Time(1): David And Jonathan Discuss Lizzie's Disappearance
Lizzie "Obviously Not A Dyke" Czakowski has disappeared. Harvey says she's back east visiting relatives but David Bell doesn't believe him. David thinks she has killed herself. Over him. Because he made his dad peel out of her driveway as she came lumbering toward them. That she is dead is no problem for David. That he caused it is. He'd better talk to his father.
"I killed Lizzie," he confesses.
"You shouldn't have done that," Jonathan says. "If you'd waited, she might have killed herself. Sometimes, if you stop them the first time, they try it again."
"That's what I mean, Dad. I think she killed herself after we went to her house. I should've stayed, I think."
Jonathan remembers the sight of big Lizzie bearing down on them. He thinks of trains. He thinks of grizzlies. He thinks of avalanches. He thinks of bursting dams. "No. She might've killed you," he says. "It's better this way."
"Shouldn't we do something? Harvey's telling everyone that she's gone to New York."
"Maybe she has. Besides, it's his business."
"She hasn't. She's dead. The only girl who ever loved me is dead." David begins to whimper.
"Wait a minute," Jonathan says. "Let's get this into perspective. Number one, it's not your fault if she fell in love with you. Number two, she probably wasn't in love with you. You got her attention by beating her up. In fact," Jonathan continues, a theory appearing like fog before his mind's eye, "she might have thought she loved you because you beat her up. Dykes're pretty aggressive, aren't they? Stands to reason they'd have respect--even love--for someone stronger."
David isn't much impressed with Jonathan's logic. "They hate people who are stronger." He pauses. "She might've liked the flies, though...."
"There you go," Jonathan says. He isn't much impressed with David's logic, but he'll go along with anything that will put the subject to rest in David's mind.
"It's my fault, then. I never should've put flies in her locker. I made her love me!"
"Oh, for Pete's sake," Jonathan says. "Stop blaming yourself for what others do! What if you'd killed yourself because she called you Tinker Bell? That wouldn't have been her fault...it'd have been your own stupidity."
"Yeah. That's what Harvey said. That's when he suggested the flies."
"He did? It is?"
"It was. He did."
Jonathan frowns. It appears that Harvey has been a better father to David than he has to his own daughter. "Stop worrying about it. She's probably in New York."
(She's not. She's at home losing weight. And, her name isn't Lizzie any more, it's Becky.)