said.
“People know where we’re at,” I said. “We’ve got family.”
His eyes flicked to me and he seemed amused, like he knew I was lying, but he just said, “Want to go for a swim?”
They took us to a river a couple of miles down the road where they said all the local kids swam. There was a small sandy beach where teens sunbathed on towels, clustered in little bunches. A few were taking turns on a rope swing, leaping into the water with a splash and a yell. Down the way, on the other side of the river, you could see another beach where some families had towels and umbrellas spread out, toddlers splashing in the shallows, dogs chasing sticks.
We sat a little apart from the other kids, up on a hill. A few of the boys shouted out greetings to the guys as we walked past, but the girls ignored them, whispering to each other, and a couple of them giggled. I glanced at Brian’s face. He looked angry, then smug when some of the girls gave us curious looks.
Brian had brought extra towels and some beer and pot. I took a beer but refused the pot, not liking how it made my head spin.
Courtney took a long toke, her eyes closing as she held the smoke in her lungs, her shoulders finally dropping, relaxed. Dani took the next drag, sucking at it in a quick angry inhale before she passed it to Gavin. He grinned at her.
We spent the afternoon swimming, sloughing the sweat from our skin, rinsing our hair in the water. Across the river some men sat on the hoods of their trucks, staring at Courtney stretched out in her black bikini. I didn’t like the nod Brian gave them—confident, like we were theirs.
The boys kept handing us beers. It felt good, not being so hungry, the water cool and cleansing, the beer making everything fuzzy. Even Dani was relaxing, her voice excited as she talked to Gavin about ranching. She smiled and pushed her long hair off her shoulders, then giggled at something he said. I wanted her to put a T-shirt over her bikini like I had—but then I thought about Corey, how she’d never been with anyone else. Maybe it was good she was showing interest in a new boy.
Even if I didn’t like him or his toothy smile.
It was getting dark and most people had left. A few voices carried across the river, someone taking a swim on the other side, then a truck started up and drove away. Everyone had gone home now. We sat around a small campfire, the smell of river still fresh on our skin, our feet sandy, beer bottles piled behind us. Gavin was trying to get Dani to walk farther down the river.
“Come on, I’ll show you the bridge,” he said. But he was smiling at her in a way that said he wanted something else, and Dani knew it.
“I can’t leave my sisters.”
“They’ll be okay. Right, girls?” I glared at him. He laughed and stumbled off to pee in the woods but not far enough that we couldn’t see him. His white tank top had sweat stains under his armpits, his jeans shorts sagged.
“I want to go back to our camp,” I said.
Dani nodded and started to gather our things. Courtney and I got to our feet, shook out our towels.
“Hold up,” Brian said. “Let’s have another beer.”
Gavin spun back around, doing his shorts up. “What’s going on?”
“We’re going back to the campsite,” Dani said.
“What’s your problem?” He started walking toward her. “I thought we were having a good time.”
“We have to work tomorrow.” Dani sounded friendly, still trying to keep the peace.
“That’s what you’re worried about?” he said. “Shit, we go to work hungover all the time. Nothing to it, just drink lots of water.”
He sat down on the towel, gripped her arm, and pulled her down beside him. This time she got mad, shoved him.
“Hey, asshole, that hurt.”
He shoved her back. “Fuck you.”
“Let go of my sister!” I picked up a bottle, ready to throw it.
“Hey, hey. You girls calm down, now,” Brian said.
Dani had wrenched herself free from Gavin and stood
“People know where we’re at,” I said. “We’ve got family.”
His eyes flicked to me and he seemed amused, like he knew I was lying, but he just said, “Want to go for a swim?”
They took us to a river a couple of miles down the road where they said all the local kids swam. There was a small sandy beach where teens sunbathed on towels, clustered in little bunches. A few were taking turns on a rope swing, leaping into the water with a splash and a yell. Down the way, on the other side of the river, you could see another beach where some families had towels and umbrellas spread out, toddlers splashing in the shallows, dogs chasing sticks.
We sat a little apart from the other kids, up on a hill. A few of the boys shouted out greetings to the guys as we walked past, but the girls ignored them, whispering to each other, and a couple of them giggled. I glanced at Brian’s face. He looked angry, then smug when some of the girls gave us curious looks.
Brian had brought extra towels and some beer and pot. I took a beer but refused the pot, not liking how it made my head spin.
Courtney took a long toke, her eyes closing as she held the smoke in her lungs, her shoulders finally dropping, relaxed. Dani took the next drag, sucking at it in a quick angry inhale before she passed it to Gavin. He grinned at her.
We spent the afternoon swimming, sloughing the sweat from our skin, rinsing our hair in the water. Across the river some men sat on the hoods of their trucks, staring at Courtney stretched out in her black bikini. I didn’t like the nod Brian gave them—confident, like we were theirs.
The boys kept handing us beers. It felt good, not being so hungry, the water cool and cleansing, the beer making everything fuzzy. Even Dani was relaxing, her voice excited as she talked to Gavin about ranching. She smiled and pushed her long hair off her shoulders, then giggled at something he said. I wanted her to put a T-shirt over her bikini like I had—but then I thought about Corey, how she’d never been with anyone else. Maybe it was good she was showing interest in a new boy.
Even if I didn’t like him or his toothy smile.
It was getting dark and most people had left. A few voices carried across the river, someone taking a swim on the other side, then a truck started up and drove away. Everyone had gone home now. We sat around a small campfire, the smell of river still fresh on our skin, our feet sandy, beer bottles piled behind us. Gavin was trying to get Dani to walk farther down the river.
“Come on, I’ll show you the bridge,” he said. But he was smiling at her in a way that said he wanted something else, and Dani knew it.
“I can’t leave my sisters.”
“They’ll be okay. Right, girls?” I glared at him. He laughed and stumbled off to pee in the woods but not far enough that we couldn’t see him. His white tank top had sweat stains under his armpits, his jeans shorts sagged.
“I want to go back to our camp,” I said.
Dani nodded and started to gather our things. Courtney and I got to our feet, shook out our towels.
“Hold up,” Brian said. “Let’s have another beer.”
Gavin spun back around, doing his shorts up. “What’s going on?”
“We’re going back to the campsite,” Dani said.
“What’s your problem?” He started walking toward her. “I thought we were having a good time.”
“We have to work tomorrow.” Dani sounded friendly, still trying to keep the peace.
“That’s what you’re worried about?” he said. “Shit, we go to work hungover all the time. Nothing to it, just drink lots of water.”
He sat down on the towel, gripped her arm, and pulled her down beside him. This time she got mad, shoved him.
“Hey, asshole, that hurt.”
He shoved her back. “Fuck you.”
“Let go of my sister!” I picked up a bottle, ready to throw it.
“Hey, hey. You girls calm down, now,” Brian said.
Dani had wrenched herself free from Gavin and stood
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