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Eve stared at her friend. Why was she being like this? “Why don’t you worry about the guy who’s too old for you and you let me worry about Nick,” Eve snapped.
Maggie grabbed a towel off the floor. “Why don’t you just shut up?” Maggie shot back. “I wish I’d never said anything to you about it.”
“Thanks for your support, Maggie,” Eve said, shaking her head. “You’re a great friend.”
“And you are?” Maggie’s voice rose in anger. “You spend all your time with Nick and now all of a sudden you break up and you’re the friend of the year? I don’t think so. You’re only there for me when it’s convenient to you.”
“That is not true,” Eve said, her voice quivering.
“Just go,” Maggie said in disgust. “I have to get ready for school.”
Trying to hold back her tears, Eve rushed down the steps, meeting Chief Kennedy at the bottom.
“Hello, stranger,” the chief said with a smile. “We haven’t seen you around here lately.”
“Yeah, I’ve been kind of busy,” Eve said, not making eye contact. She couldn’t wait to get out of there.
“I’m glad you stopped by,” he said wistfully. “Maggie hasn’t been herself lately. Maybe you can cheer her up.”
Eve couldn’t answer, afraid that she would burst into tears. She kept her head down and hurried out the front door.
Eve slipped the book into her backpack and scurried past the Olhauser house, sure that the creepy neighbor was staring at her from behind the curtains, and trotted down the hill. What in the world was going on with Maggie? She wiped at her nose as she reached the bottom of the hill. A gaggle of kids, ranging from six to sixteen were already gathered at the bus stop on the corner. Two little girls in matching pink parkas stood beneath the streetlight, experimentally blowing frosty breaths into the air and giggling, while three preteen boys tossed a football back and forth. A cluster of older kids stood in a circle, laughing raucously. Eve’s stomach plummeted.
“What are you going to do?” asked Robby Scheckel, a gangly sophomore with cheeks laced with acne, his voice rising above the crowd. “Dissect me? I’m so scared.” Again the group laughed.
“Get the fuck away from me,” came Nola’s voice. It was steely and composed.
“Leave her alone,” Eve called out as she ran toward the band of teens.
“Hey, Eve,” Robby called out. “How does it feel to live with a freak? Aren’t you afraid to go to sleep at night?”
“Real mature, a bunch of high schoolers picking on an eighth-grader,” Eve scoffed. “Your mothers must be so proud.”
“Just looking out for small children and squirrels,” said a boy named Jason, sending the crowd into another round of laughter.
“Just knock it off,” Eve said in resignation.
“Or what?” Jason baited her. “What are you going to do?”
“I’m not going to do anything, but maybe Nick will,” Eve snapped. She hadn’t meant to invoke Nick’s name but it was easier than continuing this stupid back-and-forth.
“We’re just messing around.” Jason tried to smooth things over. Eve knew that if she asked Nick to shut the boys up, he would, except they were supposed to be broken up. “Come on, lighten up.” Jason scooped Nola up in a big hug.
“Get off.” Nola lashed out, sending an elbow into his side. “You’re disgusting!”
“Jesus,” Jason said, releasing her and then rubbing his ribs. “I was just joking. Relax.”
Nola wasn’t going to relax. “Keep your hands off me,” she spat, shoving Jason away so that he fell backward into the crowd of teens. Eve saw Nola reach into her pocket and a surge of alarm coursed through her. She knew what Nola kept in her pocket.
“Come on, Nola,” Eve said sharply, reaching for her sister’s arm. “Let’s go.”
“I don’t need your help.” Nola shook her off. “And I don’t need your asshole boyfriend’s help either.”
“Seriously?” Eve said in disbelief. “You know I’m your only friend, right? I’m so sick of you treating me like crap.”
“I treat you like crap?” Nola raised her eyebrows. “I think you should be more worried about the way your boyfriend treats you.” Nola grabbed at Eve’s coat and shirt, lifting them to reveal her bruised ribs.
The boys laughed again, this time uneasily.
