2 Digging Up Dirt by Gale Borger Page A

pressed the end into her flesh. Just this once. The sharp sting of her skin breaking open made her jump. The shallow cut welled with blood. Pain. Blessed pain . The panic began to fade as the blood flowed out of Spaz. She made another shallow cut. Control. I'm in control again . No more belt, no more Momma . One more cut. I feel. I can do this. For Amy I can do this.
    Spaz grabbed toilet paper and pressed it to the shallow cuts. Feel the sting. She closed her eyes and slowed her breathing. Focus. Breathe….breathe…
    A sense of calm rolled over Spaz. She sat in the corner and stared at the blood seeping through the toilet paper. She must have cut deeper than she thought. As the blood leaves my body, so does the pain.
    Spaz took a deep breath and let it out, it left her hollow. Numb. Time to get on with it. She stood and went back to the sink. She dropped the razor blade into the garbage. She picked up the hair dye. She still had the plastic gloves on. She ducked her head. She poured the dye over her hair. Next came the plastic hat. Her neck itched. Time passed slowly. After twenty minutes, she ripped it off her head.
    After a quick rinse and a blow dry, she looked in the mirror. The effect was stunning. The soft gold color made her blue eyes stand out. She tried the new light makeup she'd bought yesterday. She looked young! She looked different. She looked…almost pretty.
    "Good. This just might work, Spaz."
    Digging through the box under the sink, she found a large Band Aid and slapped it over the razor wounds.
    She went to her small table and looked at her notes. "Hunnicut. Let's see what's up with you, ya murdering bastard."
    Spaz now had a name. Hunnicut. Yesterday, Spaz sold herself to Amy's pimp. Her bargain with slime ball Woody wouldn't come to anything. She never planned on holding up her end of the deal. She figured she'd be dead by the time Woody came looking for her. But she knew his name. Hunnicut . Franklin B. Hunnicut IV. The IV stood for the fourth time someone was saddled with such a stupid name. Who did they think they were? King of the World or something?
    It must be him. Woody told her he'd let Amy go fool around with the "Old Man." Hunnicut. Amy made big bucks. She worked for Hunnicut in Milwaukee and Woody would take a cut of what she made. When the old man went out of town, she would come back here and work for Woody. She'd called Woody last Saturday. Amy told him she wouldn't be down. She said something had come up. She was staying in Milwaukee for the weekend. Woody said Amy sounded funny. He'd asked her the same questions three or four times. He thought maybe she was juiced or high. After that call, nothing.
    Hunnicut liked blondes. Young blondes. If Hunnicut's man came back to Woody, Woody would turn him on to Spaz. The word was on the streets. It was only a matter of time. She hoped she could figure out how Amy got herself killed. Then she would kill Hunnicut. She'd kill him for Amy. Bean and Pone would freak if they knew. Dr. Browning would lock her up in a psych ward. She'd get her probation revoked and go to prison. She might end up dead in an alley. So what? Who will care? I sure as hell don't.
    She looked in the mirror. A fresh-faced blonde-haired, blue-eyed fifteen–year–old stared back at her. "You are now Kelli. Kelli Ann Riley."
    Spaz stuffed her bag with things she'd need. Mini skirt, tank tops, underwear, make-up, hair stuff, toothbrush. She grabbed a Harley do-rag and wrapped it around her new hair. She'd never hear the end of it if Pone, Bean, Cash, or Shroom got a load of her hair. They'd know she was up to something. You can't live with four guys and not know something's up.
    "Business as usual." One last look in the mirror and Spaz was ready.
    She picked up her backpack and slipped out the back door.
    Se trotted to the greenhouse where Ollie stood potting flowers. She wrinkled her nose. Marigolds, eh?"
    Ollie smiled. "Yup. We'll need about a thousand or so between the city and