Page 23 of The Corruption of Hollis Brown

Hollis took the empty mug and plate from in front of her and put them away.

Then he wrapped his arms around her shoulders and stayed still until she woke up.

“You’re cold.”

“I was outside. Sorry for worrying you.”

Mrs. Brown sighed and looked at him with dark eyes.

“Did you do it?” she asked. They must have called home about him.

She asked it plain: without judgment, resignation, disappointment, or anger.

Hollis came from hard people.

“No.”

His ma believed him.

“Okay.”

Drug

Hollis went to sleep and dreamed of blood tacky on his hands.

When he woke, he remembered bright eyes and sharp teeth.

Tiptoe

Annie called him again, and this time he answered. He listened to her sniffle through an apology she didn’t have to give.

“Robin says James vouched for you publicly, so at least when you come back people won’t think that we’re murderers.”

Hollis stared up at the ceiling in his room. At the chipping paint and water damage.

“Why does he care so much?” he mumbled.

Annie paused before answering. “He thinks you’re pathetic and doesn’t like the idea of people believing guys like him and Jorge can’t handle you.”

That made sense.

Hollis was tired of people thinking that of him.

“They letting you come back on Thursday?” he asked.

“Yeah. Stephanie managed to wriggle out of her own suspension because she was able to gather enough witnesses to place her in the living room instead of the basement,” Annie explained. “The rest of us are out till Thursday. They said they’ll let you back next Monday, unless the cops show up at your place with cuffs.”

Hollis closed his eyes and willed the anger back before the tide pulled him under again. “Sure.”

“I’m even more grounded now though,” Annie said softly. “But after Thursday I should be able to visit. Yulia too.”

“Fine.”

“Okay, Hollis. I’m sorry again. I didn’t mean for this to happen.”

She sounded so small.

“It’s fine, Annie. I’ll talk to you later.” He hung up.