NOVEL EXCERPT (forthcoming)

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“So is this how you get to Sundance too?”

“No, this is Park City but Sundance Film Festival, it’s all on Main Street.”

“Oh, okay.”

“There’s Park City Resort right there.”

The runs were illuminated. Brilliant strips down the black mountains.

“Alright.”

“So I walk back to my house, you know. Katya’s just like, ‘Just go back to your house, chill out,’ And my whole thing was I was gonna go to Hank’s—Dantho’s, Dantho my best friend’s brother that lives up here—so we might even, if I can get ahold of him, we could even go stay at his house and stay on his couch and save money and not get a hotel.”

“I have a few questions. Um, let me think here, um. So last night, so after the hospital, you just walked down from the hospital to your house? That’s, like, four miles away.”

“Yeah, so they were like talking to Mando, Gabe, and my mom, and everyone there, like, the doctor came in and she was like, ‘Well, we got ahold of everyone and everyone’s pretty pissed that you’re leaving…’ And I was like, ‘Well, that’s what they said.’ Because that’s when, like, right when Gabe said the Katya shit, right after that. I’m like, he’s like, I’m like, ‘Look, I’m figuring myself out. Whatever. You know, I’m worried about myself right now.’ And he’s like, ‘Well after all this … after all this is done … you can do whatever you want. Talk to her, talk to whoever.’ So when I walked out of there I didn’t give the hospital her number because it’s the only number I know by heart, I didn’t get her there, I didn’t get her involved in that, and they discharged me. I walked home, called Katya—well, walked to the payphone, called Katya, because I spent my last five bucks on a phone card—and she’s like, ‘Go back. Chill.’ And I was trying to get a ride but I couldn’t call anybody because I didn’t know anyone’s number. And uh … go left right here … and so I couldn’t, uh … so yeah, so I went home, fucking tried to read but couldn’t, tried to sleep last night, couldn’t really sleep because I thought Gabe and Mando and my mom were just gonna come get me again, you know. But then I left early this morning just to skate down to my homie’s house which was probably like twenty blocks away and they weren’t home so I just kinda kept skating to my other friend’s house and that was like halfway to Silo, so I just kept going. I bet it was like eight miles. Then when I got down here, all the sudden I remembered your phone number again, so I called you.”

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