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Chapter One
Max
Nineteen years ago
Why is there a girl in our yard? She’s just stepped through the gate and looks around, holding a backpack in her arms. Mom is in the kitchen with my brothers, and I probably should call her, but I won’t. I can take care of this. I’m nine years old.
I run to the gate, and as I get closer, I recognize her. She’s the new girl in my class at school, Emilia Campbell, who always looks like she’s going to cry. I overheard one of the teachers say her mom died before she moved here. Probably why she’s sad. No one should lose their mom.
“What are you doing here?” I ask her when I reach the gate.
“I live two houses away,” she says quickly. “But I lost my key, and I can’t get in the house. I live with Grams, who is working now, and she’s usually not home until seven. I left the window to my room open, and I tried to climb in, but I couldn’t. I fell, and now my knee hurts.”
Wow. I don’t know many girls who would climb through their window. My sister Alice does, but Alice is cool. I decide that Emilia Campbell is cool too.
“Grams says I’m not supposed to tell anyone that I’m home alone, but I can’t get in, and I don’t know what to do. There is a storm coming, and I hate storms. I’m afraid of thunder.”
“You can wait inside our house,” I say.
“But I don’t know you.” Emilia Campbell has long blonde hair. It’s almost as blonde as my sister Pippa’s, but shorter.
“Yes, you do. We have class together. I am Max Bennett.”
“Emilia Campbell,” she says.
“I know. I heard the teacher call your name. You’re the new girl who doesn’t play with anyone during recess.”
She looks at her boots, and those are some butt-ugly boots. Pink with even pinker hearts on it. I open my mouth, and close it again, remembering my sister Alice saying people don’t like it when I tell them their things are ugly. And Mom said I’m not supposed to say butt.
“I don’t play with anyone because I don’t have any friends.”
She’s weird. How are you supposed to make friends if you don’t play with anyone? Maybe it’s a girl thing. I’ll never understand girls. A few drops of cold water fall on my face.
“It’s raining. Let’s go inside my house. Momma says it’s bad to be out when it rains. We’ll get a cold.”
She looks at the house behind me and then back at me. “Are you sure your parents won’t be upset?”
