Omaha, Nebraska

Gibson had managed to get a dark corner booth in Goldberg’s Bar and Grill on Fiftieth and Dodge Streets. He didn’t think he had an appetite, but he had ordered a cheeseburger and fries so that the waitress wouldn’t mind him taking up a whole booth. Then it smelled so good that he started taking nibbles, and before he realized it he had it devoured, probably eating out of nervous energy more than hunger.

When he called his mom from the restaurant’s pay phone she sounded hysterical, not because he had slipped out on her but because Brother Sebastian had convinced her Gibson was on drugs. He couldn’t believe it and told her so. How could she believe some stranger over him? He tried his best to reassure her that he wasn’t taking or selling drugs.

He couldn’t tell her about the portfolio even though he was pretty sure that’s what Brother Sebastian wanted from him. Instead, he told her Sebastian was a bad guy and she needed to stay away from him. But that’s when she laughed, a nervous, slightly hysterical laugh. “Now you sound paranoid, Gibson. Isn’t that something that happens when you take drugs?”

“Mom, I’m not taking drugs. You gotta believe me.”

But then he did lie and told her he’d be staying with a friend for a few nights. Truth was, he hadn’t asked Timmy yet. It didn’t make her happy that he wasn’t coming right home, but she didn’t argue with him. She wanted the friend’s name and phone number, and when he told her he didn’t know the number she insisted he call as soon as he got there. If she was this worried and suspicious from some made-up story that he might be using drugs, what would she be like if she knew he had gotten a priest killed?

He brought the mangled phone book from the pay phone back to his table. If he couldn’t find Timmy’s phone number or Timmy’s mom wouldn’t let him spend the night, Gibson wasn’t sure what he’d do. There wasn’t anyone else he could call. No one he could trust. No one, except maybe Sister Kate. She had sort of saved him once before though he really didn’t like thinking about that day. He couldn’t remember if it was the fourth or fifth time Monsignor O’Sullivan had called him into his office. Everything was such a blur every time he left. But one time Gibson stumbled into the hallway and ran right into Sister Kate. He was so embarrassed because his fly was still down. Geez! He could still feel the burn up his neck.

But she was cool about the whole thing. Asked if he was okay and when Gibson only nodded, she told him to go upstairs to her classroom and hang out for a while. She even told him to get a Pepsi for himself from her minifridge, from her private stash. He barely got to the top of the stairs when he heard her below, stomping down the hall to the monsignor’s office. Gibson waited there, half leaning over the rail, listening, but he didn’t hear Sister Kate knock, just a slam of the door and then muffled voices. It sounded like they were arguing.

He didn’t realize until weeks later that Monsignor O’Sullivan didn’t call him into his office after that day. Gibson was so relieved it took him a while to realize that Sister Kate must have said something. And then, of course, he was embarrassed that Sister Kate might know. But she never said anything to him, never treated him differently after that. Gibson hadn’t thought about that day for a long time. He didn’t like thinking about it. Brother Sebastian made him feel afraid and weak just like Monsignor O’Sullivan always had. He didn’t like that much either.

There was no Kate Rosetti listed in the phone book, so Gibson searched the H’s for any Hamiltons within three or four blocks of his own address. There was a Christine Hamilton on Cass Street just a block north of Goldberg’s. That had to be Timmy’s mom. He memorized the number.

He had no idea what time it was. Goldberg’s didn’t have a clock anywhere. It had to be late. Was it too late to call Timmy? Would his mom be so pissed she wouldn’t let him come to the phone?

Gibson pulled out his wad of bills and under the table peeled off enough to pay his bill with enough for a tip, too. He folded it with the ticket and anchored it down with the ketchup bottle like he remembered his dad used to do. Then he grabbed his backpack, sliding it on arm by arm so that it sat tight against his back, more securely. He left the safety of his booth and found the cubbyhole in the far corner where the pay phone was. He sat, took a deep breath then dialed the number, hoping and praying that Timmy would answer.

No such luck.

“Hello?” a woman said.

“Um, is Timmy there?”

There was a long pause and the cheeseburger twisted a knot in his stomach.

“It’s pretty late. Can I tell him who’s calling?”

“Yeah, it’s his friend Gibson…Gibson McCutty from the Explorers’ Program.”

“Hold on, Gibson.” She repeated his name like she knew him. He wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. He wondered what Timmy might have told her about him.

It didn’t take long for Timmy to come to the phone. “Hey, Gibson. Where’d you go this afternoon?”

“Yeah, I’m sorry about that. There was this Darth Vader guy at the school. I’ll tell you all about it later. Right now I kinda need some help. Do you think it would be okay with your mom if I stayed overnight at your house?”

“Hold on.” He could hear Timmy yell out, “Hey, Mom, can Gibson spend the night?”

Gibson couldn’t hear Timmy’s mom and he cringed, waiting.

“She said sure, but when you get here, she said she’ll need to call your mom to tell her where you are. Sorry,” Timmy said as if that ultimatum would be a letdown or a deal breaker.

“I’m at Goldberg’s. Can you give me directions?”

“Hold on,” Timmy said, and then to his mom who must have been asking him something, he said, “He’s at Goldberg’s.” There was a long pause while Timmy listened to her.

Geez! Was she changing her mind? Was she telling Timmy to forget about it? Where would he go then?

“Hey, Gibson, my mom wants to know if you have any extra cash could you bring a couple orders of potato wedges and deep-fried mushrooms? She’ll pay you back when you get here.”

Gibson held back the sigh of relief and simply said, “Sure.”