Page 52 of On His Schedule
“Is this — am I interrupting?”
Benson glances up, and I’m surprised to see him. I thought he was inside. He says, “No. Sit.” He moves over an inch on the top step. There is, after he moves, room for me, so I sit. His thigh is six inches from mine. I am careful to leave the six inches.
“Lucy. This is Blue. And Percy.”
I wave. “Hi.”
“Hi,” Blue says. “I’ve heard about you.”
“You have?” I ask quickly.
“Reeve says you’re smart.”
“He said that?”
“He said you diagnosed his homework in forty seconds. He’s been telling everyone.”
“I was complaining,” Benson says calmly. “I was complaining to my teammates about being academically diagnosed in forty seconds. That is different than telling everyone about my new tutor.”
“He’s been telling everyone,” Blue says.
“Don’t listen to them,” Benson says to me.
Percy says, “He has.”
I look at Benson’s mortified face, and I laugh. The laugh is loose. It came out of me without my brain authorizing it.
Percy looks up at me. “Bonsoir.”
“Bonsoir,” I say back.
He looks pleased.
“You speak French,” Benson says.
I nod. “I took it through high school. I’m not fluent, but I can dobonsoir.”
Percy says, “That was excellent French.”
“It’s one word.” I smile at the compliment.
“And you said it correctly.”
Blue cracks up. Benson is grinning at the fire. I take a sip of the water in my hands. There’s a loud noise from inside. First, the music volume increases loudly. Then a big boom.
Blue stands up. “Welp. Lucy. Pleasure.”
Percy stands up. “Yes.”
“Likewise.”
They step around us and go inside. The back door closes.
“You can go with,” I say, pointing at the door.
He shakes his head. “Rather not to be honest. Sounds like Stanley.”
I nod. A long beat passes.
