her.” Jennifer’s voice rose to a violin’s pitch. “She made it attack me.”
Greg’s eyes sought mine, and I made mine wide, confused. “Jennifer, the dog attacked you. I got it to stop. I helped you.”
“Noooo! You didn’t. You made it attack me. You made it because of what I did to your stuff.” She was cringing in pain but still strong enough to accuse me.
“Poor Jennifer.” I laid my hand on her arm. “You’re in such pain from that bad dog. But of course, I can’t control the dog. And besides . . .” I moved my hand to her bloodied face. The wound was jagged, a lightning bolt from eye to mouth, streaks across her once-perfect nose. “Why would I want to hurt you? We’re teammates, right? Friends.” I stroked her hair until her eyes closed. “That’s good. Probably better to sleep.”
“You’re a hero, Violet,” someone said.
A siren sounded in the distance, distracting everyone. So I was probably the only one who heard Jennifer’s voice, softer than the breeze in the grass, whispering, “You’re a . . . witch.”
I turned to Greg. “The paramedics are here. It sounds like she doesn’t want me around, so I’ll go.”
“Thank you for helping her, Violet,” he said.
I shrugged. “I was just so scared when it came after her. It was all, like, adrenaline when I pulled the dog off her. I mean, it could’ve attacked me. Maybe call me later and let me know how she’s doing.”
“Of course. You’re a good friend.”
I looked at Jennifer. My spell had her sacked out on the lawn, three Cougarettes over her. “Well, that’s exactly what I want to be, a good friend.” I smiled more at the sight of bleeding bitch Jennifer than at that thought. If I couldn’t have Greg, I could at least have revenge.
But I meant to have Greg.
UNCORRECTED E-PROOF—NOT FOR SALE
HarperCollins Publishers
..................................................................
12
Greg called that night, and we talked about Jennifer. Jennifer. Jennifer—the pain she was in, the surgery she’d require, the way they didn’t let him ride in the emergency vehicle and how mad that made him, the way they’d looked all over the neighborhood for the pit bull but no one had found it. Jennifer. Jennifer. Her name was like the bells, bells, bells in the Edgar Allan Poe poem, driving me mad.
“Did you see the dog?” Greg said, “the dog that attacked Jennifer? I thought it might have been that black Dobie across the street, but the fence was totally intact.”
“No, it was definitely a pit bull,” I said, not wanting to implicate the Doberman. Big, white one. It ran away after I got it off Jennifer.”
“You’re really brave. Okay, I thought maybe Jen was confused about the breed. She’s been kind of loopy from the drugs they gaveher, confused in the head. She kept saying you attacked her.”
I laughed. “I must have really sharp teeth.”
“I know. I told her that was crazy, that you were always sweet and gentle. I still remember how you helped that bird when we were kids.”
I smiled. “Of course I remember.” I wondered what had happened to that sweet girl, the one who loved all living creatures. Kendra said you couldn’t change the nature of a thing. The ability to strike out at my tormenters must always have been there. Now I was using it.
I didn’t mind. I’d had enough.
“Thanks for keeping me posted. Will Jen be back at school soon?” I still didn’t know how bad it was.
“Not for weeks. She has to have surgery for the scarring. The thing ripped off half her nose.”
“Oh, that’s terrible.” It was. Plastic surgery might make her even prettier. I wanted Jennifer to know what it meant to be ugly. “Let me know if there’s anything else I can do.”
“I will. Everyone says you saved her life.”
I winced. “Well, anything for a teammate.”
“It’s actually good to hear your voice, Violet.”
“Is it? Then, maybe you’d want to—I don’t know—meet at
Greg’s eyes sought mine, and I made mine wide, confused. “Jennifer, the dog attacked you. I got it to stop. I helped you.”
“Noooo! You didn’t. You made it attack me. You made it because of what I did to your stuff.” She was cringing in pain but still strong enough to accuse me.
“Poor Jennifer.” I laid my hand on her arm. “You’re in such pain from that bad dog. But of course, I can’t control the dog. And besides . . .” I moved my hand to her bloodied face. The wound was jagged, a lightning bolt from eye to mouth, streaks across her once-perfect nose. “Why would I want to hurt you? We’re teammates, right? Friends.” I stroked her hair until her eyes closed. “That’s good. Probably better to sleep.”
“You’re a hero, Violet,” someone said.
A siren sounded in the distance, distracting everyone. So I was probably the only one who heard Jennifer’s voice, softer than the breeze in the grass, whispering, “You’re a . . . witch.”
I turned to Greg. “The paramedics are here. It sounds like she doesn’t want me around, so I’ll go.”
“Thank you for helping her, Violet,” he said.
I shrugged. “I was just so scared when it came after her. It was all, like, adrenaline when I pulled the dog off her. I mean, it could’ve attacked me. Maybe call me later and let me know how she’s doing.”
“Of course. You’re a good friend.”
I looked at Jennifer. My spell had her sacked out on the lawn, three Cougarettes over her. “Well, that’s exactly what I want to be, a good friend.” I smiled more at the sight of bleeding bitch Jennifer than at that thought. If I couldn’t have Greg, I could at least have revenge.
But I meant to have Greg.
UNCORRECTED E-PROOF—NOT FOR SALE
HarperCollins Publishers
..................................................................
12
Greg called that night, and we talked about Jennifer. Jennifer. Jennifer—the pain she was in, the surgery she’d require, the way they didn’t let him ride in the emergency vehicle and how mad that made him, the way they’d looked all over the neighborhood for the pit bull but no one had found it. Jennifer. Jennifer. Her name was like the bells, bells, bells in the Edgar Allan Poe poem, driving me mad.
“Did you see the dog?” Greg said, “the dog that attacked Jennifer? I thought it might have been that black Dobie across the street, but the fence was totally intact.”
“No, it was definitely a pit bull,” I said, not wanting to implicate the Doberman. Big, white one. It ran away after I got it off Jennifer.”
“You’re really brave. Okay, I thought maybe Jen was confused about the breed. She’s been kind of loopy from the drugs they gaveher, confused in the head. She kept saying you attacked her.”
I laughed. “I must have really sharp teeth.”
“I know. I told her that was crazy, that you were always sweet and gentle. I still remember how you helped that bird when we were kids.”
I smiled. “Of course I remember.” I wondered what had happened to that sweet girl, the one who loved all living creatures. Kendra said you couldn’t change the nature of a thing. The ability to strike out at my tormenters must always have been there. Now I was using it.
I didn’t mind. I’d had enough.
“Thanks for keeping me posted. Will Jen be back at school soon?” I still didn’t know how bad it was.
“Not for weeks. She has to have surgery for the scarring. The thing ripped off half her nose.”
“Oh, that’s terrible.” It was. Plastic surgery might make her even prettier. I wanted Jennifer to know what it meant to be ugly. “Let me know if there’s anything else I can do.”
“I will. Everyone says you saved her life.”
I winced. “Well, anything for a teammate.”
“It’s actually good to hear your voice, Violet.”
“Is it? Then, maybe you’d want to—I don’t know—meet at
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