Page 17 of Lifebound

“Get the fuck out of here, you little maggots! Wait till I catch you!”

Betty.

I closed my eyes but couldn’t help my smile. The kids ran away to the other side, laughing still, calling my nickname.

“Little fuckers,” said Betty when she came closer, her backpack on still.

“Eh, they’re just kids. I think I spent too long taking them too seriously.” Which was no excuse for what I’d done, but still.

“They’re little pests is what they are. I’ll catch ‘em—you just wait.”

“Yeah, please don’t. We don’t need more trouble.”

She sat on the driveway with me, right there on the asphalt. “There’s always room for more trouble.”

“What are they saying?” Her dad had made her go to school. Mine had disappeared somewhere after that screaming session in the morning.

I was already not blaming him, but I dreaded the apology I needed to make. To both him and Fi.

Because Dad was right. I had put an even bigger target on her now. You know—by beingme.

“Nothing to me. I told them whoever spoke to me was the next one to wake up covered in dog poop. They stayed away after that,” Betty said, and I admired her attitude. Her courage. Without her I’d have never been brave enough to do half the things I’d done.

Laying my head on her shoulder, I sighed. “I’m sorry, Bet.”

“Don’t give me that bullshit. This is not your fault. It’stheirfault for asking for it, not yours for fighting back.”

“Yes, but if it wasn’t for me?—”

“You didn’t make me do shit, Nil. Stop it.” She jumped to her feet, pushing her hair back.

“Did you do your makeup at school?” Because I could have sworn she had nothing on at the sheriff’s department that morning.

“Sure did. You like it? I tried some brighter pink on my cheeks.” She pushed aside her hair to show me.

“Makes your eyes pop,” I said with a nod.

“Good. See you at midnight. I’ll bring the beer.”

I watched her walking toward her house, and Mrs. Rogers was by the door, waiting for her. Concerned for her only daughter. And when she held the door open for Betty to go inside, she made sure to show me exactly how much she despised me with a single look.

I didn’t blame her, either. She’d been sweet with me once. When I first started hanging out with Betty, she’d treated me so nicely because I didn’t have a mom and she was always so careful around me about what she said. How she talked to Betty. Like she thought I might be hurt if she even smiled at her own daughter for too long.

I appreciated it, and it lasted a couple years.

Then, she found out just how much trouble Bet and I could get into when we started sneaking out at night, and now she hates me. A perfectly sensible woman.

I stood up and went back to my room before another group of kids found me there and called me names. Fi was going to be back soon, anyway, and we had a lot to talk about.

But even before I sat out there today, my mind had been made. There was no going back. I’d truly decided to leave home, God help me.

By this time next month, I’d be out of their hair for good, and Fi and Dad could finally be at peace like they deserved.

* * *

I was such a coward.

I didn’t dare walk out of my room to talk to Fi or Dad yet. I hadn’t even gone out for dinner. Something—fear—kept stopping me. The best I could do was sit by the window and look at the sky, wait for midnight so that I could sneak out to go see Betty, and tellherfirst. See what it felt like. Have a taste of whatever came next, before I told my family.

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