I stayed up too late that night. Mom didn’t notice, as she was dealing with her bruised head, and Dad didn’t notice, as he was dealing with Mom.

I wanted to sleep in the next day, but I had school. Another week of drudgery until I could build up my stock of flammables and enjoy a large fire again. If it didn’t rain. The weather was changing and while I enjoyed the fact that it got darker earlier in the evening, it also meant more rain.

I started seeing Wendy in the halls at school this week. I never noticed her before. I didn’t care who she was before. But somehow knowing she liked my fires meant I might have a solitary companion in this dump.

On Friday, she came up to me in the hall. “Are you going to make a fire tonight?”

“If I can get some more wood.”
“I know where there’s plenty!” Her face lit up, knowing this secret was too enticing for me to resist.

“Where?”
“Meet me after school in the backyard.” She grinned, flipped her hair and took off down the hall.

I found myself staring after her again.