I wrote back LOL, but if I actually had laughed out loud, it would have been that nervous kind. Not ha ha funny laughter.
Levi went on. His cap kept sliding down his forehead, probably because his hair was freshly cut. “We’ve been told that all good things must come to an end. Even things that feel permanent. Stuff that maybe we take for granted. Like this town. Or for me, my mom. So how tightly are we supposed to hold on to stuff that we love? Really tightly? Or not at all? Should we be sad when they go away? Should we fight? Or is letting stuff we love go inevitable, like that old adage says?”
He paused. At first I thought it was a dramatic pause. But then I realized, no, Levi was waiting. Waiting for someone to tell him.
The entire crowd shifted uncomfortably in their seats, like a ship leaning to the side.
Jesse spun around and made a cuckoo face.
I could barely look at Levi. I had pushed him to go off his script. It definitely wasn’t boring, but it wasn’t exactly going well. He was just sort of standing there, rambling.
And God, oh no. I realized he was about to cry.
Sheriff Hamrick, who was only one row ahead of me, had his jaw set. But the veins in his forehead were bulging. He was not happy.
I had to do something.
I let my phone fall into my lap, cupped my hands, and started one of those slow golf claps. Clap. Clap. Clap. Nice and slow. Other people began to join in and speeded up. Clap clap clap. I stomped along with it too, and other people joined in. The room filled with thunder. Clapclapclapclap.
“Right, okay,” Levi said, as if someone had told him to get offstage. He nodded and went back to his seat.
Then, after a few more speeches, it was diploma time.
When the vice-principal said Jesse’s name, I whooped and hollered. Jesse came across the stage with a snorkeling face mask and breathing tube in his mouth and flippers on his feet. And moved his arms like he was swimming. That got a good bit of applause, probably the most of everyone. He took his diploma, shook the vice-principal’s hand, and went back to his seat.
Levi crossed the stage, and I clapped for him, too. I felt bad that it was so quiet. He looked shell-shocked from his speech. Vacant.
A heavy silence came over the entire room once all the diplomas were handed out. I think because we knew this was the end. Not just of their senior year, but of Aberdeen High.
The graduates stood up and filed past us. The band played them out, but it sounded more like a funeral march.
I got up, smoothed my skirt.
Everyone was hanging out on the front lawn, taking pictures, hugging teachers, crying. There were four huge Dumpsters parked along the bus lanes. Mayor Aversano was wasting no time.
I looked around and saw Jesse getting his picture taken with Julia. His mother was taking the photo with her phone, and Jesse had Julia perched up on his shoulder, as if she were a parrot. The man I had seen at the Walmart, Jesse’s dad, was not there. Which was a relief.
I walked over slowly, hoping Jesse would see me before I got there. But he was too busy playing with Julia, running around the parking lot, trying to grab his diving mask back.
“Way to graduate,” I said, and gave his arm a playful punch. “The swim gear was a nice touch.”
“Thanks.” He ducked and gave me a quick peck on the cheek before he went back to chasing Julia.
“This is my mask! I’m going to need it for our new swimming pool!”
I figured Julia was talking about the kiddie pool we had bought for Secret Prom. Jesse scooped her up and covered her mouth. Maybe because he was embarrassed that he hadn’t paid me back yet? Then he said, “Keeley, what are you doing now? Let’s go eat breakfast somewhere. And then I was thinking we go and shoot a video about you know what. Reiterate the instructions, make sure everyone knows it’s going off tomorrow, rain or shine.”
“Sure, okay. I don’t think I have work until later.” I pulled out my phone, thinking I should text Levi, but Jesse snatched it away.
Jesse rolled his eyes. “I bet Levi doesn’t take off for graduation.”
Julia broke free and Jesse chased her again. I found myself standing next to Jesse’s mom.
“Hi, I’m Keeley.” I waited for a flash of recognition. “Um, Jim Hewitt’s daughter?” She looked blank. “The Reservoir Resistance.”
Jesse’s mom nodded, but she still looked confused. Or maybe she was just distracted. I wanted to ask her about the petition, not give her a hard sell, but maybe casually mention it, but Jesse was calling, “Keeley!” He gave the mask back to Julia and sent her running toward Jesse’s mom. “Let’s go!”
“Bye,” I said shyly to Jesse’s mom.
Jesse put his arm around me. I kept glancing back at the school. It was starting to sink in that this was it. Really it.
“I’m just going to say bye to Zito. Here’s my keys.”
“Oh. Okay.”
Jesse took off. Zito was near his car with his family. Jesse came up and gave him a high five, hugged a woman I assumed was Zito’s mom. He lifted her off the ground the same way he did to me sometimes. Zito’s mom kicked her legs and squirmed.
I looked around and saw Levi standing a few feet away, next to Sheriff Hamrick. Levi smiled obligatorily as his dad took his picture with his phone. Then the two stood side by side, surveying the parking lot. A couple of teachers came up and patted Levi on the back. And also a couple of the AP nerds. But that was it.
I wanted to go over to him, tell him I liked his speech. And I totally would have, if not for Jesse crouching down, waiting for me to hop on his back so he could give me a piggyback ride to his car. A minute later, he was driving us out of our former high school parking lot for the last time.
As we pulled away I thought about the locket I’d passed up to buy with my Spring Formal dress. Sometimes I regretted it, but I wasn’t sure what I would have fit in a locket anyway. There were suddenly a million memories I wanted to hold on to. I didn’t want to let anything go.
• • •
I texted Levi after lunch. Hey where are you?
At the police station picking up today’s paperwork.
Oh. Do you have a lot of houses to see?
Yeah.
Immediately after, he wrote, Sorry. I know that’s not what you want to hear.
It’s fine, I wrote. I can help you again if you want. You don’t have to pay me double this time. Consider it a graduation present.
Okay, thanks.
He texted me the first address.
My stomach growled. I had done the dainty eating routine at the diner with Jesse. Can you maybe bring me something to eat? I mean, there are donuts at the police station, right? Cops and donuts, that’s a thing, isn’t it?
Unreal.
And then, a few seconds later, I got you a chocolate glazed.
• • •
Our first house of the day was in the flood zone. And the closer I got to the river, the more red Xs I saw painted on front doors. There were mountains of garbage and furniture on every corner, some as high as the street signs. It was a little bit scary, actually. Like an apocalypse.
Levi was waiting on the curb, and as soon as he saw me walking toward him, he stood up and pushed the hood of his sweatshirt off his head.
“I forgot to tell you that I liked your speech,” I said. “In case you were wondering.”
“I’m glad you did.”
“What do you mean?”
“My dad.” He shook his head and handed me my chocolate donut. He’d put it in a Ziploc bag, along with a napkin. “I think he was looking forward to graduation more because it meant I was that much closer to leaving.”
“Why do you say that? He’s got to be proud of you.”
“I know he’s proud. But he’s also, like, pushing me out the door. It was his idea that I do this precollege summer class. I told him it doesn’t matter, it’s not like I’m getting credit for it or anything. I’d rather stay here and help out. But he won’t listen. He actually
told me this morning, ‘You want this to hurt as little as possible? Then you need to rip the Band-Aid off as fast as you can.’ ”
“Yeesh.”
“I know.”
And then, I think because neither of us knew what to say next, we turned our attention to the clipboard, checked the address on his paper against the one we were standing in front of. The sheet was full of addresses, people who were gone.
This particular house was more like a cottage. It was small and plain and utilitarian, closer to a garage than a home. It looked to have had a nice flower garden, at least before the flood. Now it was as if a tractor had plowed straight through the beds, tearing out the flowers, snapping wooden garden stakes in half, crushing the ceramic lawn ornaments.
A fallen elm had taken down half the front porch. Someone had put a chain saw to the limbs blocking the door. The front window was nailed over with plywood. Levi pushed the front door open wide. The living room stayed dark, because of the plywood, so we used flashlights.
The rooms were still full of everything, but nothing was where it belonged. Things had floated and bobbed to new places. We stepped through carefully. The brown carpet was still soggy like moss. Mud slicked the walls.
This was the first and only time I was afraid to be in one of these houses.
I leaned past Levi and glanced into the kitchen. There were stacks of canned goods on the table and a pile of dirty dishes in the sink. “Jeez,” I said. “Did this guy take anything with him?”
“Hello?” Levi called out.
No one answered.
So we shrugged at each other and then got to work. Jesse flicked light switches while I turned the stove knobs in the kitchen and listened for a hiss.
“I think the gas is off,” I called out.
“Okay. I’ll check the lights in the back bedroom.” He pointed at a room off the kitchen, where a bed was covered in blankets.
We were both looking when a body sat up.
I screamed and Levi instinctively put himself ahead of me.
“One minute,” a man’s voice grumbled.
Levi turned to me, eyes wide. “Go outside. I’m going to call my dad,” he whispered.
Before I could, the man spoke again.
“I wasn’t expecting guests.” There was a phlegmy cough, the kind only an old person could achieve. “Let me get on some pants.”
I laughed but Levi hushed me and said, “Thanks, sir! We’d appreciate that.”
Fifteen minutes later, we cleared up the misunderstanding. Russell Dixon had not evacuated. There was apparently some confusion, as the adjusters had come to visit him a few days ago. They had made him an offer and then condemned his house, leaving him no real choice in the matter. But Mr. Dixon wasn’t aware of that. He simply thanked the men for their time, but only so they’d get the hell off his property.
Mr. Dixon was one of the people who’d come to our house that first morning after the flood. And his was one of the names on my dad’s petition.
When we explained the mistake, he looked so sad. “I feel like this is my fault. I was trying to be polite to these guys.”
“It’s not.”
He sat across from us at his kitchen table, with his salt-white hair and a scruffy beard that helped fill out his hollow face. He had on a stained button-up shirt and pants that were too big for him. To me, he said, “Your daddy’s been by here a few times, fixing stuff for me. He checks in on me, brings me groceries, and makes sure I’m okay. I’d been meaning to tell him they shut my power off, but I know he’s real busy with other folks. I didn’t want to bother him.” He sighed. “I’d offer to make you kids some tea or something, but I don’t have no water, neither. I’m on the well but the pump’s electric.”
Levi pulled me aside. “Mr. Dixon can’t stay here. Especially not with this new storm coming. I just texted my dad.”
I felt my lip curl. “Levi! Why’d you do that without talking to me first!”
Levi opened his mouth to defend himself. But thankfully he thought better of it.
I stepped outside and called Dad.
“Yeah, Kee. What’s up?”
“Dad, I’m at Russell Dixon’s place.”
“Oh, no. Is everything okay?”
“Yeah. I mean, no. They’ve condemned his house. He didn’t even know. And now I think the police are coming over to take him away.”
“Damn.”
“Dad, he can’t stay here. And not just because of that. His house is like . . . falling down. He doesn’t have water, electricity . . .” I welled up, because it was just so sad. I wanted to ask him, Did you know? Did you know things were this bad?
Dad let out a sigh. “I’m on my way.”
When I went back into the kitchen, Levi was sweeping the floor. I knew why. He didn’t want to have a conversation with Mr. Dixon.
Mr. Dixon looked at me and said, “Please tell this boy to put that broom down. A little dirt ain’t going to kill me and sweeping it up ain’t going to save me, neither.” He wasn’t mad. He was smiling.
“He just wants to help.” I said it even though, suddenly, none of what we were doing felt that way, no matter how Levi tried to spin it.
Mr. Dixon lifted a shaky hand and smoothed his hair. “Do you think they’re going to make me go right now?”
Levi glanced at me. I pressed my lips together. I sure as hell wasn’t going to break the news to Mr. Dixon. Quietly, Levi said, “Probably.”
“Did you want us to help you pack anything up? We can put some clothes in a bag for you.”
Mr. Dixon glanced around his house. It was almost too overwhelming. All of his possessions, everywhere.
“Well.” He rubbed his chin. “I’d like to take some of these paintings, if I can.” He pointed around. Some were hanging up on the walls, but others were piled on the floor. There were maybe forty paintings. And those were the ones I saw. Who knew how many were in other rooms. “My wife . . . she took up painting after she retired from the mill. And these remind me of the things we did together. She was good, wasn’t she?” He got up. “I guess I can’t take them all. I don’t even know where I’m going.” He looked up at me. I couldn’t tell if his eyes were watery, or just wet in that old man way. “Maybe you two could help me decide?”
• • •
I was so angry when we finally got outside. “They were going to condemn this house with him in it! Is this really the side you’re on? Pushing people out of their homes like this?”
“Pushing him out? Keeley, this home isn’t safe for a dog, never mind a person. How could your dad let him live like this in good conscience?”
“My dad is taking care of a lot of people, okay? And it wouldn’t have to be all up to him if the governor wasn’t such an asshole.”
“Well, I hope your dad is doing a better job with the others than he is with Mr. Dixon.”
I glared at him. How could he say that?
Our dads pulled up at exactly the same time.
My dad and Sheriff Hamrick were bumper to bumper.
“This isn’t right,” Dad started in.
“Now, hold on a second, Jim.”
“Where are you going to take him?” Dad was shouting.
“Tonight? To a shelter. And then tomorrow he can talk with the adjusters again, maybe with someone to help him understand what’s going on.”
“You’re damn right he will. I’ll be with him this time.” Dad scoffed. “All this for a stupid housing deal in the city. You know it. I know it.”
Sheriff Hamrick put his hands behind his back. “I’m not going to say you’re wrong, Jim. These plans have been in the works for a long time. And they won’t let you stand in the way.” He tried to take a step forward. “Take care of your family. Do the right thing, before it’s too late. Check the weather. You don’t have much time.”
Dad gripped the head of his cane so hard, his knuckles turned white. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Your daughter is helping people. What are
you doing? Who are you looking out for?”
Dad turned as dark as a storm cloud. And I did too. I wouldn’t say my dad was a hero. Far from it. But he was trying to do the right thing.
I jumped in to defend him. Sheriff Hamrick might have had Levi under his thumb, but not me. “This job isn’t about helping people. It’s about pushing them out. And you know what, I never wanted it in the first place. I quit.”
Levi’s face fell, but I needed my dad to know I was behind him 100 percent.
If Dad was at all intimidated by Sheriff Hamrick, he didn’t show it. He walked straight into Russell Dixon’s house. I followed him, of course. I’d like to think that maybe Levi would have come with us, if not for his dad. But he didn’t. Sheriff Hamrick put Levi’s bike in the trunk of his squad car, and the two of them drove away.
32
* * *
Saturday, May 28
EMERGENCY BROADCAST SYSTEM ALERT: A Flash Flood Watch has been issued for Aberdeen County and Waterford City for the next 24 hours as we continue to track a developing storm. Rain is expected to begin this evening. Saturated areas will be particularly susceptible to heavy runoff and debris flows. Residents are being asked to monitor later forecasts and be prepared to take action should an upgrade to a Flash Flood Warning be deemed necessary.
* * *
I doubt anyone would have guessed I was heading to prom. I was disguised as a Normal Girl Attending a Sleepover Party—navy sweatshirt over a black-and-white-striped tank top, and dark-rinse skinny jeans, my hair in a ponytail, my skin clean and completely free of makeup. Inside the sleeping bag was Mom’s old dress and a pair of nude patent leather heels that pinched like hell but that I would suffer through. I tucked my pillow under my arm.
Oh, and galoshes. I was back in my damn galoshes.
But strip off my clothes and I was a prom paper doll ready to be dressed. I’d triple-shaved my legs to make sure every inch was smooth. My feet were pumiced and lotioned, with toenails painted raspberry red. I’d dotted perfume along my collarbone. I had on my strapless bra and my cutest pair of underwear, a pale pink cotton bikini with a ruffled edge, because Morgan had reminded me that Jesse and I would probably share a sleeping bag.