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Once Laney had confirmed that Cary hadn’t come by the house, she had crawled into her bed and passed out.

When Dustin checked on her again later in the morning, she was in the same position she’d been in when she’d landed on the pillow. He wet a face cloth in the bathroom and gently wiped all the makeup off her face. She didn’t stir.

At 7:00am the phone rang, and Dustin answered.

“Hello?”

“Dustin? Is Laney there? Is she okay? Are you guys okay?” It was Shane. He sounded stressed.

“She’s here. She’s sleeping.”

There was a muffled noise, and he heard Shane say ‘she’s okay’, presumably to Jerry.

“Is Cary home?” Shane asked. “Did anything happen?”

“Cary hasn’t been home since July,” Dustin said. “Laney got in early this morning and passed out.”

“So Cary hasn’t come to the house?”

“No,” Dustin said, annoyed. “Why do you and Laney keep asking me that?”

“Because Cary is back,” Shane said, “and he was at Nick’s when she phoned him last night.” Dustin froze, understanding dawning. “Look, Dustin, I want to come over but with Cary back and nobody knowing what’s going on yet, I don’t think… Can I just talk to Laney? Can you get the cordless and take it to her?”

“Ma threw out the cordless. She said it would give us brain cancer.”

“Wake her up, then, Dustin. She can sleep after. Just… go wake her up and tell her it’s me. Please. I’ve been up all morning waiting to call, but…”

“Okay,” Dustin said. “One second.”

He let the phone dangle by the cord and ran downstairs, trying to shake Laney awake.

“Laney,” he yell-whispered, “Laney, wake up!”

“Hmmmmm…” she groaned.

“Laney, please, wake up! It’s Shane.” Her eyes popped open. “It’s Shane, he’s on the phone. He needs to talk to you.”

She pushed the blanket away and glanced down at herself. Dustin wrinkled his nose at her. He hated when she looked like Ma. Her dress was more like a napkin than an outfit it was so tiny, a metallic snakeskin thing with spaghetti straps and a neckline that barely covered her boobies.

She stood up and pulled it off in one swoop, Dustin making a gagging noise and running out of the room because she wasn’t wearing undies, and she pulled on a t-shirt with a picture of Courtney Love on it. It said HOLE: Agora Theater December 2, 1994.

Dustin smiled when he saw it. Now she looked like Laney.

She ran up the stairs and grabbed the receiver.

“Shane?”

Dustin couldn’t hear what Shane was saying but Laney’s lip was trembling like she might cry. She was nodding, even though Shane couldn’t see that.

What’s going on? He thought.

She wasn’t listening.

Shane talked, and talked.

Finally, Laney whispered “Okay.” And then she hung up.

“Laney,” Dustin said, “what’s going on? Are you in trouble?”

“I don’t know,” she said. She looked at him. “Shane is on his way over.”

“He said Cary is back. And that you and Nick might be... Is it… a good idea? For Shane to come?”

“Jerry is coming, too. So that Shane isn’t here alone. He’s coming to drive you to school.” Dustin blinked. School. He’d completely forgotten. “Go get ready, okay Dusty? Please.”

“Are you going to school today?”

“Yes.”

Dustin was surprised. She’d had maybe two hours of sleep, and her eyes still looked funny, her pupils too big. But he didn’t argue, just hurried into the shower and changed and grabbed his backpack stuffed with school supplies that Shane had bought him.

When he got to the front door, Laney was already there. She hadn’t showered, just pushed her hair back with a black satin headband and pulled on a pair of jeans. She was still wearing the Courtney Love shirt and was holding her backpack.

She looked exhausted.

They both turned at the sound of a car pulling in. Shane was out the passenger side before Jerry had even parked, bounding up the steps and busting through the door, scooping Laney into a huge, wild hug.

She collapsed into him, and they stood there like that as Jerry walked up the steps, eyeing them warily before catching Dustin’s eye.

“Hey, kid,” he said. Shane and Laney didn’t move. “All set for another day o’ torture?” Dustin’s mouth twitched. “Well let’s get goin’ then… you too, little Laney.”

“Don’t call me that,” she mumbled, the sound muffled as her face was pressed against Shane’s chest, buried in his shirt.

Jerry chuckled.

“Alright Shane, let’s wrap it up, she’s gonna be late…”

Dustin watched them reluctantly disentangle themselves, and they all headed to Jerry’s truck. Dustin took shotgun while Laney and Shane slid into the back seat together, holding hands, and she rested her forehead on his shoulder.

Jerry cleared his throat and fiddled with the radio.

“So, Dusty, have a good summer?”

Jerry filled the car with idle chit chat as he drove them the few minutes up the road to the high school. Laney lifted her head from Shane’s shoulder and heaved herself out of the car, looking worn out and resentful as she stared at the busy grounds.

“I don’t want to go,” she murmured. “I want to make sure Nick is okay, before...”

Dustin saw Shane wince and flex his fist, which was wrapped in gauze.

“I’ll be finding out abou’ Nick, girl,” Jerry said. “You don’ worry yourself about it none. Now you git goin’, I still gotta drop Dusty off.”

Laney cast a long, lingering look at Shane, before she slung her bag over her shoulder and walked away. Shane watched her leave, and for a minute Dustin thought he might run after her and grab her. But Jerry smacked the back of his head.

“Pull it together, kid,” he said gruffly. Shane pinked a little but opened the passenger door and swapped seats with Dustin. Jerry pulled out and started driving towards VK Elementary.

“What are you going to do?” Shane asked Jerry, his voice quiet.

“I already told ya, I’mma run by Cary’s shop with some coffees for everyone. I done it now and then, nobody will think nothin’ of it.”

“What if Cary’s there?”

“If Cary’s there and there was a problem, I’ll know. Cary ain’t a subtle man.”

“But you don’t think there’s anything to worry about?”

“Either Cary was up all night burying a body, or he was there for another reason that ain’t got nothin’ to do with Laney. Either way, won’t know till I get there.”

“I wouldn’t be all that upset if he was burying that guy…” Shane grumbled.

“Me either,” Dustin said.

Shane’s head whipped around, and Jerry looked at him in the rearview.

“You don’t like Nick, Dusty?” Jerry asked, his voice tight.

“No,” Dustin said, staring straight ahead at the window.

“Why not?” Shane asked.

Jerry smacked Shane again. “You glutton for punishment, boy! I swear to God.”

“He’s mean.”

“Mean?” Shane’s eyes narrowed.

“To me. Not to Laney. He’s nice to Laney. But only because she lets him see her naked.”

All the blood drained out Shane’s face at the same time as all the blood went to Jerry’s. Shane looked grey enough to pass out, and you could have fried bacon on Jerry’s cheeks.

“Here we are,” Jerry said as they pulled in.

Dustin watched them drive away and he felt a little bad. He’d known saying that would hurt Shane’s feelings. Would make Shane mad. But Dustin had been mad all summer. Shane’s fight with Laney had nothing to do with him, and he didn’t understand why Shane had stopped hanging out with him, too. He’d thought they were friends.

He felt guilty, but he also thought about Laney, about how sad she’d been. How she didn’t sleep, and always looked tired. How she didn’t just use Nick’s drugs when he was there, anymore. She didn’t think Dustin knew, but he did – she was using the white stuff when she was alone, too.

And he thought about that day in July, the last time Shane had been at the house, when Laney had stepped into the backyard holding the drawing he did of the two dragons and set it on fire, tears streaming down her face.

Serves you right, he thought.