Tracy Flick Can't Win (Tracy Flick #2) (47)

“Tracy,” she said. “It wasn’t your fault.”

“I know. But they all hated me anyway.”

“No,” she said. “No one hated you.”

It was true, though. I’d known it at the time, but I’d done my best to forget about it, because it’s not a thing you’d want to remember, being hated like that. The way people looked at me, the things they whispered as I walked down the hall.

I’m not sure what was happening on my face, but at least that stupid smile was gone.

“Oh, honey,” Marissa said. “You poor thing.”

I felt a weird pressure behind my eyes, like maybe I was going to cry, but it was my nose that exploded. The blood just came gushing out. I tried to catch it in my hand, but there was too much—it went right through my fingers—and you couldn’t just bleed all over someone’s sauna like that. I stood up and headed for the door.

“Thank you,” I said, but my words were muffled by my palm. “Thank you for a lovely evening.”

She told me to wait, to please not go, but I was already out of the heat and into the night, blood streaming down my face and smoke rising from my bare skin as I ran across the roof to the elevator.





PART FOUR: Watch My Mouth





- 25 -


Kyle Dorfman was waiting in Baggage Claim, holding an iPad with Vito’s name on it. He was a nerdish dude with a weirdly jacked upper body, dressed in jeans and a silky V-neck sweater. He seemed genuinely excited to shake Vito’s hand.

“Welcome back, sir. We’re thrilled you could join us.”

“Thanks for inviting me,” Vito said.

He hadn’t checked any luggage, so they headed straight to the parking garage and climbed into a red Tesla that probably cost a hundred grand, though Vito couldn’t say for sure. He wasn’t poor, exactly, but he was no longer wealthy, and he instinctively avoided learning too much about big-ticket items he’d never be able to afford.

“Sweet ride,” he said as they waited in the payment line.

“I wanted the blue one,” Kyle told him. “But my wife liked the red, so…”

“Gotta keep the wife happy,” Vito agreed, then laughed at himself. “Said the guy with three ex-wives.”

Kyle made a sympathetic noise, then patted the steering wheel.

“It’s a good car, though. Elon’s the real deal.” He glanced at Vito. “I used to know him back in the day. We weren’t buddies, but you know, just to say hi at parties. We smoked a joint together once.”

“Cool.” Vito had known lots of famous athletes in his life, and had even met a few rock stars, including Mr. Steve Perry of Journey—a real gentleman, very down-to-earth—but he’d never crossed paths with any tech geniuses. “Maybe he’ll let you ride in his rocket.”

“That was another life.” Kyle gave a melancholy shrug. “Now I’m President of the School Board.”

“That’s important too,” Vito observed, and he meant it, or at least wanted to. “Education. Kids. It’s a big deal.”

They headed west out of the airport, zipping through the landscape of his childhood: the swamplands and toll booths, the overcrowded cemetery—the dead people of New Jersey had no room to breathe—and the faded gray water tower that meant you were almost there. Vito hadn’t been back in over ten years, not since his parents left, and it seemed different somehow, cleaner and more up-to-date.

“I’m sorry your friend couldn’t make it,” Kyle said.

“Me too. Bad timing.”

Paige had been all set to be his plus one, but a week ago she’d started working full-time as a receptionist/billing assistant for a dentist named Fred Putin (no relation to the dictator, or so he always said) who attended the same Saturday meeting they did. The job meant a lot to her—she hated being reliant on her ex for every little thing in her life—and she felt strongly that it was a bad idea to ask for three days off so soon after being hired. Vito was a little frustrated with her for not even trying, because it was a special occasion and, who knew, maybe Dr. Putin would have taken pity on her. He took out his phone and shot her a quick text.

Made it. Back in the Garden State.

On hold with Delta Dental, she replied a few seconds later.

She signed off with a kiss emoji, and he sent back two in return. Delta Dental must have picked up, because that was where it ended.



* * *



He regretted her absence even more once they arrived in Green Meadow. He wanted to show her around, give her the guided tour of his childhood haunts.

See that little house? We lived there until I was eight.

That’s my elementary school. It’s a senior center now.

That cul-de-sac used to be woods. I got my first blowjob in there. Ginny Huff. She was pretty cute.

There were so many sex landmarks. He could point at Debbie Repko’s house—That’s where I lost my virginity. Not in the house, though. There was a toolshed in the yard, it’s probably gone now—or take Paige to Alder Place, where the curly-haired Diamantis sisters used to live (they looked like twins, but were actually a year apart). Vito had broken up with Anastasia and immediately started up with Denise, which had caused some tension between the sisters that culminated in a fistfight on the front lawn (Anastasia won with a gut punch, but not before Denise got in a couple of good shots).