Prologue
Koa Age 13
I tossedanother rock into the river and watched as it sank underneath the surface. What would it be like if I disappeared like the pebble? Would anyone even notice?
Probably not. Dad was gone. Dead. Mom had been gone for even longer. Maybe I should be happy they were finally back together, wherever you went after you died, but I wasn’t. Because they’d left me here alone.
Aunt Leilani had only taken me in because she felt guilty. She’d probably be happy if she didn’t have to deal with me anymore. Lord knew Uncle Matthew didn’t want me there. I was a blip on the perfect life he’d built in this stupid place.
I absently spun the koa wood and lava-bead bracelet I always wore around my wrist. Dad had bought it for my last birthday before . . . well, before. It had been made from my namesake wood, and it’d been his way to give me a little bit of my heritage from my mom. He’d said she’d wanted to teach me all about her Hawaiian culture but had never gotten the chance. And Dad hadn’t known much. He had only been stationed in Hawaii for a little bit. Long enough to meet Mom and fall in love, but I’d never even been there before. Still, the bracelet made me feel a little closer to them.
My melancholy thoughts were interrupted by noise coming through from the brush. At first, I was annoyed. Who was coming out here? I’d been here a bunch since I’d moved to this dumb town and not once had I been interrupted. Didn’t they know I wanted to be alone?
But then I saw who it was. Riot St. James.
He froze when he saw me.
Riot looked like he always did, angry, a little dirty, and way too skinny and cold. He was wearing a threadbare T-shirt and jeans almost as thin, with a hole as big as my fist by his knee. He had the same sneakers on that he always did. I knew from sitting next to him in algebra that they had a hole in the sole. His dark brown hair was a little too long and always hung in his eyes, hiding half his face. He shook it away, and that was when I noticed the bruise on his cheek. It wasn’t the first time in the few months since I’d come to River Hills that I’d seen bruises on him. I’d asked my aunt about it, but she’d just told me to stay away from him, that he was trouble.
I didn’t think that was true though. He never caused issues in class. He barely even talked. And when the other kids teased him, he just ignored them. He never fought back, never even yelled at them. I thought he needed help, not that he was bad.
Riot was holding the hand of a little kid. He had the same dark, messy hair as Riot and big eyes that stared at me without blinking. Unlike Riot, the kid was bundled up in a big jacket.
“Sorry, I didn’t realize anyone was here. I’ll go,” Riot said, eyes locked on me. But he didn’t make any move to leave.
“You don’t have to.”
I patted the blanket I was sitting on. “There’s plenty of space.”
Riot looked skeptical. “You want me to sit on that? Aren’t you afraid I’m gonna get it dirty?” He looked ready to bolt, ready forthe trick, for me to start saying mean things like all the other kids.
“It’s already dirty. It’s literally on dirt.” I smiled, hoping to soften the words. “C’mon. It’s a public place. You don’t gotta leave because someone else is here.”
Riot didn’t seem to think that was true, but eventually he deflated. “Yeah, okay, I guess.” Instead of coming closer, where I could potentially find a way to let him borrow my hoodie without getting defensive, he turned and squatted down so he was eye level with the little kid.
“Knox, how ‘bout you go play for a bit? Just don’t go too close to the water, and stay where I can see you, okay, bud?”
“It’s okay?” he asked, turning in my direction. Why did it feel like he was asking if Riot was safe with me?
Riot’s face softened. I’d never seen him like that. He always had his guard up at school. “Yeah, he’s fine. Go on, alright? We only got a few minutes before we gotta pick up Wynter from Mrs. Leighman’s.”
“Okay!” The kid ran off to the river, but he seemed to listen to Riot by keeping a healthy distance from it.
I turned back to Riot and smiled, still hoping he’d come sit with me. He didn’t move at first, picking at a scab on his arm. He seemed to be debating something, but eventually he sighed and came closer.
“You really don’t mind sharing?”
“Not even a little,” I told him honestly. Riot smiled. It was small and a little unsure, but it was real. I wanted to see that smile again.
He sat on the edge, careful to leave some space between us.
“Sorry if I interrupted you,” he said quietly. Riot wasn’t looking at me, his eyes glued to the little kid who was kicking at the rocks. He played with the hem of his shirt.
“It’s okay. It’s a good place to get away.”
Riot nodded. “Yeah, I always come here when I need some space.”
I gestured toward the kid. “Is he your brother?”
