Page 68 of The Corruption of Hollis Brown

“If you change the entire project from resin to plastic, you’d have a lot more flexibility and it would be less toxic. And you could seamlessly recycle it when you’re done with it,” Hollis said.

Annie sighed loud and theatrical. “I guess.”

They approached Pino’s, but Yulia didn’t turn down the driveway. That was okay. There were a few places to go, and no one had specified. Hollis was kind of ambivalent about where they ate, as long as he could get something for five dollars or less.

He didn’t start to get concerned until at least three of the places they usually went to passed by.

Walt was very quiet.

“Where are we going?” Hollis asked.

Annie didn’t respond.

“It’s going to be okay,” Yulia said.

Walt doused Hollis’s brain in pure fear. He unlocked the door and tugged on the handle.

Dude, we’re going like forty miles per hour!

The door didn’t budge.

“What the fuck . . . fucking . . . child lock? . . . What the hell, Yulia?!”

They took a sharp turn and stopped in the familiar parking lot of the urgent care center.

Annie turned around and pushed her seat back so she was facing Hollis directly.

“Hollis, you know we love you, right?”

Walt instantly relaxed.

Oh, thank God.

Jesus fucking Christ.

“Yeah . . . that doesn’t mean you can child-lock me in a car and take me random places,” Hollis snapped.

Do you want to handle this?

Yeah, I’ve got it.

Yulia unbuckled her seat belt and craned over the seat. “Annie thinks you’re on drugs, and I’m inclined to agree.”

Hollis closed their eyes.

“I’m not on drugs, Yulia—”

“That’s what everyone on drugs says.” Annie interrupted. “But they’re literally lying every time. We never see you anymore; you’re acting weirdly pleasant all the time. You keep looking into the distance like you’re dissociating. You’ve stopped texting us at night by such an intense degree that my sleep schedule has changed. You dress completely different—”

“That one’s kind of an upgrade—” Yulia said.

Shut up, I can feel you smirking.

“THEY’RE ALL UPGRADES!” Annie shouted. “But they’re not him.”

“So . . . you’re mad that I’m nicer and spent some time on Google figuring out how to dress?” Hollis asked.

“Maybe James hit his head really hard that one time and knocked something loose,” Yulia suggested to Annie.