Page 72 of The Killing Plains

In the second-floor bathroom, she carefully unwrapped the gauze from his fingers and was relieved to see that the burns were minor, the skin red and in a few places blistered but otherwise intact. She held his hands under cold water and scrubbed them vigorously with antibacterial soap.

“Ow!”

“Sorry, bud. We have to keep these clean.”

After patting his fingers dry, she retaped the wounds with fresh gauze from a first-aid kit she found in the cupboard. As shewas putting it away, she heard a sharp knock on the front door downstairs.

Satchel stiffened. “Take out your gun, Grandma.”

Colly glanced out of the bathroom window. A squad car sat by the carport.

So much for a shower, she thought. “It’s just Avery, Satch.”

“The girl with purple hair?” He sounded hopeful.

Colly nodded. “Go show her your ant farm. I’ll be down in a sec.”

Satchel raced for the stairs. When he’d gone, Colly checked herself in the bathroom mirror. The entire orbit of her eye had turned dark indigo-purple. She looked, Colly thought, like the bad guy in a Bugs Bunny cartoon. She took two more ibuprofen, then washed her face and changed her dirt-stained top. As she started down the stairs, she heard voices and paused on the landing to listen.

“You did it on purpose? That’s dumb,” Avery was saying.

“It helps.”

“Bullshit.”

“Grandma thinks I’m crazy, too. I can tell.”

“I didn’t say crazy, I said dumb—it tells everyone you’re weak and scared. They’ll pick on you worse.”

A long pause. “You don’t know.”

Torn between curiosity and the urge to intervene, Colly crept low enough on the stairs to peer through the archway. Avery was on the sofa. Satchel sat on the floor with his back to her, staring at the ant farm on the coffee table. His cheeks were bright pink, and he seemed to be fighting tears.

“Think I never got teased?” Avery leaned forward suddenly, tapping Satchel on the shoulder so that he turned to look. “They used to call me ‘Two-Face.’” She pointed to the white scar on her cheek.

“Whatisthat?”

“A burn. Happened when I was about your age.”

Satchel’s eyes widened. “Can I touch it?”

“Don’t be a jerk.”

“What did you do when they teased you?”

Avery shrugged. “Beat ’em up. Tried to, anyway.”

“I’m a lot smaller than the boy who called me names.”

“Who was it?”

“His name’s Clay.”

“Clay McReedy?” Avery snorted. “He’s a little shit—all the McReedys are. What did he call you?”

Satchel gnawed his lip. “Sasquatch. He said that’s what my name sounds like. Hey, stop that.”

Avery had fallen back against the cushions, laughing. “Sorry, dude.” She wiped her eyes. “Don’t be such a baby. You gotta stand up for yourself.”

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