“You’ve got to learn to think before you act, son.” Hank knocks on Finn’s forehead like he’s making sure there’s a brain in there. “Fucking think.”
I remember finding Hank so cool for cursing when I was a kid. I paid attention when he talked because of it. And, trust me, that means a lot coming from the two second attention span, little shit that I was. Then the accident happened, and he started dropping the f-bomb every two words.
Eventually, it lost its impact.
But then again… I’d curse, too, if I’d lost the love of my life.
“As for you.” Hank glares straight through my skull. “Consider yourself lucky this is your first time pulling this kind of crap. Unlike someone—” He eyes Finn, “—you should be able to finish the season. Maybe get a few weeks of detention. And that’s only because we’ve got the sheriff on our side. If you two clowns were any other kids, you could be facing criminal fucking charges right now, do you get that?”
Finn and I nod. My best friend’s eyes are packed with regret. That’s downright torture for him. Ball is our whole lives. And I know how much he wanted to land team captain.
He didn’t smile for days when I got it.
Ah, shit, I can’t let them do this.
“He had nothing to do with it,” I blurt out.
Arms folded over his chest, Hank doesn’t say a word for the longest of seconds. I can tell he doesn’t buy it one bit, but if there’s the tiniest chance that I could save his kid’s senior year, he has to hear me out.
Finn widens his eyes at me. “Xav, what are you—”
“Let him talk, son.” Hank gestures for me to go ahead with a flick of his chin.
“He wasn’t a part of it. I came up with it. I brought the stupid thing to school. I set it off. It was all me,” I lie.
“Nice try, but I saw the video. Hell, I’m willing to bet your whole school’s seen it by now. You showed him the stink bomb in your backpack a minute before it went off.”
I swallow the urge to ask him about that damn video they keep referring to.
Not the time, Xav.
“Exactly, I showed it to him. How does that prove anything? Doesn’t mean he knew about it beforehand. Or that he was involved in any way.”
In response, Hank starts pacing around the room, rubbing his temples as though he genuinely believes it’ll help him think better. Then, five painful seconds later, he says it.
“I don’t believe you.”
There goes my hero moment.
“You’re not that type of kid, Xav. You’re a good kid. Eighteen years I’ve known you and you haven’t let my son talk you into his bad ideas once, sono, I don’t believe you pulled this off all by yourself.”
Defeated, I look down at my feet.
“But…” Hank surprises me by adding. My head jerks up. “If that’s the story you want to go with. If you want to shoulder the blame to save your buddy, I can’t stop you.”
I peek at Finn from the corner of my eye. Finn, who for once in his life, wasn’t the mastermind behind a prank. I might’ve been lying when I said he had nothing to do with it, but this part is true: it was my idea. Mine. If anything, I’m the one who talked him into it.
“I’m not covering for him. That’s what happened.”
I can practically see the weight of the world lifting off Finn’s shoulders when the words escape my mouth.
“If you say so.” Hank nods, a small smile tugging at his lips.
I read him crystal clear.
That’s a “thank you” right there.
“All right. We’ll pass the message along to the school, let them handle your punishment. Sheriff wants to talk to you again, then you’ll both be free to go.” Hank trails toward the door, but seconds before he exits the room, he stops, eyeing me over his shoulder. “I just have one question.”