beautiful, but maybe not in quite as perfect a way as the cheerleaders. Especially the golden one.
âHi, Bee,â I said. I twiddled my fingers at her and then wished I hadnât because she walked on by. I was sure she saw me. She probably just didnât want to.
At the last minute, though, she stopped and came back. âHi,â she said.
âItâs Matti,â I told her.
âI know.â But there was relief in her voice so I think she actually didnât remember my name. âEverybodyâs gone from the village, I guess?â
âWe had to evacuate. What about Cato City?â
âWeâre all down here now, but not for the same reason.â
âOh,â I said. I was so lame at that kind of conversation that Bee surprised me when she sat down.
âAre you staying at the high school?â she asked me.
âYes,â I said.
âThat must be exciting.â
âNot really. Itâs crowded.â A few hiccups tried to get out of my mouth after she sat down. I swallowed them.
âMy little sister and I are at our grandmotherâs,â Bee said. âThereâs only the one bedroom so weâre crowded, too. Virgil showed up a few days ago, but we sent him to his friendâs. You know my cousin, Virgil, donât you?â
âI know who he is,â I said.
Bee got up and poured herself a drink of water and ice from a clear plastic pitcher on the table where the sugar and cream and stir sticks were kept. They didnât go in for real utensils at the King.
When she came back to the table Bee said, âMy momâs with us now.â She took little chips of ice into her mouth each time she drank and crunched on them. âSheâs sleeping in her tent out in back. She doesnât like being in small spaces with other people, even if itâs her own family.â
âI get that,â I said.
âMom was out cooking for New Mountain, but they got chased out by the fire.â
âNew Mountain?â
âReforesters. Virgil worked for them when they started up last year but he didnât last long. He said he had to carry fifty or sixty pounds of tree seedlings around on his back and work twelve-hour days.â
Beeâs teeth made crisp little clicking sounds as she crunched more ice. âBut then Virgil doesnât like working too hard or being told what to do.â
She stood up a few minutes after that. âI should go,â she said.
âWill you be here tomorrow?â
âProbably not. Itâs expensive.â
âIâll buy you a coffee.â I held up my bank card, which was a very uncool thing to do.
âThatâs okay,â Bee said. She smiled. âSee you sometime, though.â
Marsh was parked in front of King Koffee when I came out. He had a cigarette with a long ash on it in his hand and his eyes were closed. I went out into the street and rapped really hard on the driverâs side window.
Marshâs eyes flew open and he dropped the cigarette down into his crotch, which I understand is a no-no area for burns where a man is concerned. He grabbed the cigarette and stubbed it out in the ashtray, which was open and already overflowing. Then he rolled his window part way down.
âMatti! What are you doing?â
âWhat are you doing?â I asked him. âYou and Frank both promised me youâd quit smoking after Mom died. Now look at you. Do you want to end up with lung cancer like her?â
It was a good thing he had the doors locked or I would have jumped right in, found his cigarettes and broken each and every one in half.
âI started again because Iâm under stress,â Marsh said. âAnyway youâre not my mother. Now please get out of the street before someone side-swipes you.â
I moved in tighter to his truck but otherwise didnât budge.âCanât you keep even one promise?â I asked him. Not that I had any room