them stumble in drunk. They held each other and kissed for what seemed like an eternity before shutting the front door. While Mama escaped to the kitchen, Mr. Pulman smiled at me. He was well built and clean, and I think that made me more nervous than I could have been had he walked in wearing overalls and wielding a knife. There was something wrong with him, but I couldn't for the life of me say what.
Justin had moved away from the trailer park within a few months of burying Dusty, and I never got the chance to really show him what he meant to me. It was almost like I reached the end of a chapter in my life and turned the page. Those of us who so innocently found the body in the Bus had all disappeared, one tragically. Cade was gone (I never really played with him much to begin with), and Justin was a memory ready to fade into obscurity. Discounting Grandma, I was the only person left who knew about the body.
I wasn't, however, alone. Revenge was a burning ember in my heart. When I saw Steve a year later, I felt that ember flare. He was an idiot, full of himself and all too often a bully to everyone else. I knew if I could lure him in, Grandma would show me how to finish cleaning up my mess. It took a while to get up the nerve to talk to him, but when I did, he was extremely pliable.
With the arrival of Mr. Pulman, however, my life was about to take a drastic change for the worse and my plans for Steve would have to wait. I didn't know why, and I couldn't talk to anyone about it. As he took a seat in Mama's chair, though, I sensed storms brewing on the horizon.
"Nice to meet you, Billy," I said. My body shook for some reason. I certainly wasn't cold.
"Please, call me Mr. Pulman." He smiled. I watched his eyes for a moment, praying I didn't see something I didn't like. He turned from me and looked around the room. "So, what grade are you in?"
"I'm a junior." What did it matter to him?
"Graduating next year, huh? Set to get your driver's license, bouncing from boyfriend to boyfriend, out on the town on Friday nights. I remember those days well."
I opened my mouth then shut it again. I could have said something—probably should have, in retrospect—but I didn't have the nerve. I was right about him, though: he was a pompous ass and Grandma wouldn't have approved. He couldn't even look at me.
Mama walked in from the kitchen with a beer. She looked at me and dropped her smile. "Don't you have homework to do, Maggie?"
I didn't, but I wasn't going to sit around and be ignored. Mama hadn't entertained a man since Alfie left, and I'm sure she was horny. Conversation between Mr. Pulman and me would have to wait, but I wouldn't cry if it never happened.
I stood up and walked to my room.
2
I couldn't prove Steve was behind the death of Dusty. There were other boys who taunted me, and any one of them had the ability to sink so low and silence the animal with a quick blow the head and a hacksaw. I often wondered which one it was, but unless I overheard rumors, I wouldn't know for sure. Two years had passed since that horrible night, and rumors weren't about to flow easily. If they did, they would probably be corrupted by time. You see, if you don't write it all down, the memories change.
I won't lie and say I wasn't attracted to Steve despite what he might have done to Dusty. When you spend time with something so hideous, it tends to grow on you. I became more aware of his quirks and less aware of how much an ass he could be when provoked. He did have a sense of humor, a gentle touch and helpful attitude. In truth, he was more of a gentleman than I expected, but certainly not more than I needed.
The first time I kissed Steve it was no more than five feet from where I found Dusty. It felt wrong.
Steve stood back from me and wiped his mouth. "What's wrong?"
I didn't know what to say to him, but I couldn't remain silent for much longer. I looked over at the spot behind the shed. "This is where I found Dusty. I don't
Justin had moved away from the trailer park within a few months of burying Dusty, and I never got the chance to really show him what he meant to me. It was almost like I reached the end of a chapter in my life and turned the page. Those of us who so innocently found the body in the Bus had all disappeared, one tragically. Cade was gone (I never really played with him much to begin with), and Justin was a memory ready to fade into obscurity. Discounting Grandma, I was the only person left who knew about the body.
I wasn't, however, alone. Revenge was a burning ember in my heart. When I saw Steve a year later, I felt that ember flare. He was an idiot, full of himself and all too often a bully to everyone else. I knew if I could lure him in, Grandma would show me how to finish cleaning up my mess. It took a while to get up the nerve to talk to him, but when I did, he was extremely pliable.
With the arrival of Mr. Pulman, however, my life was about to take a drastic change for the worse and my plans for Steve would have to wait. I didn't know why, and I couldn't talk to anyone about it. As he took a seat in Mama's chair, though, I sensed storms brewing on the horizon.
"Nice to meet you, Billy," I said. My body shook for some reason. I certainly wasn't cold.
"Please, call me Mr. Pulman." He smiled. I watched his eyes for a moment, praying I didn't see something I didn't like. He turned from me and looked around the room. "So, what grade are you in?"
"I'm a junior." What did it matter to him?
"Graduating next year, huh? Set to get your driver's license, bouncing from boyfriend to boyfriend, out on the town on Friday nights. I remember those days well."
I opened my mouth then shut it again. I could have said something—probably should have, in retrospect—but I didn't have the nerve. I was right about him, though: he was a pompous ass and Grandma wouldn't have approved. He couldn't even look at me.
Mama walked in from the kitchen with a beer. She looked at me and dropped her smile. "Don't you have homework to do, Maggie?"
I didn't, but I wasn't going to sit around and be ignored. Mama hadn't entertained a man since Alfie left, and I'm sure she was horny. Conversation between Mr. Pulman and me would have to wait, but I wouldn't cry if it never happened.
I stood up and walked to my room.
2
I couldn't prove Steve was behind the death of Dusty. There were other boys who taunted me, and any one of them had the ability to sink so low and silence the animal with a quick blow the head and a hacksaw. I often wondered which one it was, but unless I overheard rumors, I wouldn't know for sure. Two years had passed since that horrible night, and rumors weren't about to flow easily. If they did, they would probably be corrupted by time. You see, if you don't write it all down, the memories change.
I won't lie and say I wasn't attracted to Steve despite what he might have done to Dusty. When you spend time with something so hideous, it tends to grow on you. I became more aware of his quirks and less aware of how much an ass he could be when provoked. He did have a sense of humor, a gentle touch and helpful attitude. In truth, he was more of a gentleman than I expected, but certainly not more than I needed.
The first time I kissed Steve it was no more than five feet from where I found Dusty. It felt wrong.
Steve stood back from me and wiped his mouth. "What's wrong?"
I didn't know what to say to him, but I couldn't remain silent for much longer. I looked over at the spot behind the shed. "This is where I found Dusty. I don't
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