“We need to get in contact with the police,” Mr. Richmond said. “Attacking a child, that can’t go unanswered.”
“Maggie thinks he’s one of the bad guys from recently,” Heather said.
“Then we definitely need to talk to the police. Where were you going?” Mr. Richmond asked.
“My house,” Ben said. “My mom’s waiting.”
“Good. Go. Stay there. I’m going to see if I can find someone.”
“I love how everyone’s pretending we aren’t all one to three years off from being adults,” Maggie said. “We can fend for ourselves.”
“I dunno about you,” Heather said, “But I’m kind of glad to have someone’s mom around, after something like this.”
“He hurt me,” Lor said. She showed her hands, skinned and bloody.
Maggie frowned. “Whatever.”
“Shouldn’t be hard to find a cop,” Ben told his neighbor. “Sirens are going by every ten minutes, it feels like.”
Mr. Richmond nodded, glancing towards the street where the stranger had left. “You kids take care. I’m standing right here until you’re safe inside. You lock the doors, now.”
“Yessir,” Ben said.
“Big Bad Ben, being all nice to the adults,” Jeremy commented, when they were out of earshot.
“It’s ‘Big Ben’, what people call me. You added the ‘bad’ part. And Mr. Richmond is boss. He gives me money, just ’cause he doesn’t have grandkids to spend it on.”
“That sounds more like a pedo thing than anything else,” Maggie said, under her breath.
Ben shoved her. “Hey.“
“What?“
“You don’t fucking joke about shit like that. Ruins people’s lives.”
“I didn’t say it to anyone who’d care.”
“You don’t ever,” Ben said. “And you don’t say it about guys who just saved our asses from a crazy person. A crazy person that might be setting fires and torturing animals. I’ve known Mr. Richmond my whole life. He’s nice, and he went out of his way to help. You want to give me a hard time? Fine. But you don’t talk shit about my neighbors behind their backs.”
“Fine. That’s fair. You’re the guy that’s sucking in private.”
“That was funny once, Maggie. You can’t milk it any more.”
“Milking it,” Lor commented, straight faced.
The entire group burst into laughter. Some of it was nervous laughter, after the close call.
“The most prudish girl in school just made a funny! A naughty funny!”
“I’m not the most prudish.”
“You’re close.”
Ben opened the door to his house, locking the door behind him. “Mom!”
“Upstairs!”
“Group’s come by. What can I feed them?”
“Anything but the carrot cake in the fridge!”
“Kitchen,” Ben pointed to each place in turn. “Dining room, if you want to do homework. Bathroom, if you need to-“
“Milk it?” Heather cut in.
There were a few chuckles, but she was forcing it just a bit.
“-And living room. Consoles are off limits. But you can watch the TV.”
“Great host,” Jeremy commented.
“When I invite you, you can do whatever. But when Maggie’s dad invites you over to my house, you get only the… nuts and bolts.”
“Bare minimum,” Maggie said.
“That’s the words I was looking for. I’m going upstairs. I’ll be down in a bit.”
The group migrated over to the dining and living room. Heather and Jeremy took the couch, while Lor and Maggie sat opposite each other at the table.
“Never thought we’d be sitting together like this,” Lor said.
“Yeah? Why’s that?”
“Your parents?”
“My parents have no issue with you,” Maggie said.
“I meant, who your parents are, they’re… our families are very different, don’t you think?”
“I think I know what you’re getting at,” Maggie said. “Are you wanting to make this a problem?”
“No. I’m just-“
“Because we can make this about doing homework, fighting off crazy people, and passing the time as fast as we can before we can get back to our everyday lives, or we can make it about your family having an issue with my family. Note how I’m stressing that. Because my family has no issue with yours. It’s one sided. And if you want to keep pretending you’re all about tolerance and goodness, you’re going to have to reconcile that sort of thinking with this sort of acting.”
“I can get over it, Maggie. I can look past what your parents are.”
“That’s great. Good. Grand. Speaking of, I’m going to need to give them a call, let them know I made it okay. Maybe scare my dad to death, if I mention a crazy man attacked me and then hang up before he can get details. Because I’m so going to get back at him for this ‘going places in groups’ garbage he set up.”
“Phone lines are dead in this area,” Jeremy said. “Asshats knocked down a telephone pole.”
“Fuck,” Maggie said. “Fuck. Internet, maybe?”
“No phone, no internet,”
“Fiber? Cable?” she prodded.
“No idea,” Jeremy said. “I’m here because I live near-ish by, not because I’m friends with Ben.”
“We’re all here because of that,” Maggie said. “Fuckballs. I’m going to ask.”
She stood, then made her way back to the front hall and up the way Ben had gone.
Ben’s door, clearly marked with road signs, was closed. She made her way to the end of the upstairs hallway.
Ben and Mrs. Ben were lying on the bed, face down.
A man was standing in the room.
Maggie felt her heart leap into her throat. Didn’t fit. Wasn’t right. Could be an older brother, but why would they be like that? Why would Ben and his mom be lying so still, there?