Fire Girl Part 1 (17 page)

I stared down at my shiny, new cell
phone.

“Nice to see it’s getting some use.” Uncle
Bill winked at me. He lifted a twenty dollar bill into the air.

A concession worker ran up the steps to
us.

“Four waters and four bags of popcorn.”

The concession boy expertly juggled the
waters to us and stuffed the cash into his money apron.

“Here, Mom.” Bill held them out.

Grandma reached across me and took two
popcorns and two waters. “Thank you, Bill.”

Bill popped a handful of popcorn into his
mouth. “Have to give Madds the whole experience, right? Nothing
like the popcorn at a football game. And there’s nothing like a
Sugar Valley football game, especially when her cousin is the star
running back.” He lifted his water into the air like a soldier
raising his sword for battle. “Go Rabbits!”

Other people around us lifted their arm and
affirmed his chant, “Go Rabbits.”

I squashed the softness that tried to seep
into me like an uninvited mosquito. I couldn’t let my emotions get
in the way of getting out of here.

Uncle Bill turned to me. “C’mon, Madds, you
gotta cheer for the home team.”

I shook my head. “No, I don’t.”

He nudged me. “Okay, you gotta cheer for
Chance.”

I hesitated. Chance had always been my soft
spot. I lifted my arm weakly. “Go Rabbits.”

Uncle Bill laughed and stuffed another heap
of popcorn into his mouth.

Grandpa’s laugh came out soft. “See that,
Star? Maddie can’t resist the Rabbits. We’re irresistible.”

Our eyes connected.

No. No. No.

Grandpa nodded, his eyes were bloodshot and
vulnerable.

No. No. No. It wasn’t his fault. Well, not
everything. I gave him a half smile.

His lips widened and he winked at me.

I searched the field. I spotted Shirley and
Minnie. They both wore Sugar Valley red t-shirts and both burst
into laughter at the same time. Their new found friendship seemed
funny and repulsive to me at the same time. Principal Schmidt stood
next to them, his coach pose on—legs shoulder width apart and arms
crossed. He watched the players with the stern look of a military
commander.

The band drummed out the school fight song.
The cheerleaders set up shop below the right side of the bleachers.
Bonnie’s curls bounced ferociously into the air as her arms hit the
beats of her cheer. “R. A. B . . .”

And then I saw her. She made her way bumpily
across the grass—by herself. I put my popcorn down and shot to my
feet. I carefully picked my way across Grandma and Grandpa. “I’ll
be right back.”

“Don’t be too long,” Uncle Bill shouted after
me, “you can’t miss the kickoff.”

I jogged down the steel bleachers and dropped
onto the row of cement that led to the concessions.

Grace moved her chair onto the cement and
plunged forward. She wore a thick, red ribbon as a headband and had
a red Sugar Valley t-shirt on.

I folded my arms and waited for her,
mystified.

When she saw me, a smile stole across her
lips. “Hey.”

A satisfied feeling spread through me.
“What’s this?”

Grace turned her chin into the air. “I’ve
rethought my policy on public appearances.”

“Uh-huh.”

She beamed. “I’ve decided to be like you—do
the hard thing.”

A soft warmth spread through my chest. No.
No. No. I sniffed.

Grace studied me. “I’m sorry about the
picture.”

I blinked and tried to change whatever look
had crept across my face. “It’s fine.”

Grace scoffed. “Death is never fine. It’s
inevitable, but it’s not fine.”

I blinked again, and put on a happy face. A
happy face I didn’t even have to work at. “Well, you’re here.
That’s what counts.”

Trina jumped off the bleachers beside me.
“And
I’m
here, that’s what
really
counts.”

I bounced. “Geez!”

Trina laughed and posed with a giant red
finger stuck over her hand. Red bunny ears were painted on both
cheeks. Red ribbons tied in two ponytails. “Go Sugar Valley!” She
sounded all cheerleadery. “Hey, Grace!” She yelled out the same
way.

I cleared my throat. “Pick an
identity—really.”

Grace smiled like a kid keeping a secret
present hidden. “I like it.”

Trina flashed me a glare. “See, someone likes
me. And, not to burst your bubble, but hanging out with the girl
that almost burnt the school down doesn’t ever help my image.”

I couldn’t stop myself. I started to
giggle.

Grace’s eyes met mine, she giggled too.

Trina cocked her hip to the side and threw
out a mock glare. “Ha, ha. I’m glad I can cause you two so much
happiness.”

“Ironically, you do.” I searched for a place
we could watch the game with Grace. “Rabbit girl—where are we
sitting?”

Trina let out a long sigh and moved next to
me. “See, you need me.” She pointed to a patch of grass next to the
cheerleaders. “Over there.”

I followed to where Trina pointed. Then I saw
her—Carrie.

Fast. Wild. Hysterical. I knew if I had high
blood pressure, I’d be having a heart attack.

I dashed toward her and called over my
shoulder. “I’ll be right back.”

“Hey!” Trina shouted.

When Carrie saw me, she started to run. Her
punked out, frizzy platinum hair and neon blue backpack jostled
behind her.

My legs went rubbery. I had to get her off
the field and out of sight of all of Sugar Valley.

She embraced me like a football player going
for the tackle.

I stumbled back. “Heeey.”

She laughed and the scent of pink bubble gum
and stale smoke clung to her. “What’s up, my Sista?”

She always joked about how we were long lost
sisters, separated at birth. She even went so far as to make up
this ancient, medieval story about two princesses that finally
found each other in a dark, lonely forest, and helped each other to
the castle and married two hot princes.

I tugged her toward the sideline. “What are
you doing?”

“Well, that reunion was anticlimactic.” She
tugged her hand away. “Hold on.”

I trigger laughed. Chance’s laugh. Except
mine sounded completely fake. Because it was. I reached back for
her hand. “They’re about to start a game.”

She looked around like she only now noticed
this. “Oh.” She moved with me to the sideline.

We got to the concessions and bathrooms.

Carrie frowned. “Where’s your family?”

My heart did a skip then a beat. “Up on the
bleachers, my cousin is full back and it’s kind of a big deal to
all of them.”

Carrie blew a bubble. Her face dropped to
severe irritation. “But not to you, right? You don’t care about
this stuff.”

I shrugged.

Carrie popped another bubble. “Haven’t heard
from you.”

I met her eyes. “I told you I needed
time.”

“Right. For Gramps.”

“Right.”

We faced off for a few seconds.

A hand clamped down hard on my shoulder.
“Maddie.”

I bounced.

Jimmy.

He hesitated then crushed me into a stale
smoke hug.

I always hated his hug, but I endured it.
“Hey.” Perfect. They were here. They were right here.

“Sorry, I had to park the car. Man you’d
think small towns wouldn’t have this kind of traffic?” He lounged
back. He wore a black, worn leather jacket and combat boots.

Suddenly, I saw Carrie and Jimmy with new
eyes. Eyes that Sugar Valley would look at them through. Eyes I
hadn’t been using the last year. Eyes that told me they would stick
out—just a little bit—in Sugar Valley.

Jimmy pinched Carrie in the side.

“Jimmy!” Carrie batted at him and rolled her
eyes. “Stop.”

Instantly, it felt like I was seeing them for
the first time.

Jimmy laughed and widened his smile. “You’ve
missed us, Madds, right?”

I did my ‘on purpose’ fake smile. I glanced
over my shoulder to see if anyone was watching us. They had to
leave. “Tons.”

Jimmy reached out and touched my hair.

I yanked back.

Carrie laughed. “Jimmy, stop teasing
her.”

His face turned intense. “Your color looks
exactly like that Bonnie from Bonnie and Clyde—the duo that went on
that crime spree in the 1940s. Do you remember the picture I showed
you of her?”

I squeezed my eyes shut for a second. Random.
Jimmy always had the random, useless information thing going for
him.

“Jimmy focus.” Carrie commanded.

I opened my eyes.

“I am focused.” Jimmy threw his hands into
the air. “Seriously, Carrie, that insults me.”

Carrie shook her head and got completely
serious. “I know you’re hoping we would free you today, right?”

I swallowed. Crap. Did they want me to leave
now? Crap. Chance. Crap. Grace.

Jimmy ran his tongue across the front of his
teeth and seemed to sense my angst. “Today ain’t the day,
Madds.”

Confusion swirled through my brain.
"What?"

Carrie leaned closer. “Jimmy followed the cop
that’s always harassing us and he met with some big shot private
investigator.”

My heart rate went back to overdrive.
“What?”

Jimmy leaned closer. “Someone knows
something.” He pushed a thumb at his chest. “And they want to pin
it on us.”

“Wait—”

“Madds, our phones have been tapped, that’s
why we had to come and talk to you. We are leaving in ten days. Not
this Sunday, but the next. Meet us at the Greyhound bus stop Sunday
night. Jimmy will be driving, but the bus station is a good place
to pick you up without being noticed.”

I hedged. “I don’t know.”

Carrie’s eyes went wild and she pumped a
finger next to my face. “Jimmy can’t take the chance that you’ll be
a loose end, you need to come with us.”

Jimmy put an arm around Carrie. “I can speak
for myself.”

Carrie gave another eye roll.

He pointed at me. “Ten days. We disappear.
Forever. Be there.” His eyes hardened.

A dark, nervous rope tied knots into the
lower part of my gut. I’d seen what he’d done.

My phone buzzed.

I pulled it out. Trina.
Who’s
the weird chic?

“Who’s that?” Carrie tried to spy my
phone.

“No one.”

“Fancy phone.” Carrie leaned back.

“Yeah,” Jimmy leaned forward. “You’ve gone
all rich girl on us?”

“Whatever.”

Without warning, the crowd erupted in
applause. Principle Schmidt moved onto the field and held up a
microphone. “Go Rabbits!”

The crowd yelled it back.

My heart flip flopped. “I’ve gotta go, my
cousin’s playing.”

Principal Schmidt’s baritone voice continued.
“Today, before the game, we wanted to publically thank the parents
and families of our players. These players work so hard, but we
know that’s not without a cost to our community. Many of you are
trying to get the final cut of hay in and there’s a lot of time and
sacrifice you give us by letting us have these boys. So come on
down here parents and families, and let us see you. Come on down
and stand by your player.”

“Oh, he
is
cute!” Carrie blew a
bubble.

“Shut your trap, Carrie, before I shut it for
you.” Jimmy growled.

Most of the stands tromped down the
bleachers.

I spotted Chance trotting with the rest of
the team onto the field. His eyes locked mine and he beckoned me to
him.

“You know you belong with us, right Madds?”
Carrie’s voice whispered into my ear. “They don’t know you.”

I flinched away from her and turned back to
the field.

The football players began to space out. And
then I saw Grace. She bumpily moved across the grass with her
chair. The divots shifted her like a canoe in the rapids.

I went into a full sprint. Didn’t Grace see
it?

“Maddie!” Carrie yelled after me.

I focused on Grace, her chin in the air, her
hand on her controls at full throttle.

Zac saw it too.

But it was too late.

Chapter 16 The Moment

Grace’s chair hit the grass spot. She
launched out like a cannon being shot at a circus.

“Grace!” Zac was just out of reach when she
hit the ground.

Her body collapsed and her foot hooked on the
side of the wheelchair. It pulled the chair half-way on top of
her.

“No!” Zac fell next to her, his eyes fierce,
angry, the force of nature about to be moved.

I would never forget them at this moment.

Trina and I both arrived at the same time.
Together, we pulled the back of the wheelchair and helped to
untangled it from Grace’s bloody leg.

“I’m fine.” Grace tried to prop herself up,
but fell back to the grass.

The blood.

Zac took her by the shoulders. “You’re
bleeding, Grace. Hold still.”

“What happened?” Bonnie moved next to me.

My heart pounded and I watched Grace try to
sit up, her face radish red, her hair wild and electric, her eyes
filled with the anger of a spurned mythical creature. “Just put me
back in my chair!”

She would hate this. All this attention. I
poked Bonnie’s shoulder. “Have the cheerleaders circle us
quick!”

Bonnie gave me a confused look.

Trina put two fingers in her mouth and blew
out the loudest mouth whistle I had ever heard. “Spit, spot people!
Cheer emergency! Huddle up!”

The cheerleaders hesitantly pranced
closer.

Bonnie gave Trina an aggravated look, but
gestured a circling motion around Grace and Zac.
“Attention—circle!”

Everything had happened so fast. My blood
pumped into my brain with a whooshing sound.

The cheerleaders circled, Mr. Schmidt busted
through the circle, Chance yelled to me outside of the circle.

Trina elbowed me, worry in her lined eyes.
“You know this is
your
fault. She never came to games before
today, and from what I overheard, you had something to do with
it.”