When we finished our break, we all got up and continued on our hike. Gordie informed us that it was already past five. Ma and Pop and Andrew and I would be having dinner soon if it were a normal night. I looked up at the sky; it was still bright and blue and daylight out, although it would be getting to be sunset before long.

"But let's make camp before dark so we can see to get wood and stuff. I'm getting hungry, too," I heard Teddy say and turned my head back to the group.

"Six-thirty," said Chris. "Okay with you guys?"

"Yep," I said, the others nodding, too.

We continued on walking. Vern and Teddy were up ahead, both under serious discussion of the latest comic books down at Johnston's that no one could afford. Chris and Gordie were walking along behind me. I was alone in the middle, but I didn't mind.

My hands took a home in my pockets, my elbows swinging back and forth lazily with every step I took. I considered reaching into my pack for my carton of cigs, but I eventually decided against it. I wasn't in the mood. You have to be in the right mood for one, you know?

I didn't know how long we had been walking for until Chris jogged up beside me.

"Hey, man," I said.

He wrapped an arm around my waist. "We'll be stopping soon," he said with a little grin.

"Okay."

"How you been? I feel like I haven't talked to you in a long time."

I nodded. "Yeah, good."

"Are you sure?" he asked, his voice lowering.

I hesitated. "I mean, I'm not doing terribly, I guess."

"Pressman seemed to have taken a toll on you. I feel bad because I didn't even ask you if you were okay."

"Yeah, I mean. I don't quite like being called a whore."

"Well, you're not. How can a thirteen year old be a whore, anyhow?" he said.

I shrugged. "I don't know. I know I'm not. But it still hurts to be called something like that. I mean, I know it probably looks bad that I don't even dress like...a girl should."

"So what? That girl your brother's dating wears jeans."

"Yeah," I said.

We went silent for a few minutes before Chris spoke up again. "There's lots of people that care about you, Rosie. I mean that sincerely."

"I know I've got you guys," I replied, looking up at him with a slight upturn of my lips.

"You know..." he began. "That time last year where you didn't come to school for two whole weeks...and we went to your house a couple times and your old man kept saying that you couldn't come out...we were all scared."

"Scared of what?"

"I mean...you're just so little and your dad, he-"

"I get it," I said. "I'm fine now."

"What happened then, Rose?" he asked. "You've changed a lot since then."

"I-" I felt my voice crack and knew that I'd start crying if I explained to him. I hadn't told anyone why I had been gone those two weeks.

Authorities had come looking for me because Pop hadn't called me into school one day. They showed up at the front door, knocking. They didn't say they were cops, you could just tell by the way they knocked. All cops are like that, I reckon. Pop locked me into a closet and told me to shut up while he opened the door.

"Is Roseanne home?" one, Officer Clark I think, asked.

"Yeah," Pop had said. "She's sick."

"Well, we just wanted to make sure where she was. The school called us and said she hadn't turned up."

"No. My girl wouldn't play no goddamn hooky."

"No problem, Mr. McDonald. We were just making sure she was okay. Have a nice day, now."

They didn't even make sure I was actually okay. They just took Richard's word for it that I was safe and sound and that I just had a fever and a head cold. No one actually knew all the shit I'd gone through.

"I don't know if I can tell you," I told Chris. "I don't even like to think about it."

Chris patted my back. "It's okay."

"I-" I broke off again, not even able to come up with anything to say.

"What were your grades last year?" Chris asked, trying to veer the topic to something else. He knew I was starting to get upset.

"I got a D in math, but who's even good at math, anyway," I said with a slight chuckle, wiping away a few stray tears. "I got A's in everything else."

"Damn," he said. "Smart little Riveter."

I grinned. "I don't know. Maybe I can do something way better than just sit at home and be miserable."

"You will," he said. "I believe in you. You can do anything you want to." He removed his hand from my back and grabbed hold of my own hand. I looked down as our fingers interlocked and smiled. "I'm gonna miss you."

"Huh?" I asked.

"Well, you and Gordie will go on and take your college courses. Me and Vern and Teddy will be off in shop class, you know?"

"You're smart, too, Chris."

"Yeah, but, you really think those teachers are gonna let me take college courses?" he asked.

"You can do anything you want," I repeated. "No one cares about them, anyway, or their opinions. What matters is that you do what you gotta do and don't let anyone hold you back, man. Fuck them. If they say you can't be in college courses because of your family, then fuck em. Every single one of em. You go on and do college courses. I believe in you, you wet end."

Chris didn't say anything. He smiled a little, but it faded almost as soon as it appeared.

"What are you gonna do after you graduate? I mean, I knew you always liked doing your own thing. I couldn't really see you getting compressed down into society."

"I don't know. You know that time I got drunk? You were so pissed at me. But you let me do your makeup with my mom's lipstick and eyeliner. Goddamn you looked ridiculous. But I really liked it. I mean, not humiliating you, but doing somebody's makeup like that. It's kind of therapeutic. Or something pussy like that."

"If that's pussy, then I'd let you practice on me," he chuckled.

"Just not when I'm drunk," I smiled and he laughed.

"Nah. I don't like lip stuff in my ear."

We finally made camp after another ten minutes or so of walking. By then it was beginning to get dark. The sun was still up, but it was in the early stages of setting. The sun would be gone in about forty-five minutes. We figured we still had another ten miles or so before we reached Ray Brower's body. Part of me wandered if all this was worth it. But hell, it was way too late to turn back now.

The guys bickered back and forth, trying to light the fire. Andrew would have known what to do. I let out a small sigh as I thought about my brother. He wasn't always there to protect me, but he did what he could to keep Pop from completely lashing out. I loved him in a way. Not like he was my brother. Hell, I felt like I barely knew the guy. But he knew how to protect me. He knew when dad would start in on one of his raging cycles and he'd calmly tell dad that he was taking me to the ball diamond to teach me to play catch. This usually turned into a lie and we'd just cruise around in his old Dodge until it was as late as it could be and he'd take me home.

"Damn, I'm hungry," I heard Teddy say and looked up at the rest of the guys. They were all seated around the fire as Gordie formed patties around a couple of sticks and placed them over the fire. I'd lost my appetite a long time ago, but I scootched closer to the group so it wouldn't look like I was sad again. I didn't like them asking if I was okay.

When the hamburger was finished cooking, or close to by our standards, we placed them into the rolls and dug in. The outsides were crusty and blackened and the inside remained uncooked. Nevertheless, they still tasted great and we didn't complain about it.

Once we were all done eating, Chris passed us each a Winston. Top quality cancer, let me tell you. I stuck my cigarette in the fire to light it.

"Nothing like a smoke after a meal," said Vern.

"Fucking-A," I replied, taking a drag. Twilight was creeping on us now. Parts of the sky were still blue, but it was fading into purple and the purple was fading into a deep navy. Stars were starting to dot themselves around the sky.

Darkness began to ascend rather quickly, a blanket of stars forming rapidly overhead. After I finished my cig, I unrolled my bedroll and climbed into it. I cuddled down deep into the roll, drowsiness beginning to take over.

Later on in the night, I jerked away from a deep sleep, the kind where you're practically dead. I looked around the dark, trying to figure out who was screaming. There was fuzzy black spots dotting my vision and they remained until my eyes adjusted to the darkness. I had been the first to wake up. At first I wandered if I had been dreaming and just woke myself up. Then I heard the screaming again and Chris jerked awake.

"What the fuck?" I heard Gordie groan out.

"Don't let it get me!" Vern cried. I didn't know if he was actually terrified or if he was asleep. "I swear I'll be a good boy, I won't do nothing bad, I'll put the ring up before I take a piss, I'll...I'll.." By that point, I confirmed that Vern was definitely wide awake.

"Chris?" Gordie asked.

"Shut up, Vern," Chris said. "It's nothing."

"Oh, yes it is," said Teddy. Although I couldn't see his face, I knew he had some kind of wild look in his eyes. "It's something."

"What is?"

"Sounded like someone was getting murdered," I muttered, shivering a little. Another scream rang out through the trees.

"Oh-dear-to-Jesus!" Vern cried out again. He threw his arms around Gordie. I crept toward Chris; some kind of protective vibe coming from him made me feel at least thirty per cent safer and I couldn't figure out why.

"It's that Brower kid," said Teddy. "His ghost's out walking in the woods."

"Oh God!" Vern practically shrieked. "I promise I won't hawk no more dirty books out of Dahlie's Market! I promise I won't give my carrots to the dog no more! I-I-I won't smoke no more unfiltered cigarettes! I won't say no more bad swears! I won't put my Bazooka in the offering plate. I won't-"

"Shut up, Vern," Chris snapped.

"It's a bird, isn't it?" Gordie asked.

"Could be a bobcat," I said.

"Yeah I think so, too," Chris nodded. "My dad says they scream bloody murder when they're getting ready to mate. Sounds like a woman, doesn't it?"

"Yeah," said Gordie.

"But no woman could scream that loud...could she?"

"It's his ghost-" Teddy insisted. "I'm gonna go look for it."

"Sit your ass down, Teddy," I said. Chris and Gordie were quick to grab him and pull him back down.

"Let me up, fuckheads! If I say I'm gonna go look for it, then I'm gonna go look for it! I wanna see it! I wanna see the ghost! I wanna see if-"

Another scream pierced the night and Teddy kind of squatted back down.

"Jesus H Baldheaded Christ," he whispered. He gave up and sat down.

"Let's keep guard," said Chris and we all agreed, knowing we had no other choice. We flipped to see who would get first watch; Vern got it. I got third, after Chris.

We all climbed back into our sleeping bags and I fell into an uneasy sleep.