Reece wrapped his arm around her. “Please don’t let her make you crazy. I know how it feels to battle that.”

The weight of his arm felt so good. She had missed that. He’d sometimes hugged one arm around her when they were on the school bus. Or out on the playground. He didn’t care if the other boys teased him.

She leaned into him and breathed in his new grown-up scent.

He hugged her tighter. “I’m always here for you, Bird Girl. Remember that. Anytime.”

“I know.” She smiled. “Do you remember my first day on the playground?”

“That was your second day.”

“Those kids never called me Bird Girl again.”

“Of course they didn’t. Bird Girl is mine. Trademarked. Legally punishable by my fists if anyone else uses it.”

That was pretty much what he’d said to the kids who’d taunted her after hearing Reece use the pet name. Reece and Huck quickly put an end to the teasing. They and all their friends—and Jackie—had been loyal protectors while she was getting used to the bizarre world of elementary school.

They sat quietly watching Mr. Danner pack the car.

“I still haven’t gotten used to Danner being their dad,” Reece said.

“I know. Why couldn’t everything stay the same?”

“Same as what?”

She didn’t answer because she knew what she’d said was stupid.

“You mean the summer we met you?”

When she didn’t reply, he hugged his arm tighter around her shoulders and tried to look at her down-turned face. “That is what you meant, isn’t it? The last thing you and I should want is for time to stand still. We need to get away from this place—from our mothers.”

She couldn’t even imagine that kind of future.

“Aren’t you excited about middle school next year?” he asked. “You’ll have Jackie to talk to again.”

“I wish you and Huck were going to be there.”

“You wish we’d flunked?”

She smiled. “No. I just wish you were there.”

“If only to be with you, I wish I was, too.”

“Do you want to go to high school?” she asked.

“Yeah. One step closer to getting out of this damn place.” He pulled his arm off her. “So what’s this place like in Montana? Is it nice like your house here?”

“How do you know my house here is nice?”

“People talk.”

She remembered Jackie saying that when she first met him.

“The cabin in Montana isn’t anything like the house here,” she said. “It’s tiny and doesn’t have running water.”

“Really?”

“We use an outhouse and get water from a pump out front.”

“My god. No wonder you hate it.”

“I never said I hated it.”

“No, but you have a look of gloom at the end of every school year.”

“It’s really beautiful there. The mountains are right outside.”

“I bet it’s lonely,” he said.

It was. But she wouldn’t say anything bad about the Montana cabin. Mama loved it there.

“Well, look who’s coming,” Reece said. “The boy with the awesomest hair.”

Huck had probably told Jackie that Raven was there. She could see how he’d been quite the stud of sixth grade. He was beautiful. But of course, she’d always thought that.

Raven stood but made sure to keep her feet away from the grass at the boundary.

“Hey, Raven,” Jackie said.

“Hi,” she said. “Ready for your trip?”

“Yeah. We’re about to leave. If Huck would stop loading stuff into the car.”

Raven and Reece shot each other a smile.

“What?” Jackie said.

“Nothing,” Reece said. “Your hair looks nice today, Jacko.”

“Shut up,” Jackie said.

“So much for my random act of kindness for the day,” Reece said, and even Jackie smiled.

“My mom told me about Baby,” Jackie said. “She said you think she might have died.”

“I know she died,” Raven said. “She stopped coming for peanuts three months ago.”

“Maybe she flew somewhere else.”

“She always came to me. Even after we returned from Montana every year.”

She couldn’t hold back her tears. Or come to terms with never seeing Baby again. The thought of her getting plucked and eaten alive by a hawk haunted her. Raven had seen it happen often enough to imagine it in horrific detail.

Reece took her in his arms. “Good job, Jackie.”

“What? I just found out yesterday.”

“You didn’t have to bring it up.” Reece hugged her tighter.

“Jeez, Reece.”

“What?” Reece said.

“Nothing. You’d better come. We’re leaving. Bye, Raven.”

She pulled away from Reece’s embrace and wiped away the tears. “Bye, Jackie. Have fun.”

“I will.” He cast an odd look at Reece and jogged toward the house.

“That’s hilarious,” Reece said.

“What is?”