Page 116 of The Boy Who Cried Bear
Carson doesn’t meet his eyes. “Talked enough already, haven’t I? When I said those things.”
“Which things? You’ll have to be specific, because it’s been a lot.”
Max feels a twinge of guilt when Carson’s cheeks color, but he doesn’t take it back. It’s true.
“I didn’t mean it,” Carson says. “Any of it. I’m just…”
“Mad and taking it out on me.”
“I’m not—” Carson starts, and then stops, shaking his head.
“You can’t stop being mad about what happened, but you can stop taking it out on me. I’m not putting up with it anymore.”
“You shouldn’t. If I’m shitty, you should be shitty back.”
“Nope. That would give you permission to be shitty.”
Carson glares at him. “You planning to be a therapist now? You sound like one.”
“Isabel wants us to take sessions together.”
“Fuck…”
“And that’s how you’re going to make it up to me.” Max pushes the console into Carson’s hands. “Not by giving me all the game time. By talking to Isabel with me. About us.”
“Fine. Whatever.” Carson takes the Switch. “I am sorry. In case I haven’t said that.”
“I know. We—”
The door opens. Mom stops short.
“Oh,” she says. “I … I think I forgot something at the store.”
“Yes, we’re talking,” Carson says. “No, you don’t need to go anywhere. We’re done.”
Carson flops onto the sofa and flips to his game.
“Can you put that down, Carson?” Mom says as she comes in.
“I just got it.”
“We need to talk.” She takes off her jacket and lays it on a chair. “Phil has asked whether we want to stay. If we don’t, they’ll find other arrangements for us. Under the circumstances…”
“I might not want to be here anymore,” Max says.
“Right. So it’s up to you boys.”
Carson shakes his head. “Max is the one who went through all that. It’s his choice.”
“No, I want it to be our choice. All of ours.” Max looks at his mother. “Yours, too.”
“I don’t want to stay anyplace you’re uncomfortable, Max. Anyplace you don’t feel safe.”
“I felt safer here than I did down south,” he says. “After what happened, maybe that should be different, but this didn’t have anything to do with everything back home. It was just…” He shrugs. “Bad luck. I like it here, and I’d like to stay, but I’m fine with going home, too, if that’s what you want.”
Mom looks at Carson.
“Same,” he says. “I don’t love it here, but I’ll survive.”
