Fellis took out his cigarettes and opened the pack. He didn’t light one, and he put the pack back in his pocket. He looked at Daryl.

“I know you weren’t,” Fellis said. “I ain’t here to do nothing.”

“Then why’d you come?” Daryl said.

“Ain’t seen you since before you were banned,” Fellis said. “Just checking on you.”

I nudged Daryl on the shoulder. “And the tribe’s talking,” I said.

“Talking?” Daryl said.

“About letting you come home,” I told him. “Council held two meetings these past months.”

“Oh, yeah,” Fellis said. “They’re voting sometime soon.”

Daryl scratched his nose. “Why didn’t my uncle tell me?”

Fellis opened his pack of smokes again and this time he lit one. He went to the cabin door and grabbed the orange bucket. He brought it near the truck and sat.

“Maybe he likes having someone out here,” I said. I walked toward the truck and Daryl followed. “You know, someone to take care of the place since he can’t.” I sat on the hood.

“He wouldn’t do that,” Daryl said.

From his pocket, Daryl took out a pink iPod. He wrapped the headphones around it.

“Where’d you get that?” Fellis said, pointing with his cigarette.

Daryl didn’t say anything. He stared at the ground. Then at the trees. A breeze blew and leaves shivered and twirled down. Daryl’s hands shook.

He looked at me. Really—stared at me and didn’t blink. His lips were chapped and he licked them. He rubbed his head.

Fellis and I glanced at each other.

“So,” Daryl said. “Why’d you guys come out here?”

“Told you already,” Fellis said. “To check up on you.”

Daryl stared at a line of thick pine trees behind us.

Fellis waved his hand in Daryl’s line of vision.

“What are you on?” Fellis said. “He’s gotta be on something.” He handed me the cigarette and I took three drags.

I nudged Daryl. “Here,” I said, holding out the cigarette for him. “What are you on?”

Daryl whispered, “I ain’t on nothing.” He shut his eyes as he took a drag of the cigarette, and as he exhaled the smoke he mumbled something unintelligible.

The orange bucket tipped over when Fellis stood, and he right-hooked Daryl so hard the cigarette ember exploded and Daryl fell to the ground.

“What the fuck did you say?” Fellis said, kicking him in the side. “Say it again.”

“What did he say?” I asked.

“Say it again,” Fellis said, now stomping on him.

Daryl licked his lips.

“I I I I I,” Daryl said.

“You you you you what?”

“I I I I home.”

Fellis shook his head real slow. “The rez don’t want you,” he said. “You think the council would meet for you?”