t see him He ripped my little money belt off me and shoved me into a snowy bush, face-first And then I heard a click of a knife by my ear I couldn’t even scream--my throat was paralyzed My whole body was paralyzed I was so scared I couldn’t even react to wipe the burning snow from my face I was like sohts of an onco car and waits for a tire tread to hit him in the face

I heard a door slaer cauy They rolled around while I scraed to get up and get away The stranger chased after hiain

I wasn’t hurt, and I wasn’t much help to the police It had been really dark, and I didn’t get a look at thea dude he was The police guessed it was probably a random incident--so for anybody to cons in this co spot nearby I don’t give , zip out of the car I jog up the three steps to the building and nearly wipe out on a slick spot right by the door, where a bunch of iciclesice patch on the step at night

When I grab the door handle to steadyinto the corner of ers just as so than scary

Out of instinct I reach out as I fall back,rather than on how I’ll land, and it’s one of those slow- is blurry,in the opposite direction froo Meanwhile, whoever plowed intotooand his shoulder or ar with it

My elbow takes the worst hit when I land, thena hat so it’s cushioned, thank the dogs The wind rushes out of et it back, stunned Im feeling here A second later I’m sure it’s just an unfortunate collision

"Shit," I hear "I’h my arm, tears of pain and frustration over the lostrests upside down in the snow about five feet away I close my eyes "Shit," I echo My brain rushes to calculate the tiet back here again with a fresh pizza Maybe thirty-five

"Are you okay?"

I freeze as it registers: I know that voice And now I can’t speak at all, because Sawyer Angotti is tossing his e on the icy step next to me And I’m furious