shouted back, facing the woods again and raising the gun.
Allie felt herself trembling. “Sasha, if you kill anything, I’ll tell everybody about the gun! I’ll tell!”
Sasha glowered at Allie, but Allie only stared back. She could see that Sasha hated her guts, but Allie stood her ground.
David pointed at a large tree. “Sasha, see that knot, halfway up the tree? Bet you can’t hit it.”
Julian put his hand on Sasha’s arm. “Sash, shoot at the tree.”
Sasha aimed for the knot and started blasting. Pop pop pop pop pop! Wood chips flew from the trunk, pitting it. Birds squawked in fright, and bugs flew everywhere. Sasha and Julian reloaded quickly, and Sasha fired another five shots. Pop pop pop pop pop! The shooting stopped abruptly, and the only sound was the whoosh of traffic on the turnpike.
“Let’s go,” David whispered to Allie.
CHAPTER 13
Sasha Barrow
What a bitch!” Sasha said to Julian. They’d left the construction site and were walking through the woods off Connemara Road to bury the gun. Allie was with David far behind them, but Sasha was so mad she could spit. “Who does Allie think she is? I don’t even know why she’s here.”
“Because she’s in the pact.”
“Not anymore. She threatened to tell. If that’s not a violation of the pact, I don’t know what is.”
“She didn’t mean it. She’d never do it.”
“She’s a loser!”
“Losers don’t tell, so let it go.”
“You don’t know that. Girls know girls.” Sasha was mad at Julian, too. She wished she hadn’t invited him over to her house tonight. She’d intended to reward him for the bullets. “Why did you take her side against me?”
“I didn’t.”
“You did, too. You said I should shoot the tree. That’s taking her side.”
“It wasn’t about sides.”
“Everything’s about sides. You used to be on mine and now you’re not.”
“Yes, I am, you know that.”
“I did until today!” Sasha eyed him, gritting her teeth as they walked along. Julian looked upset, which made her happy.
“I got you the bullets.”
“So what? What’s the point if you won’t let me have any fun?” Sasha snorted. “Bullets are for shooting, and all I wanted to do was shoot. What should I do with the bullets? Throw them at the squirrel?”
“Sash, gimme a break.” Julian sighed, stepping over a log. The underbrush was getting thicker. “She was crying.”
“She had no reason to.”
“Her sister died. David told me.” Julian looked over, his expression reminding Sasha of a sad-face emoji.
“So? What does one have to do with another? What, I can’t have fun because her sister died? Why’d you even invite her?”
“David did.”
Sasha rolled her eyes, hard. “Ugh! Don’t tell me he likes her. He could do so much better.”
Julian moved a skinny tree limb aside so Sasha could pass. “Whatever, it was fun, wasn’t it?”
“It was fun until she ruined it.”
“I liked it more than I thought I would. It was easy.”
“Ha! I was a better shot than you. I could’ve hit that damn squirrel, too.”
Julian stepped over a rotted tree trunk, its wood crumbling. “It’s better you didn’t.”
“Because Allie cried like a baby? Boo-hoo. People hunt every day.”
“Not with a revolver.”
“What’s the difference what you shoot it with? It comes out dead either way.” Sasha made her way through some vines, almost at the bent tree. “So what about the bullets? You really want to bury them?”
“Yes, I already dug the hole.”
“I could take them home. Nobody will find them in my house.”
“What about Bonnie and Clyde?”
“They ignore what they’re not supposed to see, like my vibrator.”
“Really?” Julian’s eyes flared.
“Yes.” Sasha didn’t really have a vibrator, but she liked teasing him. Actually, she loved teasing him. She could do whatever she wanted with him. They started up the hill.
“Here’s where the gun was.” Julian pointed underneath the bent tree.
“Where’s the hole for the bullets? I don’t see one.”
“Good, that’s the idea. First let’s bury the gun.” Julian climbed to the bent tree, then set down his backpack, crouched, and moved the dried leaves and underbrush aside to reveal an empty hole, about a foot deep.
Sasha squatted next to him. “So tell me, where’s the hole?”
“Don’t be impatient.”
“When did you dig it?” Sasha asked as David and Allie started up the hill toward them. Sasha looked away from Allie, barely able to contain her anger.
Julian caught her eye. “Tell you what, Sash. Stand up, walk ten paces north, and you’ll find the hole for the bullets. The bullet hole.”
“Which way is north?” Sasha popped up.
“Follow your nose. Directly ahead. And walk it off on your