“Nah, I think we should see Sol. Maybe later?”
A little thrown off, but happy to continue with Solomon’s treatment, Lisa called to see if he was game for visitors and, judging from his tone, he’d probably been waiting by the phone all day. She couldn’t imagine what it had been like for him—to go so long without anyone but his parents or his grandma to talk to. And even though she felt like she’d made a lot of progress over the last month, it seemed like Clark had brought out something new in him . . . something less self-conscious and more confident. Maybe he was trying to impress him. Or, maybe Solomon just thought he and Clark lived in the same world, with the rest of us drifting in and out and never really understanding things like the intricacies of Klingon-Human relations or what the hell a khaleesi is.
When they got to Solomon’s house, the Angels game was on and the whole family was watching it in the living room. They all watched the last three innings together and Solomon’s mom would occasionally shout at the TV, which made Clark laugh every single time.
“She’s very passionate about sports,” Solomon said.
“And Sol’s very passionate about making fun of his mom,” Valerie added. “We almost had another kid in the hopes that we’d get a sports fan.”
“You can adopt me,” Clark said. “My mom hates sports and my dad didn’t even teach me to throw a football.”
“That’s . . . well, that’s just sad, son,” Solomon’s dad said, looking at Clark and shaking his head.
“Don’t fall for that,” Lisa said. “He’s got like twenty older brothers. But they all moved away.”
“It’s really three, but it may as well be twenty,” Clark added.
“Holy crap,” Solomon said. “That’s a lot of dudes.”
“Are they all in college?” Solomon’s mom asked.
“Two of them are,” Clark answered. “And one’s a tattoo artist in Hollywood.”
“I always wanted a tattoo,” Solomon said.
“Oh yeah? What would you get?” Lisa asked.
“The starship Enterprise.”
“Yes,” Clark said. “I bet my brother could come to you.”
“Nope,” Solomon’s dad said. “Not till you’re eighteen.”
“What’s it matter?” Solomon asked.
Jason just looked at him and, without a word of protest, Solomon dropped it and moved on. Lisa was simultaneously appalled and in awe of his restraint. Or maybe some families just don’t fight. She’d probably never know, but she couldn’t imagine these people ever raising their voices over anything more than a foul ball.
? ? ?
That Sunday night was the first of many nights like it. Lisa and Clark quickly became fixtures in the Reed home, showing up after school and staying for hours, sometimes into the early morning, even on school nights. With each new visit, Clark and Solomon would discover some shared interest—whether it was a B-movie Lisa had never heard of or some fan site she wouldn’t be caught dead on. There always seemed to be something bringing the two of them closer together, and even though she wished it could just be her and Clark sometimes, she knew the sacrifice was worth it.
Plus, all that time as the third wheel had allowed her to very closely observe Solomon, probably much closer than she could have without Clark. She became a master at reading his mood, and she was always ready to step in and help in case the anxiety kicked in. His tells were subtle, but by that point, she knew them well. If something or someone was too loud or noisy, his left eye would twitch a little. This would also happen if he felt particularly unnerved or worked up about something he’d said or done. It was like he was reacting to actual physical pain sometimes. But most of the time, that’s all it was—just a little twitch in one eye and then it was over.
She only worried when he left the room. No one needed to use the bathroom that often, and Lisa was betting, every time, that this was his way of catching his breath or grounding himself enough to avoid letting the anxiety take over. It would’ve been easy to forget sometimes that he was like that. Clark seemed to put it out of his mind completely. Which was good, Lisa thought. He treated Solomon just the way she’d hoped—like he was normal. And maybe that was part of getting him better. Maybe if someone like Clark could ignore Solomon’s problems, then other people out there could, too.
But then, of course, Solomon had a full-blown meltdown in front of Clark. It was as surprising as it was quick. The three of them were sitting around the computer when he suddenly put his head down on the desk and started tapping his fingers quickly on the keyboard. Clark looked over at Lisa and shrugged, backing away and eyeing her like she should know what the hell they were supposed to do. She did. This would only be her second time witnessing one, but she sprung into action without hesitation. She took a deep breath, bent down so her face was right next to Solomon’s, and she started to talk in the calmest tone possible.