The mattress was askew from all the rough handling last night, but the box spring looked untouched. Neil hooked his hands under it and lifted it off the frame. Andrew's bands were right where Neil left them, balancing on the wooden slats. He picked them up and let the box spring fall. He managed one step back, then stopped to look at the mess again. He wasn't sure how long he stood there staring at the blood before he realized what he was doing. He had to go before Betsy came looking for him. He didn't want Betsy to see this; he didn't want her to start asking questions. Neil didn't have any answers. All he had was anger and regret.

He took the stairs down as quickly as he could without tripping. Maria wasn't in the hall, and Neil left the front door wide open behind him. He passed between the cars so Betsy could see the bands he carried and went to the driver's side door of Andrew's car. He got the lock undone, climbed in, and slammed the door behind him harder than he should have. He knew Betsy was waiting for him to make the first move so he adjusted the seat and mirrors as quickly as he could. He slid the key into the ignition, but his hand seized up before he could turn it.

Neil learned to drive in Europe when he was thirteen, but he'd never driven alone before. It'd always been him and his mother taking turns as they spent long nights on the road. Since her death he'd hitchhiked, walked, and gotten well-acquainted with the follies of American public transportation. Now here he was alone with the road stretched out before him and the steering wheel creaking under his clenched fingers.

He breathed in through his nose and out through his mouth, trying not to smell blood and saltwater. Neil checked the other seats like he expected to find blood on them and twisted the key in the ignition almost hard enough to snap it.

Neil pulled away from the curb and led the way back to Andrew's house. He'd never driven in Columbia before, and this was only his second time at the Hemmicks' house, but he'd paid attention on the drive over. He still had to think about it, but the bumper-to-bumper traffic gave him plenty of time to figure it out. He was grateful for the distraction. If he was reversing turns in his head, he wasn't thinking about bloodied mattresses and Andrew's inappropriate cheer.