“I like that song.”
Since I’m sitting on the trampoline, when I jump in surprise, the net bounces and tosses my paper plate of corndogs so the little nuggets roll all over the black mat. A girl with blonde braids and freckles on her nose snickers. Then, she steps onto the mat and picks up a corndog and pops it right into her mouth.
Like she’s not even worried about dirt being on it.
She drops into a sit, sending the rest of the spilled corndogs bouncing around like popcorn.
“Hi,” she says.
“Hi.”
“Why aren’t you inside?”
“I don’t want to be.”
“Why?”
“Cuz.”
“But there’s a lot of stuff.”
“Yeah, and a lot of noise.”
She smiles. “You aren’t here just for the stuff?”
I lift a brow. “No.”
She seems to take my one word as a good enough answer and points to my iPod. “I like that song.”
“You knowFiddler on the Roof?” I’m not sure I believe her until the girl starts hummingIf I Were a Rich Manperfectly. I lick my lips and reach for my second ear bud. “Want to listen?”
I try not to think about the p-word. Josh told me I’m not one just because I like musicals.
The girl’s eyes brighten as she takes the bud and puts it in her ear. “I saw this movie once, and I liked the way he danced during this song.”
“Me too.” I liked the dancing and the tune. Mom asked me what the songs made me feel once, and I had no idea what she meant. I just liked it. What else was there to say?
She giggles. “I’m Ava.”
“Um, I’m Ryder.”
“You’re really not here because of the stuff?”
“I’m here because I’m supposed to meet some new kids,” I admit.
“You just met one,” she says a little glumly.
Makes sense. I didn’t recognize her. “Figured.”
“Ava.” A sharp whisper-hiss comes from the place behind the shed. “I found a way out.”
Another kid who looks a lot like Ava steps out of the shadows. His hair is cut short, and dirt smudges his fingernails. When he sees me, he glares like Mitch always does right before he pushes me. “Who are you?”
“This is Ryder,” Ava says, then jabs a thumb at the other kid. “This is Drake, my brother.”
“What are you doing?” I ask.
“None of your business.”
