Page 59 of Wham Line
When I knocked, Keme opened the door an inch.His expression was grim, and he planted himself in the narrow gap.
“Are you going to let me in?”I asked.“Or do I have to fight you?”
For some reason, he relaxed.He even smiled, just a little.
Boys are the absolute weirdest.
Straight boys in particular.
I’d been right about the two-room floor plan.The front room took up most of the cabin’s interior.There was an exceptionally lumpy-looking bed on one side of the room, with wool blankets that somehow managed to look both like they were falling apart and like they’d be incredibly itchy.A table and chairs filled the rest of the space.A colorful rug lay in front of the hearth, and a fire burned on the grate, making the little cabin smell like wood smoke.The decorations on the walls were what you’d expect from one of Fox’s friends: a dreamcatcher, a watercolor of a princess with the head of a trout, a little triptych of a shirtless Cary Grant.
Indira sat at the table.She was dressed in her usual fashionably sensible attire: ankle boots, leggings, a white sweater, a simple gold necklace.Millie sat next to her, holding one of Indira’s hands and glaring at me.Fox had pulled one of the chairs next to the fireplace.Today, they were dressed—I could only assume—as Captain Nemo fromTwenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea: a navy coat, black trousers, black boots, and so many brass buttons.There was also a dash of James Bond villain in there; they were wearing one monocle and had another poking out of their pocket.When they were sure I was watching, they flicked their switchblade open, and a comb popped out.
“All right,” I said.“This is all very impressive.You all love Indira.I’m the bad guy.I get it.If I do anything to hurt her, you’ll kill me.I get the message.”
“Do you?”Fox asked.
“Everybody out.Right now.I need to talk to Indira.”
Nobody moved.
“You’re all accomplices at this point,” I said.“Keme, Millie, do you want to have a prison wedding?Fox can brew you some toilet wine.”
“OH MY GOD!A PRISON WEDDING!”
(That wasn’t the response I’d been expecting.)
Keme tried to kick me in the back of the knee.
(That was closer.)
Fox lifted their chin and said haughtily, “It would be a toilet brandy.”
“Everybody out!”I snapped.
Indira squeezed Millie’s hand.“Go on.Thank you all for trying to help.”
Fox rose stiffly to their feet—I got the sense that the boots were giving them blisters, and the weight of all those brass buttons must have added up.Millie gave me her most dangerously warning look, which she ruined by hugging me (one of those extra-hard Millie hugs, so that you know she means it).Keme took another swipe at my knee, but when he missed, he lingered near the door.
“It’s all right, Keme,” Indira said gently.
Keme glared at me.
“Dummy,” I said.“Give me a little credit.”
He rolled his eyes.But after a moment, with a last look to check Indira’s expression, he slunk out of the cabin.
The fire crackled and popped.
I drew out one of the chairs.Indira’s gaze followed me, but she didn’t speak.Neither did I.The cabin was warm, and the smell of the wood smoke was surprisingly sweet.When the wind picked up, it sounded like a river running around the cabin, and above us, when the pines swayed, it had something of the ocean in it.
“I’m sorry, Dash.”
I nodded.
The wind died, and the silence felt longer this time.
When Indira spoke again, her voice was clotted with emotion.“My God, what am I doing?”
