Free Flip (The Slip Trilogy Book 3) by David Estes Page B

non-relationship with Dad I did enjoy spending his money for him.”
    “He bought you things?” Benson asks, interested in what his father was like after he knew him.
    Harrison laughs without mirth. “Hardly. I was an authorized user on his LifeCard. It was guilt money. He thought it would make up for the fact that he was a pathetic father.”
    “I—I’m sorry,” Benson says. “I knew things weren’t great with you and him, but I guess I never thought it was that bad.” How could it have been? Benson wonders. He would’ve given anything just to have seen his father in person again, even if they hardly spoke, hardly interacted.
    “It was,” Harrison says. “When he was still taking care of you, he was always gone, leaving me with Mom. I was hard on her. Too hard. I didn’t know.”
    “You were just a kid.”
    “We both were. And they were just our parents. But that doesn’t make any of what happened right.”
    “No, it doesn’t,” Benson agrees.
    “Even though Dad never did, Mom went to all my hoverboard games, up until…she couldn’t. I loved Mom,” Harrison says. “I mean, I love her. For a while I thought I didn’t. I was embarrassed, I guess. Everyone knew she’d been committed to the asylum. I didn’t want to be the laughingstock of the school, so I pretended it was funny, that I thought she was a big joke. I’m a terrible person, aren’t I, little bro?”
    The sadness and regret are heavy in his brother’s tone. “You made mistakes. We all did,” is all he can think of to say.
    “Ha! I bet you would’ve been more loyal to Mom. I bet you would’ve defended her. It should’ve been you. You should’ve been the legal one. You’re a million times more deserving of it than me.” Harrison’s words are brought on by more than sadness and regret, Benson realizes. There’s self-loathing, too. The most confident guy in the world doesn’t even like himself.
    Isn’t that the way it always is? Benson asks himself. We hide who we are until the truth spews forth with the power of an erupting geyser. It’s almost exactly what happened to him, except in a different way.
    “Shut up,” Benson says, forcing as much command into his tone as he can.
    Harrison takes a step back, surprised. “What?”
    “You heard me. You don’t know what the hell you’re talking about. So you screwed up a few times, who cares? You’re making up for it. You’ve made up for it . A hundred times over. A thousand. A botdamned million times, Harrison. Can’t you see that? We’re in this together. No more running off and doing crazy things. If there are crazy things to be done, we’ll do them together. Our normal childhood may have been stolen, but from now on we’re taking it back.”
    The look on his brother’s face seems to twist between shadowed amusement and disbelief. “Maybe you do have the cojones to pull off the Bond look, after all,” he says, roping an arm around Benson’s shoulder.
     
    ~~~
     
    Private Forum for Agriculturists, by invite only:
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    BloodyMary: I think we should move the key.
    ShirleyTemple: I disagree. The Lab has proven to be an effective holding area.
    SamAdams: Is there a reason for your suggestion, BloodyMary?
    BloodyMary: The city is too hot right now, and the Lab is right in the thick of things. I’m hearing buzz over here about all sorts of aggressive ideas for stemming the riots.
    ShirleyTemple: Such as?
    BloodyMary: Calling in reserves from other cities, increasing foot patrols and random inspections on businesses, etc. Essentially they want to flush out any pockets of rebellion and stamp them out before things get even worse.
    JoseCuervo: Things are already worse and BloodyMary might have a point. We could keep moving the key around, make it harder to locate.
    ShirleyTemple: And providing more opportunities for Pop Con to catch her. And the STL Slip too. Sorry, I disagree. We only have four more days