Barry Lyga [Lyga - Career Day

CAREER DAY

AN I HUNT KILLERS PREQUEL

B A R R Y L Y G A

C A R E E R D A Y

For all intents and purposes an orphan (Mom dead, Dadgone), Jasper Dent hated most holidays. Christmas. Thanksgiving.

Easter. New Years. He was even beginning at the tender age of sixteen to develop some unkind thoughts in the direction of Arbor Day, a holiday which, as best he could tell, had nothing to do with families, but which just sort of irked him, anyway.

Holidays were when families got together. When people celebrated. Together.

For three years now, though, it had been just Jasper and his grandmother, and Jasper had begun to suspect that her senility wasnt going to go away anytime soon. His grandmother, he realized, was legitimately nuts, and she wasnt getting better.

If anything, she was getting worse. He couldnt confide this to anyone, of course; she was technically his guardian (even though he did most of the adult stuff around the house), and doing so would bring Social Services down on him like hurricane rain.

The last thing he needed was that noise in his life.

Thanksgiving. Christmas. All the rest. Sometimes Jasper could glom onto his best friend Howies family for these occasions, but Howies parents his mother, in particular didnt really like Jasper all that much, and hauling Gramma to someone elses house was like traveling with a baby. He had to pack a bag with her favorite snacks, some weathered old soap

opera magazines for distraction, and even an adult diaper. Just in case.

Howie fought to help Jasper live a normal life, and for many of the usual holidays, he came pretty close. But he couldnt help Jasper with Career Day.

Jazzmatazz! Howie crowed, coming around the corner of the school corridor, carefully dodging the jostle and bustle of Lobos Nod High Schools between-class rush. Howie was a hemophiliac, and he bruised if you looked at him too hard.

How goeth it, mlord?

You just came from English, didnt you?

Howie nodded enthusiastically, bobbing like a headbanger. On anyone else, it would have looked ridiculous, but Howie was six foot seven and gangly, so it looked completely idiotic.

I dig the Willy Shakes, Jazz. He stirs my romantic soul.

Falling in step with Howie as they headed to algebra together, Jasper said, No, whats getting stirred is your loins, and thats because of the student teacher who doesnt understand how the lighting in that room impacts her bra.

Nipples like this, Jazz, Howie said with the solemnity of a priest, holding up his thumb and forefinger, half an inch apart. Honest to God. You could dial your Grammas phone.

Gramma Dent still had an old dial phone. She was convinced that the government could listen in on any other kind.

Jasper didnt have the heart to tell her that the government could listen in on this one, too. Easier that way.

Im so glad to know this, Jasper said drily. And please stop calling me Jazz.

You need a nickname. As your best friend

My only friend.

Even better! Anyway, Ive taken it upon myself to give you one. Jazz it shall be. I declare it thus and hence! Howie bellowed this last, and everyone in the corridor turned to look at them.

Stop it, Jasper said, almost whispering. He couldnt abide the eyes on him. He knew people always looked. Stared.

When he wasnt aware, they did it openly, nakedly, and when he was alert, they did their best to look like they were otherwise occupied. But he knew better.

Thats him, people said and people thought. Thats the one. Thats the one whose father

Stop what? Howie demanded. Stop loving you, Jazz?

I wish I could quit you, but I cant. Someday, well run off to New York and get married, the way God intended it.

Despite himself, Jasper cracked a grin. Sorry, man my nips only go out about this far. He mimed a quarter inch.

Oh, well, in that case, nice to know ya

* * *

After algebra, it was time to head to the library for the dreaded Career Day. Howie and Jasper settled into seats next to each other. Jasper wished he could disappear into his book bag. He hated crowds like this. It was bad enough being in a classroom with thirty other kids, but being jammed into the library with a couple hundred?

People matter. People are real.

Hed begun repeating this mantra to himself recently, over and over. Trying to believe it.

I bet we get four guys in ties who try to tell us about what they do on the weekends so that they sound cool, Howie said. Like, And then on the weekends, little dudes, I take off this suit and tie and leave behind my actuarial job and totally kick it eighties-style with my band, Humpbeat.

Five, Jasper said.

Deal. Howie shook Jaspers hand.

What did we just bet?

Ah! Howie raised a finger in the air. That I shall determine after I learn if I won or not. Momma didnt raise no fool. Speaking of fools, check it out. He pointed down a few rows, where a beautiful African American girl with beaded braids down past her shoulders chatted with some friends.

Theres the girl crazy enough to go out with you and not me.

Jasper froze up. The girl crazy enough was Connie Hall, a new girl in town. In tiny, white-bread Lobos Nod, Connie had stood out at the Coff-E-Shop, where Jasper had spotted her a week ago, right before school started. It had been near closing time, and only Jasper and Howie were there, except for Helen Myerson, who was locking up that night, and Connie, whod been nursing something tall and icy in a corner by herself while flipping through a book. Howie had raced to the bathroom after gulping down three large iced teas and, before he knew it, Jasper was staring at the unfamiliar girl.

Who totally busted him a minute later when she looked up and locked eyes with him in a way no one in town had since his father had been arrested three years earlier.

Jasper was momentarily poleaxed by the girls bravery, her coolness. Her uninhibited grin.

And her looks, of course. Lets be honest.

Without even realizing it, he was up and walking over to her. He was almost within hand-shaking distance when he realized he had no idea what he was going to say to her.

Jazz! Howie cried as he emerged from the bathroom.

You wont believe what color my He broke off, not finding Jasper at their usual table, spinning around to look for him.

Jazz? the girl said, arching an eyebrow in a way that made Jasper want to lurch toward her.

Jasper, he corrected, and figured a handshake was in order.

Connie. Her hand was slim and dry and strong.

Im Howie Gersten, Howie said, ambling over and holding out his gigantic NBA-sized hand. I bruise if I put my watch on too tight. Youll like it. Youll come to find my vulnerability sexy.

Connie smirked at Jasper, as if to say, Is this guy for real?

Howie, oblivious, kept up the patter he liked to think of as flirting.

And in case youre wondering, he said, Im totally down with the sistahs.

The sistahs are rethinking their options, Connie said with an unself-conscious confidence that stabbed at something deep in Jaspers brain. The next thing he knew, he was asking her if she was busy the next night, and she was saying that, in fact, she had nothing going on.

It had been easy to ask Connie out. Easy to go on the date with her. Hed stuck to the basics dinner and a movie.

Her family had moved to the Nod from near Charlotte because her dad had been transferred. Better job, more dough, tiny town of mostly white kids.