“Your old man give you the talk?” he asked. “The talk?” “Who’s your friend, who’s not,” he said. As he spoke, smoke poured from his mouth. My eyes widened a little. “How did you know?” His smile didn’t waver. “It’s a rite of passage,” he said. “Ten bucks says I’m not on his list.” I hesitated, and his smile widened. He didn’t need an answer from me. I rubbed my arms. “It’s stupid,” I said. “I don’t want fake friends.” “Then don’t make them,” he said. I have to, I wanted to say. It wasn’t a suggestion; it was an order. But I stopped myself. “You said you had the same talk? Was I on your
...more
