It's a Little Haywire by Elle Strauss

died if you hadn’t been there.”
    “I don’t get it. Isn’t that reason for
him to like me?”
    “You’ve got to understand Mason. You
make him feel inferior. You have nice clothes, your dad drives a
fancy car. You live in a big city and get to do big city stuff,
when he’s never been anywhere. And when you saved Ruby, you made
him feel weak. I know it’s not fair. It’s just how it is.”
    “But you don’t hold that against me, do
you?”
    Mikala reaches for my hand. They are
sandpaper rough and her nails are chewed to the quick, but for some
reason it’s like lightning strikes. A crazy jolt of electricity
shoots through me.
    “Of course not,” she says. “I mean, I
did at first, and then you saved Ruby. I could never hate you after
that.”
    Something really weird happens. Her eyes
get that soft/smiley look and I feel like I’m going to explode. She
leans toward me. At least I think she’s leaning, but with my
one-eye depth perception problem, I’m not totally sure.
    I don’t know what to do with this new
situation and my body reacts all crazy.
    “Um, can I use your bathroom?”
    Mikala pulls away, her freckles spread
wide. “Now?”
    “Yeah, I really have to go.”
    She waves toward the house with an
irritated flick. I shimmy down the treehouse ladder and jog to the
house.
    I know where the bathroom is because
I’ve been in the Sweets’ house lots of times over the years.
    Good thing it’s on the main floor and
not in a dungeon.
    When I’ve done my business, I wash my
hands. I see my reflection in the mirror, my black eye swollen and
blue, like I took a permanent marker to it. I try to see my face
from Mikala’s point of view. Am I good looking apart from the black
eye? I’m glad she seems to like me but I’ve never had girls like me
before, so I’m really confused.
    I hear noise just as I crack the
bathroom door open. It’s bad timing.
    From my vantage point I see Mason about
to leave the house through the front door just as his dad walks in.
I haven't seen Mr. Sweet all summer, and I’m shocked by his
appearance. His hair is tousled, he looks like he hasn't changed
his clothes or had a shower in a week. Trickles of fear creep up my
back. I don’t want him to catch me spying. I narrow the crack and
hold my breath.
    "Where y'going, boy?" he slurs.
    "Nowhere," Mason says, taking a step
back.
    “Where’s your mother?”
    “You stay away from her.”
    “What’d you say, boy?”
    “I said, stay away from Mom!”
    Mason looks like a wild animal backed
into a corner, his eyes all crazy-like. I don’t know where Mrs.
Sweet and the little girls are, but I’m glad they’re not here.
    “Don’t you talk to me like that you
little twerp!” Mr. Sweet shoves Mason against the wall, and I hear
the clunk of Mason’s head smacking against it. Then Mr. Sweet loses
his footing and falls, landing awkwardly on the sofa.
    He starts to cry. First a slow rumbling
like a brewing volcano, his face growing a purple-y red until he
heaves a big sob.
    I’m embarrassed for Mason, even if he is
my nemesis. I stay stiff as a statue. I sure don’t want him to
catch me watching.
    Mason’s face is screwed up tight with
emotion shooting off like fire crackers. Anger, disgust. He rubs
his head where it hit the wall, then shoots out the door.
    Mr. Sweet doesn’t move. I wait until I
hear quiet snoring before tip-toeing toward the back door. I get to
the kitchen when I see Mikala hidden in the shadows, her eyes
glassy with emotion. She saw everything. And now she knows that I
saw it too.

CHAPTER TEN
    Owen True – The Prophet
     
     
    MY LEGS ARE SHAKING. Haywire is more
haywire than I thought! I’m not sure what to do now, but I’m
heading home. I should tell Gramps.
    I hear voices coming from the open
windows.
    Dang, Mrs. Pershishnick’s tinkerbell
laughter pierces through loud and clear.
    “Hey, Owen,” Gramps says. They’re
sitting at the table, cards fanned in their hands, a cribbage board
between