things,” he said mysteriously. “I just wanted to talk to you about maybe joining forces.”
“No,” I said immediately. I didn’t even have to think about that one. “I’m not into joining gangs.” I knew I was much better off with only myself to worry about, especially since this Peter kid was obviously one pork chop shy of a mixed grill.
“I’m not talking about a gang. A gang implies several people. I’m talking about just two: you and me.”
“I don’t need a gang,” I said simply. And it was true. I had never needed much companionship before, and I didn’t miss it now. I could run faster than any girl I knew and I could beat down any moron that tried to get a jump on me, thanks to my dad and his passion for krav maga. The last thing I needed was a kid who was afraid of his own shadow hanging around with me, attracting all kinds of unwanted attention.
“You need someone to watch your back. We all do.”
“Not me.”
“Oh, you don’t sleep?” he asked with feigned innocence.
He had me there. That was the one time that I worried for my safety. It had been months since I’d had a good night’s sleep. Every little sound made me jump to my feet, thinking someone was coming to take my beans and noodles. Or worse.
“I’ll think about it. But tell me why you think I should. I mean, what do you bring to the equation, other than watching my back?”
“I’m smart.”
“So am I. Try again.”
“I can sing?”
“ Buzz . Try one more time.”
He sighed, his voice wavering now. “I have ten jars of spaghetti sauce, one .357, and ten boxes of bullets. That’s it.”
I sighed heavily. It wasn’t the gun and ammo that got me. Or the sauce. It was the sound of utter defeat in his voice.
“Fine. Pack your crap. I’ll help you over the fence tomorrow at five in the morning. Put everything in a backpack. Bring a sleeping bag and any other camping stuff you have.”
“Okay,” he said, his voice more upbeat now. “See you then. And thanks, Bryn.”
“Don’t mention it. I’m already kind of regretting my decision.”
He didn’t say anything in response.
I heard the bushes moving and then the sound of a squeaky door hinge, followed by the too-loud banging of his kitchen chair against the doorframe as he carried it back inside. The last noise to carry across his yard before the door shut was the clop, clop, clopping of his high heels on a tile floor .
I returned to my house, wondering if I’d made the right decision, but knowing I wasn’t going to change my mind. My dad had always said, we have to take care of people who can’t take care of themselves … and Peter definitely fell into that category.
CHAPTER TWO
I WAS UP BY FOUR o’clock. I tried to tell myself it was the constant little noises that I heard outside my windows that made me caffeine-eyed before sunrise, but deep down I knew it was really just me being anxious about Peter coming over to join me.
I’d been alone for four months. It’s the longest period of time I’d ever been without human contact in my life. Now that I’d found Peter in my backyard, I was craving more time together.
Part of me was disgusted with myself, seeing it as a weakness - a dangerous one that could put my safety at risk. The other part of me didn’t care what the loner in me thought. People weren’t meant to live in solitude. before he left, my dad told me I should find someone to be with - someone I could trust and who could take care of themselves. I’m pretty sure Peter wasn’t the type of companion he’d had in mind, since he was about as helpless as a baby bird, but I guess you don’t choose your friends when the world comes to an end; you take what you can get and make do. Maybe I could teach Peter how to defend himself at least. His bullets weren’t going to last forever, and I