"Fine," I said. I crossed my arms over my chest and glared. "Egghead just suspended me for a week, thanks to you."
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Marty glared at me for a moment. We had a small stareoff. We'd had hundreds of stare-offs over the years and we usually used them to determine if the other person was lying or not. I knew the routine so I gazed back, giving him my serious face.
When Marty was satisfied I spoke the truth, he squeezed his eyes shut and hissed out a curse. Then he stepped back and let me in.
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186
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Chapter Fourteen
"Why'd he suspend you?" Marty said, when he closed the door behind us
I felt like I'd been shut inside a dumpster. The stench of alcohol and other rotten things about knocked me over. It was chilly and damp and dark. Too cave-like for my comfort. Marty had even thrown blankets over the windows to keep out the light.
"Why aren't you at work?" I strode to the windows, tripping over shoes and pizza boxes and who knew what else on the floor as I went.
I yanked the sheets off, and daylight poured into the room.
Marty groaned and winced. "I liked them where they were," he said through clenched teeth. I spun around to face him. He'd sat down on the edge of his unmade bed and was lifting his hand to shade his eyes.
"Did you get fired?"
Empty beer cans littered the floor between us. Dirty laundry was piled in various mounds around the room. Marty fell back on the mattress and stared up at the ceiling.
"Leave me alone," he said, closing his eyes. I came to stare down at him. "Did they fire you?"
"Yes!" he yelled.
"Why?"
He spit out a contemptuous laugh. "Why do you think, brat? How much brainpower does it take to come up with that 187
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answer? Abby's mom is John Getty's little sister. And John was my boss. Why would he keep me around after all this?" I sat down beside him. "Is she pregnant or not?" Marty opened his eyes and they once again focused on the ceiling. His jaw moved and his Adam's apple slid up and then down as he swallowed.
"I guess not," he finally said.
I lay down then, next to him, and stared up at the ceiling as well. "So it's over between you two, huh?" Marty gave another short laugh when he said, "Yeah."
"You're just going to stay in your room and get drunk, then?"
"It's the best plan I've thought up yet."
"I wouldn't take the sissy's way out if I were you," I said, propping my knees up and resting the soles of my shoes on his mattress.
Marty turned his head to glare at me. "Well, you're not me. Now get off my bed."
I didn't move except to let my knees sway back and forth.
"What happened?"
Marty sighed. "Nothing. Why'd you get suspended?"
"Because Egghead thought I told everyone in school his daughter was pregnant." Because it'd been a few hours since that actual event occurred, I was able to speak of it clearly, almost as if I was proud of the fact.
Marty's eyes narrowed on me. "Did you?" I slugged him in the arm. "No, you idiot. I did not. Why would I spread something like that? Even though I did think it 188
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was true until Egghead called me into his office and very distinctly clarified the facts of the situation." Marty sat up so quickly he about had me rolling off the side of the bed because of the sudden shift in weight on the mattress. He stared down at me, shocked. "He told you?" I frowned. "Told me what?"
Marty instantly looked away. "Nothing." I sat up then too. "What?"
Marty shook his head. "Never mind." He glanced at me.
"Why didn't you just tell him you didn't start the rumors?" My jaw dropped. "I did! The man wouldn't listen to a word I said. Let me tell you, he was mad!"
"So?" Marty set his feet on the floor and stared at the wall in front of him.
"So," I repeated. I frowned as I watched Marty hold his stomach and start to rock back and forth. Then I shook my head and tried to continue with my story. "So he was mad enough to charge at me."
"He what?" Marty looked at me sharply.
"He told me to get out of his office, but I was trying to explain my innocence." I shrugged. "I guess he got sick of it because he started around his desk like he was going to hurt me."
"That son of a..." Marty surged to his feet and started toward the door, swaying as he went.
I ran after him and grabbed his arm. I had to dig my feet into the floor to stop him. "Where do you think you're going?"
"I'm going to kill him."
"Marty!"
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His hand was on the doorknob and he yanked it open. I kicked the door shut with my foot and jumped in front of it, blocking his path. My brother had murder in his eyes. I'd never seen him like this before. It scared me.
"Stop it," I said. "What's wrong with you?"
"What's wrong with me?" He pointed a finger at his chest and stared at me like he couldn't believe I didn't understand.
"That man took away the only girl I ever cared about. He got me fired from my job. He killed my baby. And now he's threatening my sister. How much more do you expect me to take?"
I gasped. The news knocked the breath out of me. If I hadn't been leaning against the door, I would have had to grab it for support. Suddenly, I felt lightheaded. I guess Marty was dizzy too, because he wilted right there onto the floor in front of me and cradled his face in his hands. I moved my hand over my stomach where my guts were twisting into knots. "What are you talking about, Marty?" His speech was muffled in his hands as he moaned the words but I heard him clearly. "She was pregnant," he said. "I swear to God she was pregnant."
My knees gave out then. I knelt down in front of him and touched his shoulder. "You're not saying what I think you're saying, are you?"
He looked up at me and his eyes were rimmed in red. He sniffed. "I saw the two lines on the test. I...saw...them." He took my hands and squeezed. "There was a baby, Carrie. Two lines meant she was pregnant."
I shook my head.
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But Marty nodded. "I went to her house right after I told Mom and Dad. She said her dad wanted to take her to a doctor in Paulbrook the next morning, to make sure it was true. But we'd already taken one of those home pregnancy things. We already knew she was pregnant." He blew out a shaky breath. "I said OK, though, and I left her alone. I saw her and her dad leave the next morning when they drove by the house. It was nighttime before they got back." He swallowed and for a moment he couldn't talk. I couldn't believe him. It just wasn't something that happened to someone from Stillburrow. I mean, Mr. and Mrs. Eggrow dedicated their lives to children. Why would they...I shook my head. It wasn't possible.
Marty wiped at his eyes. "When I went to see her that night, she said there wasn't a baby after all and we should call things off." He rocked back and forth, staring at something on the wall. "About as soon as I got home, John called. He told me not to bother coming into work the next morning."
My brother winced as if he was going through the whole experience all over again. His shoulders shook and I did the only thing I could think to do. I hugged him. He buried his face in my shoulder and let loose. His sobs racked through both of us.