“We’ve already got ourselves the troll for tonight’s festivities,” Tanya said.
“So I see. Jeremy, let go of her and come with me.”
“What’s this shit?” Tanya snapped.
“Stay out of it,” Shiner said. She came toward Jeremy. “You’re going to get in real trouble if you stay.”
“If you don’t like it,” Tanya said, “get out of here.”
“Shut up. Jeremy.” She put a hand on his shoulder. It suddenly tightened. “What happened to your face?”
“We had some trouble with this one,” he muttered.
“Jesus.”
He released the girl’s legs. She started to thrash. Tanya wrestled her away, flung her facedown onto the floor of the boardwalk, and planted a foot on her back to keep her still.
“Does it hurt?” Shiner asked.
“Yeah. A lot.”
“I’m sorry. But it wouldn’t have happened if you’d come to me tonight. I know I’m not as…exciting as Tanya. I know you want her. Hell, you’re a guy. Who wouldn’t? The thing is, she’s going to ruin you. Look what happened to you.”
“Tell her to get the fuck out of here,” Tanya said.
“She’s right,” Jeremy said. “Go away.”
“I’m not going anywhere. Not unless you come with me.”
“I’m not leaving,” he said.
“Yo!” Cowboy called. “All set to kick some troll ass?”
“Got one here,” Tanya said.
Cowboy and Liz walked over to her. “Hey, hot damn!”
“A trollette,” Liz said.
“We’ve also got a traitor.”
“Yeah?”
“Shiner.”
“Naw. What gives, Shiner babes? You’re not quitting on us, are you?”
“Turned chicken?” Liz asked.
Cowboy came closer. Shiner let go of Jeremy’s shoulder and faced him.
My pal, Jeremy thought. He felt a wonderful sense of relief and gratitude. It was like the time that Cowboy had chased the begging troll away from him.
“Tell me it ain’t so,” he said, sounding concerned.
“I’m done with trolling,” she told him.
“You’re joshing me, right? These’re the low-life scum suckers that did your sister.”
“Greetings, gang.” Randy. “Hey, you got one already?”
“Shiner wants to bail out,” Liz said, disgust in her voice.
“Really?”
“What’s that car doing in front?” Samson had arrived.
“Duke and I brought the troll in it,” Tanya said.
“You left it running.”
“Doesn’t matter.”
“Say, what we got here? A gal? All right!”
“We’ll get to her in a minute. Duke has to make the goddamn traitor go away.”
“She ain’t no traitor,” Cowboy said. “She’s just riled up.” To Shiner he said, “What’s the story? You upset ’cause of the one that bit the dust?”
“That’s one thing. It’s all gotten out of hand, Cowboy. Look what this one did to Jeremy.”
Cowboy peered at him. “Holy heifer shit. That bitch do this?”
“She bit me,” Jeremy said, his voice shaking. “And scratched me.”
“Well, she’s durn sure gonna wish she hadn’t.”
Liz and Randy came over to look at him. Samson didn’t. He was kneeling beside the girl, turning her over.
Randy pushed his glasses higher on his nose, squinted at Jeremy’s face, and muttered, “Gosh.”
Liz said, “She’s gonna die.”
Their sympathy for his injuries made Jeremy’s throat tighten. These are my friends, he thought.
I didn’t do anything to the girl that they wouldn’t have done.
They’re on my side, even if Shiner isn’t.
The hell with Shiner, anyway. Who needs her?
Heather was suddenly there, nudging Randy aside. Her pale, bloated face came very close, and Jeremy smelled her onion breath. “Poor Dukey,” she said. She put her arms around him. Her breasts and belly felt like swollen bags of jelly. She pushed her hands into the back pockets of his corduroys and rubbed his rump.
Shiner pulled her away.
“We’re leaving,” she said. “Come on, Jeremy.”
“No.” His voice came out strong. His friends were here now. So many friends. They were on his side. “I’m not going. If you don’t like it, lump it.”
She tugged the shoulder of his jacket.
Then someone hooked an arm around Shiner’s throat and yanked her backward. Her arm flew up. She clutched the head of her attacker, twisted, and ducked. The body flew up behind her, legs kicking, and slammed the boards at Shiner’s feet. She lurched backward a few steps and raised her open hands, ready to defend herself.
Nobody else went for her.
Karen, gasping, lay sprawled on the boardwalk where Shiner had thrown her.
“Everybody just stand still and listen to me,” Shiner said. “Nate was right. It’s gone too far. But I’m not here to stop you from going after trolls. I hate them as much as any of you. I still do. They took my mother from me.”
“Sister,” Cowboy corrected her.
“No, my mother. I don’t have a mother, thanks to the trolls. But I have a sister, and some of you know