Page 47 of The Turning of the Tables

I sighed again. It wouldn’t have mattered if he’d been wrong, I was supposed to say the same thing. But Noah usually isn’t, when it comes to me.

“What about them?”

“Nono, stop.” I closed my eyes, not wanting to stare at the cracked beige paint of the apartment ceiling anymore.

Noah fell silent, although I could still feel him studying me. Assessing. Trying to figure me out.

“You know you can tell me anything you want, right?” he finally asked.

“I know.”

“Whether the popo want you to or not.” Noah insisted on calling police ‘the popo’ ever since he’d first heard the term.

“I can neither confirm or deny—Hey!” Noah had thrown one of the decorative pillows from the couch at me.

“Don’t be an ass, Sethy.”

I rolled onto my stomach—careful not to spill my beer—and wiggled my butt at him.

The other pillow hit me in the ass.

“Distract me,” I demanded. “Put something fun on.”

Behind me, I heard Noah blow a breath out through his nose, dissatisfied with the fact that I wasn’t going to tell him what was wrong, but giving in nonetheless.

“Fine.Birdcage?” It was one of our joint agreed-upon comfort movies. One that both of us liked.

“Birdcage,” I agreed.

13

SETH MAYS

Did you know that the average human body has enough fat to make seven bars of soap?

ELLIOT CRANE

I did not.

To what do I owe this sudden burst of trivia?

It’s also yellow when exposed.

I’m killing time at work.

Are you at a crime scene?

Yep.

Are you texting me over a murder victim?

I’m nowhere near her.

Or him.

Or them.

I knownothing.