he half-light filtered in through windows and in through Isaac’s half-closed eyelids as he padded downstairs, dressed in his basesuit and socks, not having settled on a projection for the day.
He turned into the kitchen and opened the cabinet to draw forth his corn-sweetened corn-ring cereal. His mom came in and picked up a sponge from beside the sink. He crossed in front of her to retrieve a bowl from the cabinet and set it on the island.
She wiped down the already-clean counter, “You’ve been spending an awful lot of time in your room lately.”
“Yeah.” Here it comes. He poured the cereal into the bowl, standing in front of the island.
“You know, I ran into Billy’s mom yesterday on the ‘net.” She moved past him and opened the refrigerator, pulling out the soymilk, and setting it down in front of him next to the dry cereal.
“Hmm.” He opened the milk and watched the rings float like life-preservers.
“Do you have something to say about where you’ve been lately?” She pulled a spoon from the drawer and set it out, folding the flaps of his cereal box closed and putting it away.
“No, not really.” He picked up the spoon and poked at the cereal.
“Kathy told me that she hasn’t seen you for almost three months. And you’ve been telling me you’ve been over there after school.” She looked at the back of his head.
“Mom, why does it matter?” He looked over toward her, but she was directly behind him.
“Don’t tell me it doesn’t matter. You’ve been lying to me. And now for the last week you’ve been doing nothing but hanging around the house after school with horrible baggy eyes.” She moved across the island from him and looked at him as he looked at his cereal.
He poked at his cereal. What was he going to say? That he had fallen for a girl that now hated him? That he was trying to find a reason to live?
“Where have you been?” She bored into his head with her eyes.
He dropped the spoon with a clang and left to find his shoes.
“Answer me!” she called after him. But he was already leaving for school.