Call the Shots (Swim the Fly #3)(98)

Angela has slowed to a crawl as she leans forward and squints out the window. “Where the hell is this place, anyway?” she says. “I thought you said it was on Genesee.”

“It is,” Coop insists. “It’s just up here on the right.”

“Finally.” Angela huffs as she coasts her pristine car up to Uncle Doug’s house. “If I’d known it was all the way down Genesee, I would have charged you twenty bucks. You’re lucky we prenegotiated.”

“You’re much too kind.” Coop pulls a ten and a five from his jeans pocket, leans over the front seat, and hands the cash to his sister. “Keep the change.”

Angela flips Coop off before popping the trunk. “And be careful taking your crap out. If I find a single scratch, you’re paying for a whole new paint job.” Just then Angela’s phone rings. She grabs it as I reach for the door handle. “Hello? . . . It’s about time someone from your stupid company called me back. Sally Gregg is a total rip-off, okay? I’m missing, like, half my diet stuff.”

Coop’s eyes go wide as he quickly shoos Matt and me out of the car. He slams the door shut as the three of us pull on our shoes.

Matt laughs. “I thought you said you were off your diet.”

“I was,” Coop says as we move to the rear of the car and take out our suit bags. “But that’s when I thought we weren’t going to get this movie made. Now it’s going to be paparazzi city, dawg.”

We trudge up the drive, and Coop turns to me. “You okay, dude? You’re awfully quiet.”

“I didn’t sleep well,” I say, knocking on the front door. “I guess I’m just anxious.”

And pissed off. And embarrassed. And depressed.

I called Nessa this morning to tell her how I felt about what she did to me. But I got her machine. So I just left a message. Explaining how Cathy had told me all about their little scheme and how neither one of them was welcome at the screening this afternoon.

I wanted to sound angry and mean and nasty, but I’m pretty sure I just came across as stammering and nervous and pitiful.

Anyway, whatever. At least I won’t have to see her today.

“Hi.”

I look up to see Nessa standing in my uncle’s doorway. There’s a brief flicker of excitement followed immediately by a tidal wave of anger. “What are you doing here?”

“Can we talk? Please?” Nessa shoots an apologetic smile at Matt and Coop. “Alone?”

“I have nothing to say to you. I told you not to come.”

“What’s going on?” Matt asks.

“Nothing. She just . . .” I clench my jaw, my head and heart pounding. “She shouldn’t be here. That’s all.”

“What are you talking about?” Coop says. “She helped save our movie.”

I turn on him and snap, “She doesn’t care about our movie. She doesn’t care about me. Or you. Or any of us. Don’t you get it? She and Cathy were just playing me. Having a little game. A big old laugh at my expense.”

“I’m so sorry, Sean,” Nessa says. “You’re right: at first that’s exactly what we were doing. But —”

“I don’t want to hear it! Whatever you have to say, Nessa, can’t possibly make a difference.” I shove past her and into Uncle Doug’s house. My stupid throat is closing up. If she doesn’t get out of here now, I’m afraid I’m going to burst into some very un-Rogart-like tears. “Just leave, okay? You’re not welcome.”

“Sean,” Nessa says. “Please, let me just —”

“I said go!”


“What do you mean there’s no popcorn?” Matt’s grandpa grouses. “I thought we were seeing a movie. How can they show a movie without any goddamn popcorn?”

“It’s a fancy affair, Arlo,” Mrs. Hoogenboom says, shuffling him along. “It’s not like your regular showings.”

The Trail Blazer Theater is decked out with balloons and flowers and posters everywhere. Practically everyone we know is here — my dad, my hugely pregnant mother, and Uncle Doug; Matt’s mom, his brother, Pete, and Pete’s girlfriend, Melissa; Matt’s grandpa Arlo and Grandpa Arlo’s lady friend, Mrs. Hoogenboom; Coop’s parents, Helen’s mom, Valerie’s parents and little brother, George, and even Tony Grillo — who’s apparently dating Kelly West again. Everybody all spiffed up in suits and dresses.

It’s like a red-carpet film premiere and family reunion all wrapped up in one. The only people missing are Cathy and Nessa. It’s kind of weird not to have them here. I mean, Cathy is my twin and Nessa was my leading lady and cowriter. But it’s not like I actually want them here. Not after what they did. Still, I float through the crowd feeling untethered, my emotions mixed up and swirling around inside me.

“Wait, wait, wait.” Coop’s dad has him and Helen cornered by a potted tree. “Explain the premise of this to me again. They’re monkeys. But they’re also human. And vampires. And zombies?”

“You’ll understand when you see it,” Coop says.

“I sure as shit hope so. Otherwise I want my twenty bucks back.”

“You didn’t pay twenty bucks, Dad.”

“Yeah, but my time is money, mister.”