I stepped into the bathtub and squatted in front of the spout. The water ran over my hands until they were clean. I pulled out the knob. Dirt and filth began waterfalling off my back, slinking into the drain. As my skin revealed itself again, I decided the water was washing away not only the dirt, but the pain itself.

By the time I climbed out, Aidy had already removed my dirty clothes from the floor. In the distance clapped the unmistakable thunder of a new garbage bag being opened. Wrapped in a towel, I walked out to find Aidy, already changed, shoving my bloody shirt and shorts into the black plastic.

“Your face looks better,” she told me, even though she hadn’t once looked up from her work. “The Campbells will be back in ten minutes. Get changed. We’ll ice on the car ride.” When she finally noticed I hadn’t moved from watching her, she said, “I’m gonna hide this in the shrubs. We’ll throw it out for real when we’re allowed to go out the front door.”

I made quick work of changing.

By its third use, the Marley way had started to give in to our new size, even as I carried a bag of frozen peas with me to ice my nose. Aidy and I came out onto Arbor Street, where the Campbells’ Honda waited like our getaway car.

Back at Cadence Park, Emery and Nick still held conference near the concession stand.

“Where’s Ruby?” I wondered aloud. At the same time, Aidy asked, “Where’s Harrison?” Her eyes bored into me as she unbuckled her seat belt. Bigs didn’t even have time to park before she’d opened her door and started running.

“Well, that’s not good,” Bigs said, because Bigs always said the truth in its simplest form.

“Better start admitting what you know,” Teeny told me, because Teeny always knew how to say what her brother couldn’t.

We got out of the car and met everyone at the concession stand. When the Campbells and I approached, Emery was almost done explaining to Aidy what happened to Harrison and Ruby. “I’ve been sending her texts, but they’re not going through, which makes me think she’s still down there.”

I kept my distance, knowing Aidy’s fury would be directed at me. “Well?” she said, cocking her head in my direction.

My throat swelled. There was nothing to say that would explain my actions. I brought my bag of peas back up to my face. Poor Harrison. I shouldn’t have left him. Why had I left him? Why couldn’t I make good choices when they mattered most?

“Don’t hide,” Aidy scolded. “Why’d you leave him?”

“I don’t know.” I couldn’t look her in the eye.

“This is bad, Olivia. Do you realize that? It’s so bad.”