Page 34 of The Corruption of Hollis Brown

DO YOU HAVE A GIRLFRIEND? Walt shouted, alarmed.

No, this is just Yulia, act normal, for the love of God, Hollis begged.

Yulia pulled back and held both his hands in hers.

“Are you all right? I’m so sorry about what happened—” Yulia was saying, but Hollis could barely focus on her because Walt wouldn’t stop talking.

Jesus. She’s so hot. Gals never used to shave their heads back in the day, it looks so swell on her. She smells real good too, like caramel and lemon. Like a lemon pound cake.

SHUT THE FUCK UP, Hollis shrieked.

“—gonna go by Annie’s, but her parents are really mad, and they might ground her more if they catch us outside,” Yulia was saying.

How did you manage to get a girl this fine to pay attention to you at all? Walt asked. Her hands are really soft.

Externally, Walt said, “That makes sense. Hey, do you want to go for a walk?”

Tell her we’re busy, don’t try to talk to her more. You don’t even know her— Hollis hissed.

You do. Walt was slipping on Hollis’s shoes and pulling his coat out of the coat closet. It would have been convenient to know about this earlier. But you wanted to talk about how I need to stop changing out flickering light bulbs and cleaning all day.

Please, Walt, please, Hollis begged.

Walt shut the door behind them.

“I have to get back soon though,” he was saying to Yulia. “My ma wants me to help her with something.”

“Oh? What’s she working on?”

Walt paused, and Hollis panicked.

Tell her Christmas stuff.

“We’re working on something for Christmas.” Walt smiled. “It’s a surprise.”

“Mine better not be something other than plans for more bread,” Yulia was saying.

Your parents bake too? Walt asked him.

No, I bake, you asshole, take us back home now.

“What else do I make that you like?” Walt asked Yulia.

Hollis couldn’t tell what expression Walt was making with his face, but he didn’t like it.

Yulia gave him a double take. “Are you fishing for compliments?”

Please tell me you’ve at least kissed this woman once. Walt groaned. Looking into her face is like looking into a morning glory at dawn.

I swear to God, if you don’t stop talking about the way she looks I’ll do that twisting thing you hate. I’ll kill us both this instant.

“That rice bread you made that one time, and rhubarb jam, but if you didn’t get some in the summer, it might be too late for that.”

I won’t die if you die, Walt replied smugly.

Sure, but you’ll be trapped in my stroked-out body for a few decades, fucking locked in it, unable to charm your way into freedom. Don’t fucking test me.

Walt stopped talking.