some had been painted, but most looked the same. When he reached the end of the street, he kept going. And again at the next street. He turned now and then, not by any conscious choice, not with any clear destination. And he found that by focusing on the houses he was able to actually enjoy himself. He still tensed when cars came around, but he couldn’t expect too much on his first day.
He passed the Neimans’ house, where a couple of kids played on the lawn. He walked past the Forresters’ house, where Mr. and Mrs. Forrester were out, walking around their house, making sure everything was buttoned up. They glanced over at him, but Steve looked away quickly before they got a good look at his face. They’d always been nice to him. He didn’t want to know what they thought of him now.
He made it all the way to the elementary school. The playground was empty, its giant metal spider and monkey bars sat abandoned, unused. But the swings blew, as if invisible children were at play. He smiled. He’d really liked this school, especially the playground.
He glanced at his watch. With a shock, he realized that forty-five minutes had passed since he’d left his grandmother’s house. He’d need to head back right away if he was going to make it back in time for dinner. He hurried past the elementary school and turned onto Tulip Lane. Two more lefts and he’d made almost a complete circle. He reached his block, coming in from the other side.
His shoulders ached from moving the sandbags earlier, but he enjoyed the feeling. It had felt good to do manual labor. Plus, hauling those bags of sand had helped out the town. His brother had been right about that. Maybe he was right about the rest too.
In fact, until the chief had shown up, Steve had actually been able to relax a little. And he and Carlos had gotten along really well. The chief had ruined all that, of course, but now that Steve thought about it, he realized that today had shown him that maybe he really could have a normal life. At least, outside of Millners Kill.
Steve smiled, feeling a sense of possibility for the first time in ten years. Maybe I can do this.
“Hey.”
Steve tensed and glanced around, not seeing anyone.
“Hey. Up here.”
Steve looked at the tree branches above him. The kid in the red fleece from earlier was crouched on a branch up near the top. Steve paused, unsure what the hell was going on.
“You okay, kid?”
The boy shook his head, his eyes wide. “I can’t get down.”
Steve looked around. “Um, should I get someone?”
The boy shook his head again, and Steve could hear the tears in his voice. “No. If my brother finds out—” The boy didn’t complete the rest of the sentence, but Steve got the drift. He looked around again. No one. Oh crap .
“Okay, I’m coming up.” Steve grabbed the lowest branch and pulled himself up.
It had been almost twenty years since he’d climbed a tree. He didn’t remember it being this difficult or scary. Then he realized why: it was easier to climb when you were small and completely unaware of gravity. The wind pushed and pulled at Steve as he climbed higher. He swallowed, glanced down, and wished he hadn’t.
“Careful,” the boy called out as Steve’s foot slipped.
Heart pounding, Steve held tightly to the branch above him. Giving himself a moment, he looked up at the boy. “What are you doing up here anyway?”
“My brother and his friends said I was too small to climb it.”
Steve nodded. Boys and their stupid dares. “Well as far as I can tell, you did climb it. They didn’t say anything about climbing down, did they?”
The boy shook his head, and a smile broke across his face. “No, they didn’t. You won’t tell, will you?”
Steve started to climb again. “Your secret is safe with me.” He pulled himself up to the branch the boy was on. “What’s your name?”
“Micah.”
“Hi, Micah. I’m Steve.”
“I know. Everybody knows who you are.”
Steve sighed.
He passed the Neimans’ house, where a couple of kids played on the lawn. He walked past the Forresters’ house, where Mr. and Mrs. Forrester were out, walking around their house, making sure everything was buttoned up. They glanced over at him, but Steve looked away quickly before they got a good look at his face. They’d always been nice to him. He didn’t want to know what they thought of him now.
He made it all the way to the elementary school. The playground was empty, its giant metal spider and monkey bars sat abandoned, unused. But the swings blew, as if invisible children were at play. He smiled. He’d really liked this school, especially the playground.
He glanced at his watch. With a shock, he realized that forty-five minutes had passed since he’d left his grandmother’s house. He’d need to head back right away if he was going to make it back in time for dinner. He hurried past the elementary school and turned onto Tulip Lane. Two more lefts and he’d made almost a complete circle. He reached his block, coming in from the other side.
His shoulders ached from moving the sandbags earlier, but he enjoyed the feeling. It had felt good to do manual labor. Plus, hauling those bags of sand had helped out the town. His brother had been right about that. Maybe he was right about the rest too.
In fact, until the chief had shown up, Steve had actually been able to relax a little. And he and Carlos had gotten along really well. The chief had ruined all that, of course, but now that Steve thought about it, he realized that today had shown him that maybe he really could have a normal life. At least, outside of Millners Kill.
Steve smiled, feeling a sense of possibility for the first time in ten years. Maybe I can do this.
“Hey.”
Steve tensed and glanced around, not seeing anyone.
“Hey. Up here.”
Steve looked at the tree branches above him. The kid in the red fleece from earlier was crouched on a branch up near the top. Steve paused, unsure what the hell was going on.
“You okay, kid?”
The boy shook his head, his eyes wide. “I can’t get down.”
Steve looked around. “Um, should I get someone?”
The boy shook his head again, and Steve could hear the tears in his voice. “No. If my brother finds out—” The boy didn’t complete the rest of the sentence, but Steve got the drift. He looked around again. No one. Oh crap .
“Okay, I’m coming up.” Steve grabbed the lowest branch and pulled himself up.
It had been almost twenty years since he’d climbed a tree. He didn’t remember it being this difficult or scary. Then he realized why: it was easier to climb when you were small and completely unaware of gravity. The wind pushed and pulled at Steve as he climbed higher. He swallowed, glanced down, and wished he hadn’t.
“Careful,” the boy called out as Steve’s foot slipped.
Heart pounding, Steve held tightly to the branch above him. Giving himself a moment, he looked up at the boy. “What are you doing up here anyway?”
“My brother and his friends said I was too small to climb it.”
Steve nodded. Boys and their stupid dares. “Well as far as I can tell, you did climb it. They didn’t say anything about climbing down, did they?”
The boy shook his head, and a smile broke across his face. “No, they didn’t. You won’t tell, will you?”
Steve started to climb again. “Your secret is safe with me.” He pulled himself up to the branch the boy was on. “What’s your name?”
“Micah.”
“Hi, Micah. I’m Steve.”
“I know. Everybody knows who you are.”
Steve sighed.
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