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Book One: The Boy In the Black Coat
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John’s mother had not been pleased by his disappearing act the previous night; nor had she initially accepted his explanation that he’d been playing video games with a friend. |
This notion was inconceivable to her for a variety of reasons and the scolding that followed ceased only after John had fully described the rambling home where the famous archaeologist, Dr. Robert Dryden, lived with his teenage son. Although this had abated his mother’s anger, it had also prompted her to badger him incessantly about being more social, about making friends, about “creating connections.” Even as he sat in his car in the high school parking lot, she continued to pound this message home through an incessant stream of text messages.
Her latest read: JUST BE POLITE AND YOU MIGHT TRY SMILING :)
John felt the emoticon was probably meant sarcastically, as though she needed to demonstrate to him what exactly a smile looked like. He responded: I SMILE WHEN NECESSARY AND APPROPRIATE. :(
YOU NEVER SMILE JOHN.
IT’S RARELY NECESSARY OR APPROPRIATE. :(
PLAY NICE.
IM AWARE. :(
I MEAN IT!!!!
IM AWARE!!!!! :( :( :(
WE NEED THIS JOHN.
IM AWARE!!!!!!!!! :( :( :( :( :( :(
Thoroughly irritated, he jammed the phone back in his pocket, stepped out of the car and slammed the door harder than intended. The device bleated two more times as he walked to his marine biology class but he ignored it.
When he reached the classroom, Zac was already there, chatting with Ms. Pembroke and a handful of other students. Upon seeing him, Zac’s volume increased substantially. “There he is,” he cried happily. “John, come over here and tell Ms. Pembroke about your SCUBA adventures.”
He approached the small circle warily. It parted to let him in and he immediately felt uncomfortable. John had spent the better part of his life avoiding attention, but being noticed was clearly a consequence of interacting with Zac Dryden so he would have to suffer through it.
“Zac says you and your dad have been all over the world SCUBA diving,” Ms. Pembroke said brightly. “I had no
idea we had an expert diver in our midst.”
“I’m not an expert but we’ve been to a lot of places,” he replied.
“Well I can see why a class on marine biology would appeal to you then.”
John chose not to tell her that he’d been assigned to the class arbitrarily by the school’s registrar because he needed a science credit. “Yeah, I’m looking forward to it,” he said, trying to put enough energy in his voice to make it sound authentic. Sadly, he still came off flat.
Zac jumped in. “Did you and your dad take any photos or videos of your dives?”
John nodded then immediately felt like he shouldn’t have.
“Can we have a show and tell day?” Zac asked Ms. Pembroke.
She looked skeptical. Ms. Pembroke had been teaching long enough that she knew how to read her students. Zac was the kind of teen who wanted to draw everyone out, but John was the kind who might find these efforts unwelcome, even threatening. Wisely, she said, “Well, we can talk about that later. It’s really up to John if he wants to share that anyway. But for now, ladies and gentlemen, everyone take your seats and let’s get started.”
As the students began to settle themselves, John quickly crossed over to Zac. “Hey, look,” he whispered, “I wanna tell you something… I wanted to say I was sorry. For yesterday. I didn’t mean to be a dick or anything. Sometimes I just don’t think but I didn’t mean to offend you.” His words tumbled out quickly, like he was reciting a prepared speech and was trying to get through it as quickly as possible, which was close to the truth.
Watching John bumble through this apology was excruciating but it was clearly sincere. Zac leaned closer and whispered back, “I told you I wasn’t mad. I really wished you had stayed longer.”
“I got in trouble as was,” John said. “My mother’s kind of overprotective. She’s afraid I’m gonna get lost here or something.”
“You can’t get lost long in a town of 50,000 people,” Zac joked.
“You can if your previous town only had 100.”
“Ha, true that.”
“Anyway. Sorry.”
Zac smiled. “John—“
“Mr. Dryden?” Ms. Pembroke interrupted them. “John needs to take his seat now.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Zac answered both quickly and contritely. “Come find me after school and we can go do something,” he whispere
John nodded and for the first time since they’d met, Zac saw him smile.
Her latest read: JUST BE POLITE AND YOU MIGHT TRY SMILING :)
John felt the emoticon was probably meant sarcastically, as though she needed to demonstrate to him what exactly a smile looked like. He responded: I SMILE WHEN NECESSARY AND APPROPRIATE. :(
YOU NEVER SMILE JOHN.
IT’S RARELY NECESSARY OR APPROPRIATE. :(
PLAY NICE.
IM AWARE. :(
I MEAN IT!!!!
IM AWARE!!!!! :( :( :(
WE NEED THIS JOHN.
IM AWARE!!!!!!!!! :( :( :( :( :( :(
Thoroughly irritated, he jammed the phone back in his pocket, stepped out of the car and slammed the door harder than intended. The device bleated two more times as he walked to his marine biology class but he ignored it.
When he reached the classroom, Zac was already there, chatting with Ms. Pembroke and a handful of other students. Upon seeing him, Zac’s volume increased substantially. “There he is,” he cried happily. “John, come over here and tell Ms. Pembroke about your SCUBA adventures.”
He approached the small circle warily. It parted to let him in and he immediately felt uncomfortable. John had spent the better part of his life avoiding attention, but being noticed was clearly a consequence of interacting with Zac Dryden so he would have to suffer through it.
“Zac says you and your dad have been all over the world SCUBA diving,” Ms. Pembroke said brightly. “I had no
idea we had an expert diver in our midst.”
“I’m not an expert but we’ve been to a lot of places,” he replied.
“Well I can see why a class on marine biology would appeal to you then.”
John chose not to tell her that he’d been assigned to the class arbitrarily by the school’s registrar because he needed a science credit. “Yeah, I’m looking forward to it,” he said, trying to put enough energy in his voice to make it sound authentic. Sadly, he still came off flat.
Zac jumped in. “Did you and your dad take any photos or videos of your dives?”
John nodded then immediately felt like he shouldn’t have.
“Can we have a show and tell day?” Zac asked Ms. Pembroke.
She looked skeptical. Ms. Pembroke had been teaching long enough that she knew how to read her students. Zac was the kind of teen who wanted to draw everyone out, but John was the kind who might find these efforts unwelcome, even threatening. Wisely, she said, “Well, we can talk about that later. It’s really up to John if he wants to share that anyway. But for now, ladies and gentlemen, everyone take your seats and let’s get started.”
As the students began to settle themselves, John quickly crossed over to Zac. “Hey, look,” he whispered, “I wanna tell you something… I wanted to say I was sorry. For yesterday. I didn’t mean to be a dick or anything. Sometimes I just don’t think but I didn’t mean to offend you.” His words tumbled out quickly, like he was reciting a prepared speech and was trying to get through it as quickly as possible, which was close to the truth.
Watching John bumble through this apology was excruciating but it was clearly sincere. Zac leaned closer and whispered back, “I told you I wasn’t mad. I really wished you had stayed longer.”
“I got in trouble as was,” John said. “My mother’s kind of overprotective. She’s afraid I’m gonna get lost here or something.”
“You can’t get lost long in a town of 50,000 people,” Zac joked.
“You can if your previous town only had 100.”
“Ha, true that.”
“Anyway. Sorry.”
Zac smiled. “John—“
“Mr. Dryden?” Ms. Pembroke interrupted them. “John needs to take his seat now.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Zac answered both quickly and contritely. “Come find me after school and we can go do something,” he whispere
John nodded and for the first time since they’d met, Zac saw him smile.
