Hopefully, their window.
I’ve been trying to get their attention for so long now. It normally only takes two markers, but my pack of twelve is almost gone.
“Brett,” I whisper yell out my window, then look down at the driveway to make sure no one is outside. “Bowen?”
I hold my breath and wait. Their bedroom light finally flicks on, blinds pulling up. Two faces are there. One rubbing his eyes, the other yawning and pushing open their window.
“Is’so late,” he mumbles. “Shouldn’t you be sleeping?” That’s definitely Bowen.
I was sleeping. But then I woke up covered in sweat and couldn’t breathe. In my dreams, Brett and Bowen were trying to rescue me from an evil witch, but they were being chased by a giant, slimy monster with huge, sharp teeth. Brett was runningso slow,and Bowen kept tripping. I was stuck in a stupid tower, watching them almost get eaten over and over. This happens sometimes, and the only thing that calms my racing heart is seeing their faces. Brett knows about my nightmares; I tell him everything. He doesn’t make fun of me like Tucker does; he always knows what to say.
“You okay, Kit?” Brett asks sleepily, pushing his brother out of the way so he can lean out the window to see me better.
I just nod, because I feel like crying. I hate nightmares. I hate the dark. Tucker makes fun of me for still having a night-light at ten, but I can’t fall asleep without it.
“Do you still have that thing we gave you?” Brett asks, and I hold my finger up before dashing over to the bed. I run back, holding up the stuffed dragon they gave me over the summer when we were at the cabin. It used to be his favorite toy, but he said he didn’t need it anymore. He said it would keep me safe in my dreams. Nothing could hurt Kat-boy if he had a dragon. It was silly, because obviously dragons aren’t real. But it made me feel better.
He smiles, and I hug it to my chest, pretending it’s one of his hugs.
“Remember what I told you?” I nod, hugging Red tighter. “I’ll keep my window cracked, okay?”
“Thanks, Brett-man.”
I went to sleep with Red the dragon and woke up to Bowen cuddled next to me. I don’t even know how he got in.
Kit
Age 11
Brett claps his hands, a round of applause for one. Himself. “See? Perfect. Bowen’s the muscle. I’m the brains. Kit’s the bait.”
“I’m thewhat?”
But it’s too late. My mom is already laughing into her coffee mug and waving us off with a, “Be back in a half hour, and don’t let my kid get abducted.”
I glare at Brett the entire way down the driveway. Or try, it’s hard when I’mtied to Bowen like a dog. I can’t even take myself seriously, and judging by Brett’s random bursts of laughter, neither can he.
Yep. How did he convince my mom to let me walk to the store with them? Stringing me up to Bowen.
Literally.
He pulled the yarn out of his pocket and everything.
“Whydidn’t you tie yourself to me?” I mutter, yanking slightly at the itchy yarn knotted between us.
“Because,” Brett says, skipping, “if you get flustered at someone trying to kidnap you, I’ll panic. Bowen doesn’t panic. He just”—Brett shrugs, scratching his head—“lifts things. Like, emotionally? But also physically. Plus, let’s be honest, if one of us is gonna accidentally fall into traffic, it’s me.”
“True,” Bowen agrees, glancing down at me. His arm is warm where we’re connected.
I glare harder. “This is embarrassing.”
“I’m just keeping you safe, Kat-boy,” Brett says solemnly, then immediately ruins it by snorting. “Besides, look at you two. Like a couple of lost ducklings.”
I ignore both of them the rest of the way to the store.
We’re halfway through the snack aisle when Brett disappears, loudly announcing, “I’m gonna go grab gum and pretend I don’t know you weirdos. Who ties themselves together like that? Boyfriends!”
“Donotcall us that,” I hiss after him, but it’s too late. He’s already oohing and ahhing over the chips in another aisle, leaving Bowen and me alone.
