Moonpenny Island by Tricia Springstubb

pitiful scream rises from the grass. It cuts off abruptly, and the night closes back up, once more deathly quiet, except for that small whimpering sound.
    Which is her. Flor herself. She leans against a tree, scooped out and hollow herself. Home is still so far away. Her legs are so heavy.
    â€œI am all alone,” she whispers.
    Headlights sweep the road. If only they stop! If only they offer her a ride!
    And they do! The headlights pick her out, blinding her. It’s not till the truck stops and the passenger door swings open that she can tell who it is, and by then it’s too late.
    â€œYou!” says Peregrine Pinch the Fourth. “Where the freak have you been?”

Chapter Eleven
    H is blond hair shines in the dark. It hangs over his eyes so he has to keep pushing it away, but of course it just falls right back. Even Sylvie’s beautiful hair isn’t that bright and shiny, like a star burning itself up.
    In the passenger seat, Flor puts as much distance as she can between her and him. She surreptitiously sniffs the air, trying to detect the smell of beer or drugs, though who knows what drugs smell like. Perry drives with one hand, practically one finger, which is precisely how someone who nearly killedhimself in an accident should not drive.
    He smells like soap, that’s all. He’s tried to wash away all the badness. He can’t fool her, though.
    â€œWhat are you doing out all alone?” he demands. Like he has any right.
    â€œVisiting a friend.”
    â€œA friend?” He turns to look at her. “You made a new friend?”
    Flor stares straight ahead. “Would that be so amazing?” she wants to say. “Keep your eyes on the road,” she should say. “Shape up and do not even think about running away,” she promised Sylvie to say.
    But her tongue is in a knot. From the corner of her eye, she watches him push his blond, blazing hair out of his eyes. Last year, Lauren Long tried to bribe Sylvie to steal one of his T-shirts for her. His hair flops back in his eyes.
    â€œYou miss my sister, don’t you.”
    Not a question, she notices. Flor hugs her backpack tight against her chest. Being alone with Perry feels aloner than with other people. He’s driving way too fast.
    â€œBut it’s good she went away,” he says next.
    â€œWhat?” Her tongue unknots.
    â€œIt’s good for her.”
    â€œNo. No, I don’t think so. It’d be way better if she stayed here. You and I both need her.”
    She didn’t mean to say that! Lumping herself together with him. Dark trees rush by the windows.
    â€œYou’re right,” he says. “But what I said is, it’s good for her .”
    What is this? Is he trying to make Flor feel bad? Like he knows what Sylvie needs. Like he even cares!
    â€œWe’ll see about that,” she says. Thomas’s stupid phrase! What is wrong with her mouth? It’s done nothing but cause trouble and blurt stupid things all day long. The truck slows down. Moments ago it seemed like she’d never get home, but look, here they are already, the gravel driveway crunching beneath the truck’s tires.
    Perry leans to open her door, and she breathes in the smell of soap and something else she has no name for. A spark races upward and sets her cheeks on fire. She jumps out.
    â€œThanks for the ride.” Mama will have a falling-down fit over her taking a ride with him. Mama!She’s already in so much trouble with Mama. She’ll have to lie about how she got here.
    â€œDon’t let me catch you out alone after dark again.”
    Like he’s her big brother! Flor’s cheeks burn. Long long ago, he actually played with her and Sylvie. He’d ride them piggyback, buy them candy at Two Sisters. Sometimes at night, while they watched TV, he even let them play beauty parlor on him. They’d twist his beautiful hair into tiny braids and clip it with barrettes. Flor