Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 95008 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 475(@200wpm)___ 380(@250wpm)___ 317(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95008 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 475(@200wpm)___ 380(@250wpm)___ 317(@300wpm)
“You look so funny in that mask,” Rose said, pulling a bandana out of her shirt pocket. She unfolded it with a flourish and tied it around her face. “But I understand the need for it.” She rolled her eyes above the bandana.
“Charlie gave it to me,” I said, adjusting the mask. “It’s actually not that bad. Once I’ve had it on for a while, I kind of get used to it.”
“Can you imagine if you had nasty breath, though?” Rose said jokingly. “Just huffing that shit back in.”
“Ew!”
“No kidding,” she said, nodding. “Good thing you have superior personal hygiene.”
“I am remarkably clean,” I laughed.
“I wish I could take credit for that,” Rose said, reaching over to squeeze my knee. “But you already had most of your good habits before I started bossing you around.” She looked over at my dad, her eyes crinkling at the corners.
“I got the good habits from my nana,” I joked.
“I’m glad they’re not here right now,” Rose said with a sigh. “It’s a relief to know that your other grandparents are in Montana not dealing with these fires and smoke and evacuations.”
“Yeah, I was surprised that Nana hadn’t called me yet—or started driving in our direction.”
“Your dad talked her out of coming here,” Rose said with a small chuckle. “But I’m sure she’ll call you tonight. She’s worried.”
“I am, too,” I confessed. “This feels like apocalypse shit.”
“Right?” Rose said, nodding as she opened her eyes wide. “That’s what I said to your dad earlier!”
“And I’m sure he gave some perfectly logical rebuttal,” I grumbled.
“Of course he did. He said all we’d have to do is drive a hundred miles away and we’d barely even be able to see the smoke. It’s just our little patch of ground that’s burning—everyone else is fine.”
I scoffed. “That we know of.”
Rose barked out a laugh, throwing her fists into the air. “You’re so my kid. I said the same goddamn thing!”
“The world ain’t ending and it ain’t on fire,” my dad said dryly, barely even glancing in our direction.
“How do you know?” Rose asked stubbornly.
“Not gettin’ into this again,” my dad replied.
“That’s because you know I’m right,” Rose shot back.
“It’s because we’re havin’ a conversation, sweetheart,” Grandpa Grease said, pointing his cigarette at Rose. “And you’re interruptin’ with your end of the world shit.”
“You, my friend,” Rose said, pointing back at her dad, “are butting in to a conversation that you were not invited to.”
“You’re invited,” my dad said to Grandpa Grease. “Welcome to the shitshow.”
“You’re both the worst and I have no clue why I put up with either of you,” Rose said, getting to her feet.
“Because you’re stuck with us,” Grandpa Grease said, grinning. “And you know it.”
“Come on, Kara,” Rose said, reaching out to grab my hand. “Let’s leave these old men to scratch their balls and tell each other how—with no experience whatsoever—they’d be fighting and winning against the forest fires.”
“Hey,” Casper called out. “I didn’t scratch my balls once since you came out here. I’m a fuckin’ gentleman.”
“Oh, my God,” I said to her, gagging as we walked toward the house. “Please do not ever refer to any of their balls again.”
“I won’t,” she said, squeezing my hand and shuddering. “I even grossed myself out with that one.”
As we stepped inside the house, I pulled off my mask and took a deep breath of semi-fresh air. It sucked—there was really no way to get away from the smoke. Even inside the house, you could still smell and taste it, it just wasn’t quite as thick.
“I wish they’d come inside,” Rose’s mom, Callie, said, wrinkling her nose at us. “The news said people should try and stay inside.” She pulled me into a hug.
“Hey, Gram,” I said, giving her a squeeze back.
“Your apartment’s in the red zone?” she asked, pulling away. “Did you get everything you needed out of there?”
“Yeah,” I replied, nodding. “Draco and Curt showed up and helped me get it all to my car.”
“Those boys,” Gram Callie said with a smile, wrapping her arm around my waist so she could tow me toward the kitchen. “They always go the extra mile to make sure everyone is taken care of.”
“Especially Kara,” Rose said insinuatingly from behind us.
“Shut it,” I shot over my shoulder.
“You better be careful,” Rose warned. “My mama doesn’t put up with any back talk.”
“Pfft,” Gram said, tightening her arm around my waist. “You deserved that one.”
“Yeah, you deserved it,” I called happily, flipping Rose off behind Gram’s back.
“Hey,” Rose complained, laughing. “A little respect here.”
“Be careful now,” Amy warned as we came into the kitchen. “Those biscuits are hot!”
“That’s how I like them,” Draco countered, grinning as he tossed a biscuit from one hand to the other.
“So hot that they adhere to the roof of your mouth and burn off your tastebuds?” Rose asked with a laugh. She reached for a biscuit on the baking sheet. “Me, too.”