Page 77 of The Corruption of Hollis Brown

I’m afraid of a lot of things.

And I’m not afraid of anything. Maybe we were meant to teach each other shit or something. I can teach you to face your fears, and you can teach me to actually be nice to people.

You’re already so kind. How could you think you’re not kind?

“How could you think you’re not brave?” Hollis said out loud, and he felt Walt flinch and pull deeper inside.

Hollis dragged the comforter from the end of their bed up over both of their heads so they were together in that dark place.

“Come on, admit it, it’s just us. No one else can hear you,” Hollis whispered.

Hollis.

“Say it with my mouth, use my lungs for the air for it. Say it, Walt, I can feel it anyway, you can’t hide from me.”

“I . . . I like you.”

“Yeah?”

“I like you, Hollis.”

“You like me?”

“I like you.”

Track

Hollis was smoking for Walt out the window in the early pink light when he remembered Yulia’s request.

Hollis: You guys up?

Annie: You feel better, you big liar? You were fine this morning.

Hollis: I just went to the beach. I needed to think.

Yulia: It’s so cold there, why would you want to be at the beach???

Hollis: Did you know the water is almost the same color as the sky when it’s cloudy outside? You can’t tell the difference unless you squint.

Annie: Hollis is smoking again. I can see him from my kitchen window.

Hollis: Narc.

Yulia: You’re going to get lung cancer and die.

Hollis smirked.

You hear that? We have a limited time for this. Enjoy it while you can.

Walt rolled their eyes.

Hollis: Yeah yeah yeah.

Yulia: What are you doing this Friday? I want to have a sleepover.

Hollis: It’s been a while. What’s the occasion?

Yulia: My daddy’s heading to New York for work and my mom is forcing him to bring her with so it can feel like a vacation. They’ll be gone Thursday.