Killing Time in Crystal City by Chris Lynch Read Free Book Online Page B

until I find her again. And if I don’t find her, it will be the end of my life even if that’s tomorrow. Because then I’d just start yet another new life and hope it works out better.
    I figure there’s no limit to the number of times you can reboot if you need to. Unless there is a limit. Let’s hope I never have to find out.
    As I approach the line of glass doors at the front of the bus station, I suffer a small flutter of worry that had not troubled me at all as I’d marched my way through my new city, all new, clean slate, yet to be written. Suddenly, as I see my reflection there, I see the uncertainty, and the need. I see the chump who was not supposed to follow me onto that bus. The reality is that you can be anybody you want to, as long as you don’t have to see yourself.
    I shove the door out of the way as I muscle myself into the station like a real man on a real man’s mission.
    â€œHey, jackass,” she snaps as she catches the door with her good hand.
    â€œSorry, sorry, sorry,” I say, nothing at all like a real man on a mission but everything like a little boy on his knees. Then, “Hey! Stacey!” I shout, again letting honest emotion obliterate my cool. Got to stop that.
    â€œDid you try and bash me with that door on purpose?”
    â€œNo, of course not.”
    â€œWell, you were staring right at me when you did it.”
    â€œStaring right at . . . ? No, no, it was my reflection. In the glass. It’s very bright out here. Completely unintentional I assure you.”
    â€œOkay, good. ’Cause the door assault was bad enough, but that foul look you were giving to whoever it was, that was true murder.”
    â€œYeah, well, I am a killer after all.”
    â€œUm, uh-huh, sure. So, killer, what happened yesterday? With Mr. Derek? We were motoring so fast, by the time we stopped for a breath he was nowhere to be seen and neither were you.”
    â€œOh, that. I kicked his ass.”
    â€œPhwaaaaa-ha . . .”
    She laughs for long enough that I look at my watch. Then I join in, but at roughly 10 percent of her gusto.
    â€œSorry,” I say, “did I say ‘kicked’? I meant ‘tripped.’”
    â€œHa. Really? Did you get him?”
    â€œRight onto his face. Broke his cast in half too.”
    â€œWay to go, you. The Cast Avenger!” She extends her cast-fist and bumps with mine.
    Then, emerging out of nowhere or possibly Stacey’s backpack, is Molly. She sticks her cast into the celebration. “What’s this for?” she asks.
    â€œHi, Molly,” I say.
    â€œWe’re paying proper respect to the boy who saved the day yesterday,” Stacey says. “Word’s all over town how he gave that Derek character a good public flogging, defending your virtue.”
    â€œ Real- ly?” she gasps and looks up at me with a big dewy-gooey-eyed expression that nobody has ever looked at me with before. It’s a little bit thrilling and frightening.
    â€œIt was kind of less swashbuckling than that,” I say.
    â€œAnd modest, too,” Stacey says, elbowing Molly, making a show of making mischief. “By the way, I looked you up, Mr. Vandeweghe, and you’re holding up pretty well for a guy who played in the NBA thirty years ago. You never played any defense, apparently, so maybe that kept your mileage down.”
    Ah, for God’s sake, here comes the blushing. I can feel my head just about percolating.
    â€œIt’s a common name,” I say.
    â€œRight. Anyway, Kiki, so what are you doing back here? One night on the street enough to convince you to go home where you belong?”
    â€œI am not a street person. I came here to see somebody.”
    â€œRight, so did I. I just don’t know who it is yet. So then, what are you doing back at the lovely bus palace?”
    Think, think, think. Be cool, don’t be pathetic and needy.
    â€œI didn’t come looking for