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“Good morning, Miss Wilder and Chief Wainwright,” the class parrots obediently.
“What are you doing here, Chief Wainwright?” asks Missy Hartwood, who walks a fine line between Precocious and Brat. The next two years will say which way she goes.
“Raise your hand, please, Missy,” Mrs. Redmond reproves her in a mild voice.
Missy raises her arm, puts it down again, and waits for an answer.
“I’m just giving Miss Wilder—” The chief looks at me. “It is Miss Wilder, isn’t it?” he asks in a tone of voice that says, Of course it is because who’d be crazy enough to marry you? I keep my fake smile plastered on my face as I nod. Chief Wainwright turns back to the class. “Just giving Miss Wilder here a hand. Firefighters always try to be helpful.”
“I’m going to be a firefighter when I grow up!” Trip Schultz pipes up.
“We’ll be glad to have you, son,” the Chief replies with a reassuring nod.
Okay, I’m a little touched by the way Trip’s face glows with pleasure at the Chief’s words. Trip’s parents got divorced last year, which has been hard on him, not to mention that he’s an unusually bright kid who gets teased for getting good grades and having an accelerated lesson plan. My fear for him is that he’ll dumb himself down in order to fit in.
A boost from a guy like the chief in front of all his friends is nice.
Half the class immediately raises their hands. All eyes are focused on the chief, and I repress a sigh. I’ve lost their interest already, and I haven’t even opened the book yet.
But the chief waves their hands down. “I’m gonna grab a seat in the back next to Mrs. Redmond. I’m really excited to hear what Miss Wilder’s brought for us today, so let’s all listen to her, okay?”
He makes his way to the back and takes a seat in an empty chair that Mrs. Redmond has placed a little closer to her own than strictly necessary. I pick up Warriors: Into the Wild from the top crate, lean against Mrs. Redmond’s desk, and begin to read.
For the first few minutes, I have to actively fight the urge to look up and see what the Chief is doing. Is he bored? Is he rolling his eyes? Is he watching me with that condescending smile?
But then I get into the story and forget about him. I’m aware of the kids leaning toward me, their attention captured by the story of the tame house cat who makes the decision to join a pack of wild cats living in the forest, and gradually, the burly firefighter in the back is forgotten.
A chapter in, I’m interrupted by an electronic beep and a buzzing sound. I look up to see the chief pull what looks like a chunky phone out of his pocket, glance at it, and stand up.
He whispers something to Mrs. Redmond then quietly makes his way to the door and slips out. The students’ eyes swivel toward him but they’re into the story enough now that his departure doesn’t cause more than a ripple in their attention.
He slips out the door, closing it gently behind him.
I’m a little miffed that he doesn’t even bother making eye contact with me before he leaves, but I tell myself I’m glad he’s gone, and I keep on reading.
7
BLAZE
On Sunday morning, I dutifully show up at my mother’s house, a pan of homemade cinnamon buns in hand.
I knock, but based on the noise that’s coming from inside the house, I doubt anyone hears me, so I walk in. Sure enough, the scene is complete chaos.
Walden’s kids are like the heat index—there are only three but it feels like there are seven. They’re tearing around the house in some kind of game of tag. Naturally, my other step-brother, Joey, who is basically a kid himself, is part of the game. Knowing Joey, he was probably the one who started it. On the couch, a pretty young woman in a very short, very tight blue dress is talking with Walden’s wife, Shelly. Or more likely, being talked at—it’s very hard to get a word in edge-wise with Shelly. I sometimes wonder if she’s a little hard of hearing, too. She talks very loudly.
From the kitchen, I can hear my mother yelling at my stepdad. They’re not fighting. It’s just the only way she can be heard over everything else.
I step over the threshold and barely avoid tripping over Trent, my youngest and slipperiest step-nephew. Joey, who is close behind him, pulls up short inches before smacking into me.
“Heya, Blaze!” He gives me a big friendly grin. Joey isn’t the sharpest tool in the shed but he’s one of the sweetest guys you’ll ever meet. He hugs me awkwardly around the cinnamon buns. “Good to see ya, sis.”
“Hi, Joey. Uh, why aren’t you wearing a shirt?”
He steps back so I get a good look at his naked torso. He spends a lot of time working out and it shows. If he weren’t my stepbrother and a total goofball, I might admire the view, but as it is, it’s just weird.
“Travis spilled maple syrup all over me, so Mom put my shirt in the wash. Come on, I want you to meet my new girlfriend.”
He grabs my arm and hustles me over toward the woman sitting by Shelly. “This is Janine,” he says proudly.
