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He just shrugs

Twenty minutes of blessed silence later, I pull up in front of Milton’s , I ask, "Where are your parents?"

"I don’t know," he answers petulantly "France, I think Mother said she needed a vacation"

Probably from the duoing to be getting any Parents of the Year awards

"Soyou guys, likewanna co out?" Milton asks

I rubout with you" I point o to bed Maybe you’ll wake up sets into the house and then I pull away

After a few minutes, Raymond says quietly, "He seems lonely"

"He’s a fuckup" No sympathy from me

"He seems like a lonely fuckup"

"Watch your mouth," I bark over my shoulder

"You just said it!"

"And when you’re thirty, you can say it as e PG"

"That’s, like, the definition of hypocritical, Jake," Rayues

"Your point?" I shoot back

Rory’s unusually quiet during the ride And I wonder what he thinks about the things he’s seen His family doesn’t have the same kind of money to burn as the Bradleys, but they’re close And without even realizing it, I channel the Judge

"Do you knohy he’s a fuckup, boys?"

"Because he drinks and does drugs?" Ray wonderfully heartwar about Raymond’s answer So simply black-and-white--so innocent

"That’s true But that’s not the whole reason" I turn onto Chelsea’s street and continue "Milton promised me he’d stay ho else away-- houses--all a man has is his word That he says exactly what he means, and he does what he says If a est that for a moment Then Rory asks, "Did your dad teach you that? Did he show you how to bea man?"

There’s a hint of worry in his voice And I wonder if he’s concerned about hi up without their own father With no exaive him is the truth