Fire in the Woods Preview

Chapter 3

I sprinted down my street and stopped at the edge of the sidewalk. Busted. Dad's car sat in his favorite parking space, still creaking as the engine cooled. How in God's name was I supposed to sneak a bag of ice out of the house with Dad home? The back door!

The handle of the rear screen door clicked as I tiptoed into the kitchen.

Dad's voice came from the living room. "I did tell her to stay home. Mom, I just don't know what to do with her anymore. She doesn't follow orders at all."

Why was he talking to Grandma about me? Didn't matter. I had to get that ice. I inched toward the freezer.

"I know she's not one of my soldiers. Believe me. If she was, she'd think about the big picture and not focus on herself all the time. And she wouldn't do such stupid things. I swear she does this to piss me off."

I gritted my teeth and slid the ice tray out of the freezer. What dad considered stupid things were all the things that were important to me that he didn't understand. If he'd look up and beyond that stupid uniform he wore all the time, he'd realize there was more to life than—

"And this dumb photography thing—dammit Mom, I wish you never bought her that camera."

I froze. My heart wiggled its way into my throat.

"Give her space? Let her make her mistakes? What kind of advice is that?"

Photography wasn't a mistake. It was my life, my passion, my—

"Mom, I need help with her. I thought I could manage it alone, but I can't. All I'm asking is for you to come for a week or so, just until school starts. There's too much going on and I just can't trust her anymore."

Can't trust me?

Grandma?

My stomach did a somersault and missed the landing. The ice container slipped out of my hands and crashed on the floor.

"Mom, she's back. I gotta go."

I dropped to my knees, taking deep breaths as I scooped the slippery cubes off the linoleum. My hands shook. Why couldn't he understand how much that camera meant to me? Why couldn't he understand that his dreams weren't the same as mine? I shoved the container back into the freezer and sat down at the kitchen table. I doodled the deer's antlers on the edge of a pad, trying to calm myself down as I prepared for the impending fight.

Dad barreled around the corner. "Jess, where have you been?"

"I told you, I went to the store."

"You were supposed to stay home."

"You said last night. I went out this morning."

His face reddened. "When I tell you to stay home, I need you to stay home."

"I left a note and everything, didn't I? And I called, like a good little soldier, but as usual, you didn't pick up the phone. You never pick up the phone."

"Don't you try to turn this around on me."

"Don't worry. I didn't do any more stupid things." I pushed past him and stormed up the stairs.

"Jessica!"

I slammed my bedroom door. The covers poofed up around me as I flopped onto my bed. Only think about myself? Dumb photography? What did he know? I rolled over and hugged my pillow. It was the same argument, different day. Nothing would change. Ever.

By now, Dad was probably half way to counting to a hundred to calm down. He'd need to get to two-hundred before he'd come up here and give his stylized lame apology. God, I hated that part.