Highly Illogical Behavior(16)

He composed himself after a few minutes, grabbing a glass of water in the kitchen and taking a seat at the counter. His thoughts still spiraled, and his body ached with a lack of energy that only came after a sudden attack like this. Could he go out there for them? Would he be able to go outside without freaking out? Would it kill him?

Then he thought about Lisa. She had no idea what she meant to them, did she? She probably felt like some stranger invading their personal space and she definitely was, but she could very well end up saving them all. And what the hell was he supposed to do if she didn’t want to come back? What if just a little over an hour with him was enough to satisfy her curiosity? He wouldn’t be surprised one bit if she never showed up again, and now he felt bad about that, too.

Around lunchtime, Solomon was doing his schoolwork at the kitchen counter and watching the backyard with one eye. A couple of times, he made eye contact with a few of the crew guys and immediately put his head down like it had never happened. He didn’t like these strangers walking around in his backyard, right there where he could see them from all angles of the living room and kitchen. This was his inner sanctum, and it was being violated by loud machines and strangers in work boots.

He thought about going to the garage, but the one little dim lightbulb wasn’t enough to solve matrices under. He settled on his dad’s office, figuring it would be quiet enough if he shut the door. Then, as soon as he got started, he was interrupted by the telephone. He only ever answered it if his parents were calling or if he recognized the number. But, despite that not being the case, Solomon had a feeling that it was Lisa Praytor. So he picked up.

“Hello.”

“Solomon!” Lisa said with a burst of enthusiasm.

“Hello,” he repeated.

“What’s up? Me? I’m currently skipping study hall to make photocopies for a Student Council fund-raiser. This is my life.”

“Oh,” he said. “I’m just . . . doing homework actually.”

“Oh, yeah? I didn’t even think about that. I guess it’s all homework for you, right?”

“Right,” he said.

“Look, umm, what’re your plans on Saturday night?”

“Lisa, we’ve been over this.”

“Right,” she chuckled. “So, you want some company?”

“Are you serious? Yeah, sure. I mean . . . there’s not much to do around here.”

“There are no boring places, only boring people,” she said with confidence.

“All right,” he said.

“Great. Be there around six if that works for you.”

“Of course,” he said.

“Great. See you then, Solomon Reed.”

“Bye.”

So she wanted to come back. A reallive teenage girl who could’ve spent her time doing all sorts of normal teenage things with other normal teenagers wanted to come hang out with Solomon Reed on a Saturday night. It was enough to make his stomach start gurgling and his head get a little woozy. There was no denying it. Now he knew it to be absolutely true: He had a friend. And he was terrified of her.





TEN


    LISA PRAYTOR


As a freshman, Lisa had taken and passed the only AP psychology course at Upland High School. In fact, she scored higher on the exam than anyone else in the class of mostly juniors and seniors. But, it was simply an introduction to the field of psychology and not nearly enough to qualify Lisa as any sort of psychological expert. She was only seventeen by a few months. But, she believed in herself maybe more than other people believed in God or the devil or Heaven or Hell. She knew she was right. And she didn’t need a textbook to prove it. Now, with her second session with Solomon on the books, she was feeling more confident than ever that she could get him out of that house and get herself out of Upland.

After school on Friday, she ran home to change clothes and grab a snack before heading over to Clark’s. She didn’t expect to see her mother, but her car was in the driveway when she pulled up. Her mom worked a lot, and when she wasn’t working, she tried to spend as little time as possible at home. Lisa figured she either hated her or hated Ron the stepdad. Either way, she was there today, on a weekday afternoon before five, and it was weird. When Lisa walked in, she saw dirty dishes on the counter by the sink and heard the television at an ungodly volume coming from the den. She tried to sneak through without being heard, but her mom was yelling her name by the time she got to the refrigerator.

“Lisa!” she shouted from the living room. “Is that you?”

“Yes, Mom.”

“Come here, honey!”

She walked around the corner to find her mother lying on the couch, a big fluffy quilt covering her all the way to the chin. Lisa couldn’t remember the last time she’d seen her mom during a workday.

“Are you okay?” she asked her, picking up the remote and muting the TV.

“Just nursing a cold, sweetie,” she said. “Talk to me. I’m lonely.”

Lisa took a seat across from her on the recliner that was usually reserved for Ron the stepdad. Ron hadn’t been around for days though, so Lisa wasn’t sure what was going on. They did fight a lot and it wouldn’t surprise her to find out that he’d left for good this time. Just like Tim the stepdad did two years before. And Lisa could tell the difference between sick and sad.