Free Kiss of Life by Daniel Waters

weren't anymore, that was certain. "You don't know."
    "Nobody knows, do they?" he said, moving his hands fast
    79
    to see if she would flinch, and then trying it again when she didn't. "I mean, that's what this whole place is about, isn't it? Studying the dead? I don't know if they used to be people. For all I know they're something else entirely."
    "Have you seen Adam since he died?"
    Pete looked away in spite of himself. "Yes."
    "Is he the same person he was before he died?"
    "I don't know."
    "You don't? I heard you used to be friends." "So?" He meant it to sound hostile, but she didn't react. "Tell me about when you were friends." "What happens to me if I tell you to go screw yourself instead?"
    Her only reaction was a blink, which Pete thought was pretty impressive.
    "I'm not sure," she said. "I suppose if you don't participate in the court-assigned therapy, you will be held in contempt and resentenced or something like that. I can find out for you if you want."
    "Why do I have to talk about Adam?" "He's why you're here," she said. "It seems like a good place to start."
    "It was an accident. He and I were good friends once." She nodded.
    Pete sighed. "He and I were on the football team together; that's where we met. He was the biggest kid my age I've ever seen. You know. He's in your class."
    "Yes," she said.
    80
    "We just started hanging out, him and Stavis, lifting weights and stuff. He used to be gawky, a big lummox, but he's gotten really quick since then."
    "Stavis was the boy who was with you when Adam was killed?"
    He almost snapped at her, but again held his thoughts in check. It hadn't taken her long to get inside his head, but he knew he would have to play along at least a little to keep her happy and get through this.
    "Yes. TC. We were the three amigos for a while. We were called the Pain Crew, because when we played football we could dominate the field, especially on defense. Coach played us on both sides of the ball usually, but we were together the most on defense."
    "The Pain Crew," she said. "Who called you that?"
    "Everyone," he said. "I think I made it up."
    She nodded.
    "We hung out. Usually at school. We sort of drifted apart at the beginning of this year, though. I came back from spending the summer at my dad's place and we just didn't seem to get along after that."
    "Why? Is it because you were apart for the summer?"
    "No. We didn't hang out on weekends or anything--just on game days. I made a comment about a girl he liked, and that was the start, I guess."
    "You said you spent the summer at your dad's place?"
    "Yeah," he said. "My parents are divorced. My dad lives in California, so I stayed with him."
    81
    He looked up and saw in her eyes that she thought she had caught something there, some little clue she could use to break his whole head open. And why the hell had he said all that stuff, anyhow, running his mouth like a little girl? He was smarter than that.
    "The girl you made the comment about. She was someone that Adam was interested in?"
    "Yeah. Holly Pelletier," he said, giving her a name of someone that Adam--and half the football team--had casually dated. The lie came easily. "I mean, they went out a few times, but how was I supposed to know he was that way about her? I didn't even say anything that bad, just that I was thinking about asking her to the homecoming dance. He flipped out."
    "Flipped out?"
    Pete nodded. "Threw his helmet and everything. When a guy that big gets pissed off, you kind of get ready for anything. He said he'd rip my legs off if I so much as looked at her funny. I said, Take it easy, no problem."
    "I see," Angela said.
    "That was about it, really. We just didn't talk a whole lot after that. I tried, but I think he was jealous or paranoid or something."
    "Was this before Tommy Williams joined the team?" "After. No, before. I'm not really sure." "What did Tommy joining the team do to your friendship with Adam?"
    "Nothing, really," he said. "It was kind of over by