Death Wind by William Bell Page A

breath.
Say it
, she said to herself. “Umm, I was wondering if your offer still stands.”
    William Bell “Well, sure, Brainy, but I thought—”
    â€œThings have changed,” she cut in. “I’d like to go with you now. When are you leaving?”
    â€œIn about two hours. Can you be ready?”
    â€œNo probs,” she answered.
    â€œO.K., where?”
    â€œUmm, park around the corner. Ten o’clock, right?”
    â€œSee you then, Brainy.” He hung up.
    Razz and Allie had been friends since forever. He lived on a farm outside of town now, but he went to the same school as Allie. Last week, she had been complaining to him about how her life was falling apart. Razz had been really concerned about her. He had even offered to take her on tour with him. The skateboarding season was starting, and Razz was leaving today.
    From downstairs, Allie heard some more shrieking and rumbling. Then the kitchen door slammed. As she went backinto her room and closed the door, she heard the Chevy roar to life in the driveway. She knew her mother was taking off in a fit again. She always raced the engine like that when she was throwing a fit.
    Allie got her little suitcase out of the closet. It was pretty banged up—the result of a few summers at camp. Soon, the bag was packed. She sat on it so she could close the snaps. Then she got her backpack and threw in her hair dryer, brushes, combs, can of mousse, toothbrush, and makeup. Next came the Walkman and a dozen tapes, along with a couple of movie mags. Finally, she stuffed in a new box of maxi-pads.
Here’s hoping
, she said to herself. When she was packed, Allie went to her desk and ripped the report card into shreds. She dropped the pieces into the waste can.
Only one red circle left
, she thought.
    Then she put a tape in the deck, turned it up high and settled down at her window to wait.
    Just before ten o’clock, Allie yanked at the window. It creaked and groaned as it slid up. She dropped the suitcase and the pack out first. Then she climbed out and dropped to the flat garage roof. Allie looked around. She tossed her stuff into the backyard and slid down the drainpipe, scraping her hands.
    Allie slipped between the garage and the hedge and was soon headed down the street. Before she turned the corner, she looked back at the house. The bright morning sun blazed in the windows. Her dad would be in the kitchen, working. He’d be going over the accounts, shaking his head and worrying. Behind the house, the big maple swayed in the wind. That tree was the only thing she liked about the house.
    When her mom got home, Allie wouldn’t be there. They would find only the note she had pinned to her pillow:
    Â Â Â Dear Mom and Dad
,
    I’m going away. You’ll be better off without me
.
    Love, Allie

Chapter Two
    The first thing Allie noticed when she climbed into the van was the mattress in the back.
    â€œHey, wait a minute,” she said.
    Razz was dressed wildly, as usual. Green running shoes, unlaced. Yellow pants and a cherry red shirt. A green painter’s hat.
    All of her friends thought Razz was cute. He was seventeen, tall and dark.Allie thought so too, but she had known him too long to be interested in him that way.
Besides
, she thought,
I have enough of that kind of trouble as it is
.
    â€œRelax, Brainy,” he laughed. “I’m not putting the move on ya. Take it easy.”
    He started the van and pulled away from the curb. Looking around, Allie’s eye was caught by the skateboards. There was a rack along each side of the van and at least eight boards hung from them. They were all different colors, with wild graphics on them. The decks were different shapes, but each one had the name
RAZZ
in big letters on it. Behind her seat was a big wooden box with dozens of stickers showing company logos plastered on the lid. Behind the driver’s seat was a blue SkyGrabber BMX cycle. Razz had been a