Carter punches Jason so hard he topples over. “I told you not to say anything, and what do you do? Blab to this dog who can’t keep her nose out of anything.”

Jason moans and sort of rocks back and forth. “Shut up, shut up, shut up. If Diablo hears us, we’re dead.”

I huddle deeper into myself, too terrified to say anything. I feel a flash of dislike for Skylar. If it wasn’t for her, I’d be safe at home.

11

We sit in the bushes, scared to move, scared to talk. Bugs crawl on us. Mosquitoes bite us. It’s hot, humid. No breeze. Nothing seems real. Not the woods, not the trailer, not the dog, not Paul. This can’t be happening to Skylar and me.

Skylar tosses an acorn at Carter to get his attention. “Are we going to sit here all afternoon or what?” she whispers. “It must be after four. My mother expects me home for dinner.”

Carter stares at her with mean eyes. “What planet do you live on?”

Skylar gives him a look just as mean as the one he gave her. “Earth, last time I checked.”

“There’s a man and a dog in that trailer,” Carter says. “If Diablo hears you and starts barking, Paul’s going to let him out. He’s a killer, that dog. He’ll tear you apart.”

“The dog’s not the only killer,” Jason whispers. He’s gone ashy white with fear.

Carter cuffs him. “Shut up. You want him to hear you?”

Jason clenches his fists. “You shut up.”

When they start swearing again, Skylar nudges me. We start crawling away, but Carter grabs my foot and yanks me back.

“Nobody goes anywhere till I say so.”

“Are you stupid or what?” Skylar says. “The longer we sit here, the more dangerous it is. What if somebody comes along to buy drugs? What if Paul lets Diablo out to poop?”

Jason says, “She’s right. We ought to get out of here while we can.”

“Don’t listen to her,” Carter says. “She’s nothing but a dumb girl.”

I realize that both Carter and Jason are even more scared than we are. Maybe because they know Paul a lot better than we do.

“Leave him here,” Skylar tells Jason. “It’s three against one.”

Jason looks at Carter like he isn’t sure who to side with. Carter slowly gets to his hands and knees. “Let’s go,” he says, as if it’s his idea to leave.

Carefully we crawl through the underbrush, holding branches to keep them from rustling. As the trees close in around us, we feel safer and move faster, half bent over, keeping low.

Behind us, we hear the trailer door open. Paul says, “Go on, Diablo, do your business.”