Page 12 of All Good People Here

Krissy felt Billy’s gaze on her face and she lifted her head tomeet it. He blinked a few times, then thrust out a hand to Dave. “Sure,” he said. “Why not?”

Billy had just finished outlining the left ball, the rest of the group watching from the ground, when Krissy heard the two-note warning siren of a cop car.

“Oh shit,” Zoo said, and suddenly they were all clambering to their feet. Martha let out a little shriek that dissolved into giggles and spread among the group. Caleb, who was hammered by this point, tried to stand, but fell backward again with a grunt.

“You guys, get outta here,” Dave said, and in his voice was somehow both a laugh and a warning.

Krissy scanned the field for her Converses, which she’d kicked off earlier.

“Here, Jacobs,” she heard Dave say as she grabbed her shoes and tugged one on. “Gimme that.”

She looked up to watch as Dave extended his hand to Billy. Around them, Martha, Noah, Caleb, and Zoo hurriedly grabbed their things from the ground.

Billy frowned. “What’re you gonna do with it?”

Dave nodded to the police car, which had just parked. “They’re not even out of the car yet. I have time to finish.”

Billy opened his mouth then closed it again, and Krissy suddenly understood what he’d thought was happening. He’d thought Dave—maybe her too, maybe all of them—had set him up, had wanted to watch the king of Wakarusa’s fall from grace, had wanted to see his face splashed in the local paper as the perpetrator of what would no doubt be deemed a “tasteless, offensive prank.”

“Oh, I get it,” Dave said, clearly coming to the same realization. “You thought I was gonna let you take the fall.” He clapped a hand on Billy’s shoulder, gently prying the bottle of weed killer from his hand. “I may be an asshole, Jacobs, but I’m not that kind of asshole.”

Krissy pulled on the heel of her other shoe, then hurried overto slip a hand into Billy’s. “Billy,” she said, grabbing him to follow. “C’mon. Let’s go.”

At her touch, he blinked, turned to face her, and tightened his grip around hers. “Let’s go.”

Krissy, Billy, and the others ran through the darkness, their footfalls stumbling and drunk. Every once in a while, laughter would bubble up in one of them, then spread to another, until they were all bent over with it. Krissy and Billy fell behind the group, but instead of running to catch up, Krissy tugged his arm, pulling him in a different direction. “This way,” she whispered,and Billy followed obediently through the darkness. Before long, the sound of the other footsteps disappeared.

When they were alone, Krissy and Billy slowed to a walk. “Where are we?” Billy said.

“At the edge of the Dixon farm. We can hide in the cornfield.”

“It’s only May. It won’t be tall enough.”

“It will be if we lie down.” She laughed softly, then added, “Such a farmer.”

Her hand still firmly in his, she led them into the cornfield, then knelt into the calf-high crop and lay on her back in one of the rows. The ground felt cool through her T-shirt. Billy clumsily followed suit, and when he settled, there was nothing more between them than a single row of corn, a few inches of air. They lay there quietly, catching their breath.

“So,” Billy said after a moment. “You’re planning on leaving?”

Krissy turned her head to look at him. “Hm?”

“Earlier, at the grain elevator—you said you were leaving.”

“Oh. Yeah.” That afternoon, when he’d walked in, as she painted her nails behind the cash register, they’d made idle conversation, and she’d mentioned her plans for the end of summer.

“Why?”

“Why?” She laughed. “Why d’you think? We live inWakarusa, Indiana.”

“Right.” A smile flashed on and off his face. “So…where’re you gonna go?”

“New York. Manhattan. I’m gonna be a Rockette.” Just the thought of it made her feel brighter.

“What’s a Rockette?”

“What’s a Rockette?” she said incredulously. “Only the best dancers in New York. The Rockettes are famous. They’re on TV all the time. Have you really never heard of them?”

Billy shook his head. “But you’re definitely good enough. I still remember how good you danced in the eighth-grade talent show. You were amazing.”

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