Free Torn by Stefan Petrucha Page B

fingers.
    â€œThere’s One Word Ben,” Devin whispered to Cheryl. “But where the hell is Cody? He should be here.”
    â€œHis little brother has a fever. They had to find a sitter,” Cheryl said.
    Devin was about to ask how she happened to know that when, with a loud creak of floorboard, Cody stepped in, looking totally surreal. He had on a dark suit and black T-shirt, but no tie. His savage white hair was actually de-spiked and combed into a part, like he was some lame gangster wannabe.
    He cracked his neck, then walked up to Karston’s mom, leaned forward, and whispered to her.
    At least he’s being respectful.
    She didn’t seem to be paying much attention to whatever Cody was saying. She looked drugged or drunk, but maybe it was grief. Cody straightened and motioned for Devin to join him at the casket.
    He felt a pull from Cheryl’s hands and heard an exasperated whisper from his mother, but ignored both and went back up to the casket for what was probably the tenth time. After Cody crossed himself, they stood side by side, facing the body.
    â€œCheck out my hair,” Cody whispered. “You believe what my stepmother made me do to it?”
    Devin looked over his shoulder and saw Cody’sparents walk in with a few of his brothers and sisters. His father was tall and broad. He’d been some kind of athlete years back and even now had no paunch. His stepmother had insanely curly hair and a few of the kids had a familiar wild glint in their eyes. Despite the glint, Devin had always been disappointed by how normal they all seemed compared to Cody.
    â€œYour hair looks like crap,” Devin said stiffly. “Is that what you want to talk about?”
    Cody looked at him a second, then shook his head, deciding to let it go. “Nah. Got good news for you. You know our two friends, Nick and Jake from the Slits?”
    â€œYeah?”
    â€œMy dad just got the call. They arrested them with like two sacks of crystal meth. Even if they can’t pin the murder on them, they’re gone, man, gone for a long, long time. Rumor is they’re ratting out their brothers for reduced sentences, so even the rest of the Slits won’t care what happens to them.”
    Cody slapped Devin in the shoulder and grinned. “We’re clear, man, free and clear!”
    Devin should have felt relieved, but he didn’t.Instead he said, “Shh! It’s Karston’s funeral! Keep it down.”
    Cody made another face, then forced a more somber expression to his features. They both stood there awhile, looking at the dead boy. After it started to feel too long, Cody said, “Well, you know, this does kind of solve our other problem. Now you don’t have to fire him.”
    Devin flushed with anger. Words forced their way out as he desperately tried to keep his voice low in the funeral parlor. “How can you be such an ass?”
    The last word was loud enough to earn a “Shh!” from someone in the front row.
    Cody pulled him away from the casket. Devin shook his arm free and kept walking, out into the quiet lobby where the moldy smell was only slightly dampened, then through the glass doors and out onto the sidewalk, where the sky was dark, the wind cool, and cars rolled by, going about their business as if no one had died at all.
    Cody popped out of the door behind him. He came up, pulled out a pack of cigarettes, and shook one out toward Devin. There was a time when Devin had pretended he smoked, to impresspeople like Cody, but that time had passed. He shook his head no.
    Cody popped one in his mouth, lit, and took a drag. “Look, Devin, I’m not saying it’s a good thing. I didn’t not like Karston or anything. I wouldn’t wish that on people I hated. Man, his face looks like putty. But we’re here now, and sooner or later, here is where we’re going to have to move on from.”
    â€œYeah, well, you ever stop to think