She skidded to a halt and watched Natalie land atop a wave and disappear below the churning sea. The rain came hard, smacking leaves and rock. Hazel ran to the cover of a large maple tree, hiding within the folds of the spidery trunk beneath a thick covering of spiked green leaves.
Randy joined her. “Looks like she did fine. Now we have another person who can tell us what to do.”
“At least your mom isn’t around to pester you. Mine trails after me like Sam after Frodo,” she said.
Randy looked at the ground. She could manipulate his feelings so easy, make him feel like a puppet. Not only did she know what buttons to push, she knew his entire control panel.
“You seen your dad?” she said.
Randy nodded. “Last night.”
“What did he have to say?” she said.
She knew Curso hadn’t spoken since Milly left, but Randy’d learned that if he wanted to be around Hazel, he had to take what he got. Even if there had been more than sixteen girls his age on the island, Randy believed she’d still be the only one that counted. “Do you miss your father?” Randy said.
“What do you suppose they’re doing out there while my mother works to feed Respite?” Hazel said. “You think they’re doing the horizontal mambo?”
“Why do you try so hard to push me away?” Old lady Pendaltine said Hazel treated him badly because she liked him.
Hazel said, “Leave if you don’t like it.”
“My mother’s been gone for two-and-a-half years and my dad acts like she’s dead. You happy now?”
Hazel said nothing as she stared at the ground.
It poured and water seeped through the tree canopy. Laughing and yelling carried on the breeze as everyone ran to the Womb for the sacrifice ceremony. He was supposed to be back at Citi with the other kids, but Randy and Hazel just couldn’t abide by that. He smiled at her. Despite everything, she always stuck with him. She smiled back with that goofy look on her face that said she wanted to hit him.
“You think we’ll ever see them again? Your mom and my dad?” Hazel said.
“I think about that a lot.” Randy moved closer to her, and the heat between them was palpable. His breath steamed as he said, “Come with me up to the ear and listen when the guards turn the radio on tomorrow.”
“Don’t think so,” she said. “They let you listen?”
“No. I sneak up there and hide. I think Master Aragorn knows, but he lets me because… you know.”
They were the offspring of Milly and Peter, two of Respite’s most famous citizens, both of which came from families that were the underpinning of Respite.
Randy moved closer and leaned in to kiss her.
She pulled back, eyes blazing, jaw set, but it didn’t placate him. He thrust his head forward with an awkward lurch and pecked her on the lips.
Hazel punched him and broke his nose.
Randy’s nose ached, and he took no solace in the knowledge that Hazel probably felt bad about hitting him. He was certain her grandfather Ben laughed for an hour when she told him the story. The storm raged into the night, and water spouts erupted around the island. Randy looked out onto the balcony that overlooked the sea. The Hendricks family owned several properties in Citi, but Randy and Curso had the nicest place.
Randy battened down the door and shutters. Wind roared, and rain leaked through cracks and gaps in the old wood, soaking the floor. His father was asleep, so he snuck out into the hallway. It was late, but he was sure Hazel was up. He wanted to apologize for kissing her without permission and he wouldn’t be able to sleep until he got it off his chest.
The Hasten family also had multiple properties in Citi, and Hazel and Tris got old man Ben Hasten’s place when he moved into his jungle treehouse. At the end of the hall he inched his way around the back of the building along the patios that overlooked the sea. Everyone was battened down for the storm.
When he got to Hazel’s place, he peered through the gaps in the window shutters. Hazel’s grandfather, Ben Hasten, snored loudly. Tris had the night shift at the animal pens, and she never left Hazel home alone at night. Hazel told him when she’d asked why she couldn’t stay home alone Tris had said, “I’m not worried about you, I’m worried about Respite.”
“Hazel,” he whispered. “Hazel.”
“What do you want?”
“Meet me at Great Rock,” Randy said.
“Why?” she whispered.
“Please.”
“OK.”
Randy watched Hazel get up and try to slip past her grandfather where he lay on Tris’ bamboo cot. She’d almost made it past the fossil when his hand shot out and grabbed her leg.
Hazel screamed and fell back onto her cot.
“Where you think you’re going?” His voice was slurred and Randy was sure he’d been hitting the berry wine.
“Nowhere.” Hazel didn’t sound convincing.
“Nowhere. Just like your ma. She used to sneak out to meet that shit turd father of yours.”
Hazel said nothing.
“That where you’re going? To hook up with Randy? Make sure you didn’t hurt him?” That last part he did in his baby-talk voice.
“What do you care?” She broke free of his grasp and headed for the door.
Randy gasped and placed his hands flat on the wooden shutters, his eye pressed so hard to the boards it hurt.
Old man Hasten grabbed her again. “You aren’t going no place. Sit down.” Ben threw Hazel back onto her cot. “You have any idea who that boy is? What his grandmother did?”
“No. Mom always mumbles about them, and you’ve made it clear you hate them, but you’ve never said why.”
“She did everything she
