“Are you serious?” I screamed, not caring who heard, whether it was Jackie’s parents or the entire state of Wyoming. “You made it seem like our dead best friend was haunting me, scaring me and, worse, like dishonoring her, all because you’re . . . just . . . freaking . . . jealous?” My face was an inch from her screen door; she backed up. Angry tears streamed down my face. “That is not a normal response! You can’t do that to people!”

“It’s pretty bad,” Frankie reiterated.

“I’m sorry,” Jackie said, sobbing. “It went too far.”

“You think?” I shouted. “I never did anything to you, and you ruined my summer!”

“Jackie?” someone called from inside her house.

“Tess?” my mom called from our cabin porch. I glanced over at her but didn’t answer.

“I honestly can’t believe you’d do something like that,” I said at a lower volume, but with just as much anger. It felt good to stand up for myself.

“I know,” Jackie sobbed.

“You don’t even know me!”

“I’m sorry,” she said again.

“It’s not okay!” I snapped.

“Tess?” my mom said, concerned. “What are you doing?”

She, Aunt Maureen, and Kennedy had all walked over and were standing on our side of the fence in the sagebrush. My mom looked horrified, Aunt Maureen looked worried, and Kennedy looked amused.

“It’s all good, Mom,” Frankie said. “Tess is standing up to a bully.”

“I’m not a bully,” Jackie said weakly. “I’ve never done anything like this before.”

“That doesn’t make it okay,” I said, holding my ground.

A woman with wild white-blond hair and mascara smeared under her eyes, wearing a short, low-cut robe, appeared behind Jackie.

“More than a bully, you’re a criminal,” I said harshly. Then, louder, I added, “You broke into our house.”

“Okay, that’s it, I’m coming over,” I heard my mom say. As my family started climbing over the fence, Jackie’s mom grabbed her arm and spun her around.

“What did you do this time?” Jackie’s mom hissed. “I swear, I’m this close to sending you to live with your father.”

“I didn’t do anything,” Jackie said. “It’s a misunderstanding.” She looked at me, her bright blue eyes pleading. “Right, Tess?” To her mom, she said, “This is Tess, from art camp. She’s the one who won last night, remember?”

Her mom’s blank expression made it seem like she was clueless.

My family was almost to the porch.

“You guys go back,” I told them. “Everything’s okay. I’ve got this.”

I gave them a look that said I meant it. My mom put her hand on Aunt Maureen’s forearm to stop her from walking.

“Are you sure?” Mom asked.

“Yes,” Frankie and I said in unison.

“Come on, Ken,” Aunt Maureen said to Kennedy, taking her hand.