“Noted,” Solomon said. “So that’s why they call it high school?”
“Boo,” Lisa said. “Try again.”
“Okay . . . okay . . . umm . . . Upland? More like Highland!”
Clark laughed, but Lisa just shook her head and tried not to smile. Solomon loved how she was always pretending like her sense of humor was above theirs when it was so clear to him that she loved every second of their stupid banter.
At around two in the morning, after more games, an especially lame episode of SNL, and way too many bad jokes, Lisa finally stood up and said it was time to go. Clark seemed as bummed as Solomon, but they all had that middle-of-the-night sleepy look in their eyes. Solomon walked them to the door and they said their good nights. He wanted to ask when he’d see them next, but he got shy about it at the last minute and didn’t say anything. He couldn’t just invite them over every day and expect them to never say no.
Lisa hugged him around the neck before she stepped outside and as he went to give Clark a handshake, he was met with a big squeeze around the shoulders. He didn’t know what to do or whether or not he should hug him back, so he just stood there with his arms limp and let it happen. Then Clark pulled away and had this huge smile on his face. “You’re all right, man,” he said.
Solomon watched them from the door as they walked down the driveway and got into Lisa’s car. He waited as the engine turned on and the headlights lit up, giving them a wave as they backed out and drove off, his hand staying up in the air until they were out of sight. It hadn’t happened before, really, so he tried to think about something else to keep from freaking out. But it wouldn’t go away. He felt it. It was small and it was complicated, but he felt it all the same. He wanted to follow them. He wanted to walk outside and follow them into the world.
SIXTEEN
LISA PRAYTOR
It had been a very important weekend so far and despite being dangerously sleepy, Lisa drove Clark home with a rush of energy and excitement pumping through her veins. She knew he was on board now, especially after seeing the way he’d hit it off with Solomon. Lisa was overwhelmed with the feeling that she’d done something great by introducing the two of them. Now they’d have each other to talk holodecks and spaceships and she’d have her ticket out of Upland. Everybody would win.
“Thank you,” she said to Clark when they got to his dad’s.
“For what?”
“For this weekend. For not being too pissed at me to meet him.”
“I’m still a little pissed,” he said, smiling. “But I had fun. It’s so . . . easy with him. Like I’ve known him forever. I think maybe I’ve been needing a Solomon Reed in my life.”
“Is that right?”
“He’s way better than my other options.”
“I’ve met them, yes,” she said. “TJ was asking about you at school yesterday. He made some stupid joke about you being a ghost.”
“Good,” he said. “I don’t have anything to say to those guys anymore.”
“Why’s that?”
“Because they’re jerks. Seriously, if they aren’t making fun of someone then they’re talking about whose girlfriend they want to bang.”
“Gross.”
“Yeah it is. And, look, I laugh sometimes. But then I feel like shit all day afterward. I’m not like them. And I don’t want to be.”
“I don’t want you to be, either,” she said.
“Well, while you’ve been hanging out with the coolest crazy person in history, I’ve been pretty much sitting around the house doing nothing. I know this is a big deal to you, but you can’t just disappear. What if I don’t get into a school near you, huh? You want to spend our last year together hanging out with someone else?”
“Look, I’m sorry. But, now you can come with me. See? It works this way.”
“So, it’s share you or be alone?” he asked, complete amazement in his eyes.
“No. That’s not what I meant. Just, forgive me, okay? I’ll do better. I will.”
“Fine. You know Janis is pissed at you, too, right?”
“I have several unanswered texts that would indicate so.”
“You should go see her,” Clark suggested. “I know she’s ridiculous, but you’ve been friends your whole lives.”
“I haven’t even told her about Sol. Like, not a thing.”
“Well, there’s only one way to fix that. I’m sure she’ll understand.”
“She’ll want a boon,” she said. “Justice is very important to her.”
“Me too,” he said, leaning over and kissing her forehead. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Dr. Praytor.”
The next day, Lisa woke up to a fight in the kitchen between her mother and Ron. This one was a doozy—slamming cabinets, yelling, a threat or two. She stayed in her room until it was over. But even then, she took her time going down the stairs, hoping to go undetected.
“Lisa?”