Stupid Fast

Chapter 49: BRAIN MASH: PART IV




As I walked toward the steps, my pocket continued to buzz. The honkies—or whatever they should be called—continued the text barrage. I was only vaguely aware of my buzzing pocket. Grandma Berba had gotten Aleah’s address from me the afternoon before. I knew she was in the house. I paused outside the door and looked at Aleah.

“Do you mind going in first?” I asked.

“Will that help you?” Aleah said.

“I don’t know,” I told her.

Aleah opened the screen door and walked in. As she did, I peered around her and saw a woman who didn’t look like a grandma hugging Andrew on the couch. She wasn’t wearing old lady pants. She was wearing a business suit, and her hair was brown like Jerri’s, and she was pretty, like Jerri would be if Jerri hadn’t gone crazy. The woman let go of Andrew when Aleah was fully in. She stood up. She was ready for me. I pushed on the screen door and took a step in. Grandma Berba took a step toward me, opening her arms to hug me and then she stopped in her tracks. She stared at my face. She shook her head and said, “You’ve got to be kidding me. You’ve got to be…” She slapped herself on the forehead. She backed up a step and fell back on the couch and cupped her head, laughing. Andrew stared at her through his big nerd glasses—his mouth open. Then he looked at me, eyes wide behind his lenses.

“No,” Grandma Berba looked up. “Really. You have got to be joking. No wonder. No wonder,” she cupped her face with her hands and laughed.

“Wow,” Aleah looked at me. “You’re having a bad day.”

“I don’t know what to do,” I said.

“Come here, Felton,” Grandma Berba said. “Good lord, good lord. Really.” She stood. I walked to her. She reached up and hugged me and laughed and sort of cried at the same time. She wiped her nose on my chest.

“I mean, no wonder,” she said. “You’re the spitting image.”