Page 61 of Play Nice

I get up and go look for Austin’s note with his phone number. The note is where I left it, on the coffee table.

Beside it, my sketchpad is open to the drawing I did last night. My cosmic “Leave Me Alone.”

There’s a new addition. Small, in the bottom corner, in the center of a constellation, floating in the galaxy.

A response.

NO

19

Hey,” Austin says, walking up the driveway. I sit on the front steps with the last two cans of White Claw. My can is already empty. His is probably warm. I’ve been out here for the last hour. I couldn’t keep staring at the sketch. At that word, the little smiley face. Playful and defiant. Exactly my style. I might be charmed if I weren’t fucking terrified.

I texted Austin to come over. Now here he is.

“Thought you might be…Are you okay?” he asks, brow furrowing. His concern is endearing. He wears jeans and a plain black V-neck T-shirt. His chain. I can see some chest hair. Just enough. Not too much.

The only way I’ll go back in the house is if he’s with me, which is so pathetic it makes me want to scream.

“Clio?”

“Yes,” I say. “And no. Yes, I’m Clio. No, I’m not okay.”

He kneels in front of me, pushes my hair out of my face. “You want to talk about it?”

I shake my head and offer him the White Claw. “Here. I saved this for you.”

He accepts the can. He pops the tab and takes a sip. “Mm-hmm. Warm.”

This makes me laugh. It’s a miracle I can find anything funny right now, and it makes everything funny.

A demon drawing a smiley face? Hilarious.

My laughter turns manic.

“I’m sorry,” I tell Austin, attempting to catch my breath.

He takes it in stride. He sits beside me on the stairs. “No need to apologize. I’m just glad you texted. I was waiting.”

“Aw. Say, do you have any weed?”

“I feel like I’m at work.”

“Only I’m full of youth and vitality.”

“You’d be surprised, the vitality in that place,” he says. He takes another sip of warm White Claw. “You’re using me.”

“You’re letting me.”

Another sip. “All right. I’ll be back in five. You can finish this.”

He hands me the can.

“Wait,” I say, accepting it. “I’ll come with you.”

He raises an eyebrow. “You want to come over?”

“What? Do you not want to introduce me to your mother?” I ask, grinning.