Chapter 15

“What about Max?”

Max had been one of my friends in school. We hadn’t kept up much after his uncle and his family died. Once upon a time, though, we’d been fishing buddies. So what was wrong with him now?

“He got married! Not only is he fucking Fredi, but they’re acting like they’re a family!” He took a huge breath. “Gary says it’s not right. Two guys fucking.”

“Yeah? Who cares what Gary says? Anybody agree with him?” Now I was getting in his face.

“Everybody!” he yelled at me.

“Everybody said we were retards because our dad was a drunk,” I yelled back. “Were they right? Are you guys retards?”

They both looked shocked. They deflated just a little.

“It’s not the same,” Ben said.

“Sure, it’s the same.”

Ben shook his head. He looked shaken, like he wasn’t sure what to think. “Gary wants to know how you can shake their hands. Do you know where they put their hands? Their fingers? Their dicks?”