Page 46 (1/2)

“Kind of boring,” Gray says, though I’m not entirely sure if he means the potluck or Hurley’s; either way, he leaves out the part about Jacob and the algae pond “We’re gonna get soo upstairs”

“Door open!” Heather calls after us, and Gray makes a face for my benefit

“Noted!” he calls back Then, more quietly, “Jesus Christ, Mom”

“We heard that!” Heather yells

We head into the kitchen, which looks like it was recently redone, with stainless appliances and a bigabove the sink overlooking the yard

“Can I ask you so up onto a stool “Do you call both your moms ‘Mom’?”

Thata box of Cheez-Its and digging out a bright-orange handful “What else would I call them?”

“No, I just ht?”

Gray gives me a weird look, like possibly he’s never stopped to think about it before “Well, I mean, there’s only two of them,” he says “And my sister always just kind ofknohich one I’ about? I don’t know I didn’t think it eird until right this uess”

“You’re welco the box of crackers frootta say—obviously I don’t know theet super worked up over whether you play lacrosse in college”

Gray’s eyes narrow “In the five minutes you talked to them?” he asks pointedly, and I can tell I’ve hit a nerve

“Okay, fine,” I say, “Fair enough”

“They justwant s “And if I can’t get in on rades, then” He trails off “I don’t know,” he says, picking the box of Cheez-Its up off the counter and using it to usher ure it out”

“You will,” I promise, and follow him up the stairs

Gray’s room is less of a surprise than the rest of the house, hite walls and bluish carpet and a signed To in a poster frame above the desk The bed is une of it Gray scoops a pair of boxers off the floor and chucks theoofily embarrassed