AllFreeNovel
Share Us
FOURTEEN
IN THE PARKING LOT before school on Monday, I told Daisy about the texting and the kissing and the eighty million microbes.
"When you put it that way, kissing is actually quite disgusting," she said. "On the other hand, maybe his microbes are better than yours, right? Maybe you're getting healthier."
"Maybe."
"Maybe you're gonna get superpowers from his microbes. She was a normal girl until she kissed a billionaire and became . . . MICROBIANCA, Queen of the Microbes." I just looked at her. "I'm sorry, is that not helpful?"
"It'll probably get less weird, right?" I said. "Like, each time we kiss and nothing bad happens, it'll get less scary. I mean, it's not like he's actually going to give me campylobacter." And then after a second, I added, "Probably."
Daisy started to say something, but then she saw Mychal walking toward her from across the parking lot. "You'll be fine, Holmesy. See you at lunch. Love you!" she said, and then took off toward Mychal. She threw her arms around him, and kissed him dramatically on the lips, one leg raised at the knee like she was in a movie or something.
--
I drove over to Davis's house straight from school. The wrought-iron gates at the entrance of the driveway were closed, and I had to get out to press the intercom button.
"Pickett estate," said a voice I recognized as Lyle's.
"Hi, it's Aza Holmes, Davis's friend," I said.
He didn't answer, but the gate began to creak open. I got back in Harold and drove up the driveway. Lyle was sitting in his golf cart when I arrived next to the house. "Hi," I said.
"Davis and Noah are at the pool," he said. "Can I give you a ride?"
"I can walk," I said.
"Take the ride," he responded flatly, gesturing to the space on the cart's bench beside him. I sat down, and he set off very slowly toward the pool. "How's Davis doing?" he asked me.
"Good, I think."
"Fragile--that's what he is. They both are."
"Yeah," I said.
"You gotta remember that. You ever lost somebody?"
"I have," I said.
"Then you know," he said as we approached the pool. Davis and Noah were sitting next to each other on the same pool lounger, both hunched forward, staring at the patio beneath them. I was thinking about Lyle saying then you know. I didn't, not really. Every loss is unprecedented. You can't ever know someone else's hurt, not really--just like touching someone else's body isn't the same as having someone else's body.
When Davis heard the golf cart pull up, he turned his head to me, nodded, and stood up.
"Hi," I said.
"Hey. I, uh, need a few minutes here. Sorry, uh, something came up with Noah. Lyle, why don't you show Aza around? Show her the lab, maybe? I'll meet you there in a bit, okay?"
I nodded and then got back into the golf cart. Lyle took out his cell phone. "Malik, you got a few minutes to give Davis's friend a tour? . . . We'll be there shortly." Lyle drove me past the golf course, asking me about my school and my grades and what my parents did for a living. I told him my mom was a teacher.
"Dad's not in the picture?
"
"He's dead."
"Oh. I'm sorry."
We followed a packed-dirt path through a stand of trees to a rectangular glass building with a flat roof. A sign outside read LABORATORY.
