Private (Private 1)

“I don’t know,” Kiran said, shaking her head as she stared past me. She cracked the briefest of smiles. “That’s James.”

THE HERD

I smiled too. We were sharing a moment here. An actual

moment. Kiran was letting me see a part of her that she would never let Noelle and the others see. I was sure of it. Her big eyes suddenly filled with tears.

“Hey. Are you all right?” I asked.

“You’re getting enough to eat?” my father asked me.

Instantly she refocused. When she looked at me again she was

“Yeah,” I told him. “The food here is good.”

all business. “We never spoke,” she said.

Not a total lie. It was at least better than the food at Croton High.

My heart thumped. “Where do they think you are?”

I propped my feet up on the small shelf under the pay phone. My

“None of your business,” she said. She rolled her eyes at my

butt already hurt after just two minutes on the small wooden bench.

flinch. “Look, I know you didn’t tell them about him and I appreci-There were no phone jacks in the rooms, so everyone on the floor ate that, all right?” she said under her breath as if, at that very was supposed to use this one public phone. Everyone I knew had a moment, they were listening. “But I need you to do it again. This cell, though. I was the only resident who ever used it.

conversation never happened. It goes with you to the grave.”

“I miss you, kiddo,” my father said.

What are you so afraid of? What are you so afraid of?

It was weird talking to him on the phone. Aside from quick calls to I wanted to scream it, but I bit my tongue.

ask for a ride, I had never talked to him on the phone in my life. I

“Okay,” I said.

imagined him sitting at the table in the kitchen, the sports section

“Good.” She nodded resolutely and slipped her dark sunglasses

open in front of him, and the image depressed me. With my finger I over her eyes. Just before she strolled off, I could have sworn she traced the words “Slayer Rules!” had been etched into the wall.

muttered a thank-you.

“I miss you, too, Dad.”

“I’m looking forward to parents’ weekend,” he said. “We

both are.”

96

K A T E B R I A N