on. “Only make the trip when you’re ready. You’re going to run into things that you won’t like—that will completely scar you. You have to know that going into it and become ready to handle it. When we get to the compound, just stay there for a while. Get a little normalcy back. Normalcy is highly underrated these days.”
“But Olivia…”
He leaned closer. “Riley, you are important too. When we get there, stay put for a while. Please? And besides, your mom needs you too right now.”
I sighed. “Okay. I will. For both of you.” The last four words came out before I could stop them. Cain just smiled. This time I didn’t feel warm, I felt weird—exposed.
Shouting came from a distance, but seemed to be getting closer.
“That’s my mom.” I rose from our rock.
“Go ahead. You don’t want to see this next part anyway.” He held a lighter in his fingertips. I didn’t want to say out loud what the next step to Dylan’s funeral would be. As I turned and went back towards the car, the crackle of flames hovered in the air.
“Where were you, Riley? I was so worried!” Mom hugged me. “We came back and you weren’t here!”
Bo stood beside her and wrapped us both in his arms. “Everything is going to be okay, Riley, you’ll see.”
“Yeah! Cain saved us! Wasn’t it amazing?”
“Yeah…amazing.” Though Bo agreed, he did it through clenched teeth. I glanced down and saw his hands tighten into fists. “Where’s Cain now?”
Mom looked at me too.
“He’s…burying Dylan.”
“Who’s Dylan?” Bo asked.
“The guy in the van. Cain knew him. His name’s Dylan.”
Mom and Bo looked at each other.
“Does he expect us to just wait here? We don’t have time for this!” Bo started toward the driver’s seat, but Mom grabbed his arm.
“We will make time.” Like me when Mom had tried to restrain me at the mercenary camp, Bo tried to wriggle free. Mom only released him when he stopped protesting. She looked at me and smiled one of those sad smiles that people use at funerals. Appropriate but subdued. “We’re waiting here as long as he needs.” She leaned against the car, and I let myself fall beside her. Bo sighed but did the same. We made sure we faced Cain’s direction.
All I could hear was the fire from a distance, until Bo spoke up. “Riley, I wonder if they have a softball team at the compound. Maybe you can finally play!”
I smiled. “Wow! That would be amazing. Olivia and I can…” I stopped mid-sentence. Olivia and I had always talked about how neat it would be if our school had sports again. With so many kids getting hurt, the school decided having large groups of us outside where they couldn’t keep as good an eye on us wasn’t worth the risk. We practiced playing catch in the yard with Bo and Mom as often as we could, just in case they ever changed their minds. Olivia couldn’t catch very well, but she could throw better than me, Bo, and Mom put together. I bit my lip when I remembered that had been our plan the last time I saw her.
Bo put his arm around me. “You know, you were the best friend that girl could ask for. The very best.”
I looked up at him and forced a smile, wrapping my arm around his waist. Mom did the same.
By the time Cain returned, the three of us were sitting in the gravel, leaning back against the shining metal of the van. He kept his eyes forward but didn’t look at any of us. Only when he was standing right next to us did his eyes meet mine. “It’s done.”
The sun was already down, so we climbed in the van and drove it down the embankment off the side of the road for the night. The four of us climbed in the back, and though we didn’t want to, we threw the blanket that had covered Dylan over ourselves. I groaned as the tough fabric touched my cheek, and I could swear I smelled his burned remains. Mom squeezed me tight.
“So, where are we going tomorrow?” Bo asked.
“We’re meeting Jordyn,” Cain said.
“How will
“But Olivia…”
He leaned closer. “Riley, you are important too. When we get there, stay put for a while. Please? And besides, your mom needs you too right now.”
I sighed. “Okay. I will. For both of you.” The last four words came out before I could stop them. Cain just smiled. This time I didn’t feel warm, I felt weird—exposed.
Shouting came from a distance, but seemed to be getting closer.
“That’s my mom.” I rose from our rock.
“Go ahead. You don’t want to see this next part anyway.” He held a lighter in his fingertips. I didn’t want to say out loud what the next step to Dylan’s funeral would be. As I turned and went back towards the car, the crackle of flames hovered in the air.
“Where were you, Riley? I was so worried!” Mom hugged me. “We came back and you weren’t here!”
Bo stood beside her and wrapped us both in his arms. “Everything is going to be okay, Riley, you’ll see.”
“Yeah! Cain saved us! Wasn’t it amazing?”
“Yeah…amazing.” Though Bo agreed, he did it through clenched teeth. I glanced down and saw his hands tighten into fists. “Where’s Cain now?”
Mom looked at me too.
“He’s…burying Dylan.”
“Who’s Dylan?” Bo asked.
“The guy in the van. Cain knew him. His name’s Dylan.”
Mom and Bo looked at each other.
“Does he expect us to just wait here? We don’t have time for this!” Bo started toward the driver’s seat, but Mom grabbed his arm.
“We will make time.” Like me when Mom had tried to restrain me at the mercenary camp, Bo tried to wriggle free. Mom only released him when he stopped protesting. She looked at me and smiled one of those sad smiles that people use at funerals. Appropriate but subdued. “We’re waiting here as long as he needs.” She leaned against the car, and I let myself fall beside her. Bo sighed but did the same. We made sure we faced Cain’s direction.
All I could hear was the fire from a distance, until Bo spoke up. “Riley, I wonder if they have a softball team at the compound. Maybe you can finally play!”
I smiled. “Wow! That would be amazing. Olivia and I can…” I stopped mid-sentence. Olivia and I had always talked about how neat it would be if our school had sports again. With so many kids getting hurt, the school decided having large groups of us outside where they couldn’t keep as good an eye on us wasn’t worth the risk. We practiced playing catch in the yard with Bo and Mom as often as we could, just in case they ever changed their minds. Olivia couldn’t catch very well, but she could throw better than me, Bo, and Mom put together. I bit my lip when I remembered that had been our plan the last time I saw her.
Bo put his arm around me. “You know, you were the best friend that girl could ask for. The very best.”
I looked up at him and forced a smile, wrapping my arm around his waist. Mom did the same.
By the time Cain returned, the three of us were sitting in the gravel, leaning back against the shining metal of the van. He kept his eyes forward but didn’t look at any of us. Only when he was standing right next to us did his eyes meet mine. “It’s done.”
The sun was already down, so we climbed in the van and drove it down the embankment off the side of the road for the night. The four of us climbed in the back, and though we didn’t want to, we threw the blanket that had covered Dylan over ourselves. I groaned as the tough fabric touched my cheek, and I could swear I smelled his burned remains. Mom squeezed me tight.
“So, where are we going tomorrow?” Bo asked.
“We’re meeting Jordyn,” Cain said.
“How will
Similar Books
