I’d visit him no matter where he goes on this planet. I am not keen on bugs or sticky heat, but I told him I’d visit him. Jeffy wants to live in the jungle and own a pig farm. That is literally the only thing I agree with. Who would be dumb enough to believe that bullshit? Maybe Jesus died because he made people feel uncomfortable because he said everyone deserves to be loved. She thinks God is in her back pocket and that he killed Jesus to make us deserve God’s love. Our mom likes to call in the power of the holy spirit when things get rough. I’d heard about it but figured boys didn’t think my body would be something to see. I say maybe and get off the bus as soon as I can. Yesterday he asked me a question just as the bus squeaked to a stop in front of the house two doors down from mine. He looks impressed and I wonder if he’ll ask me to a movie. I’ll take it from a lady with a hair net and prominent gums or a boy with shoulder-length brown hair who asks to see my drawings.

She was just being nice, but I did feel my face heat up when she complimented my drawing. The lady at Ingles created Jeffy’s cake for me. I don’t talk much to anyone in my family except for Jeffy, because he doesn’t say one thing and do another like my parents who say they love each other and yet, they act like two separate halves of an avocado. I just know Jeffy picked his eyebrows hairs out one by one and when she came back, it took Jeffy a few days to look at her. Jeffy’s difficult and she left four months ago after a screaming match with my dad. Her pastor, a real numnut, says meditating and yoga is for Pagans, but she likes yoga secretly. She alternates between calling it meditating and praying. She’s “taking a break” out on the front porch meditating or praying. “Get her yourself,” I say, not looking at him. “Can you please go ask your Mom to come in here?” my dad says. “He doesn’t know shit about why he does what he does.” I’m no genius, but I know that. It’s also the color of his entire face now after he let it drop into the middle of the jungle scene on his cake. Green is the color of the icing on my brother, Jeffy’s chocolate cake.

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