Not that they really have to worry. Hector hasn’t noticed the looks that follow Alexandra down the street. Hector still sees the same little girl he’s always seen. But Andy’s always seen her different, always seen how pretty she is. Not that she knows anything about it. Or anything about him.

But she knows about Timo.

Why couldn’t it just be the damn bike?

Thinking about Timo on his bike, that sucks. That made him start thinking about ways of hurting Timo. Started a riot in his head. Dreams of finding Timo on his bike and pushing him off it and into the path of an oncoming eighteen-wheeler.

Another imaginary murder skidding across his brain. Leaving him wondering what the fuck is wrong with him. Why does he think about shit like that?

Which is stupid, because it’s really his own fault the bike got stolen in the first place. If he’d not been so stupid, if he’d just locked up the bike, that piece of shit bike, Timo wouldn’t be on it right now. Not Timo’s fucking fault that he found an unlocked bike lying around. You don’t blame a guy for picking up the five dollar bill you let fall out of your pocket. So what if Timo’s never missed an opportunity to casually run him into a wall in the corridors at school? So what if Timo shouts choke every time he swings the bat in PE softball games? Lots of kids do that. Man, kids have been doing that shit to Andy since his first day of kindergarten. Since the first time he started getting noticed and people started talking about how smart he is. If he can’t put up with that shit by now, what’s the point? He pictures using one of the nicked and scarred aluminum PE bats to cave in Timo’s forehead.

And repeats his mantra: ImsuchadildoImsuchadildoImsuchadildo.

The secret formula that halts the violence in his head. Most of the time.

But Alexandra.