Podcast of a Teenage Super-Villian

Chapter Fifteen: Billie and a Side of Premeditated Murder

Song Choice: Bury A Friend—Cover by Ant Mas

"But we can't just leave," says Kai. Finn slumps in front of his car. It's a minivan, beige-gold, with a fender dented and the tires covered in an inch of mud. "What about Mr. Jackson—"

"He has a lot to worry about." Finn sighs. Chip is standing away from them, staring up at the gazebo ceiling. Its crisscrossed plywood slats send sunlight slithering across Chip's skin with every passing cloud. "Texting that we're following a criminal into—jeez, Starlight City." He shakes his head, flopping greasy curls into his face. "Starlight City. Can't we wait? Figure out a plan?"

Kai shrugs, itching at the collar of his borrowed shirt. One of Finn's, a mesh jersey that's been too small for Finn for years. It drapes to Kai's thighs. Chip's eyes slide over the small boy for only a second and then go back to the ceiling. Vines with purple flowers whisper between the slats in the wind. It's mesmerizing. Finn snaps his fingers.

"Dreamer, hey. Earth to Chip?"

But Chip's mind is far from the flowers. He's angry. Angry Max tried to apologize. Angry because he knows it was all a trap. Angry because it still hurts.

"Chip!"

He snaps his head up, pulling his phone out of his back pocket. "Sorry. Yeah, I talked to my aunt." As in, he left her a note. "Tell your parents everything in Silver Dollar reminds you of Monet, and you have to get away. Tell them you lied to her dad." He hates how many sentences have left his mouth, the cadence of them strange, stumbling. "They'll be mad. But it's either that or we let Max go."

Finn grumbles about the police and then shakes his head. "Get in. I got parents who'll be home in five minutes."

Kai reaches up on tiptoes and plucks a flower from the vines and presses it into Chip's open palm. Chip's jaw twitches open, but he doesn't say a word. He only turns over the silky petals and pinches the folds in response. So soft in his hands. Kai plucks another flower and tucks it behind Finn's ear. He has to stretch every limb to do it.

"Well," Finn says, as he throws open the driver side door. He turns the key and the engine whistles to a thrum. "Do you want me to back out or not?"

"No." Chip opens the back door and swallows at the stench. Something sour and something sordidly sweet. He slides into the seat closest to the smeared window and clips in his seatbelt.

Finn chuckles. This is the first time Chip's seen Finn smile at him, even the slightest grin, and he stiffens a little. "Sisters," he says. "Spilling milk and soda. There might be an old chicken nugget stuffed between the seats."

"I used to have a sister," Chip says, still running the petals through his fingertips. The velvety flower tears between them. His heart stops. The broken thing cupped in his hand disturbs him more than he would like to admit. The personable laughter dies on Finn's lips, and Chip cringes, knowing that like always, he mispoke. "Nevermind," he mumbles, to soft even for his ears. "How are yours?"

Finn is still staring at Chip, but he's grabbing a rubber band from the glove compartment and a handful of hairpins. He's still staring at Chip as Kai slides into the back seat beside Chip, shotgun unclaimed. And that nervous smile finally falters. Finn finishes his bun, flicks on the GPS, and reverses the car so quickly it hits the shed behind them. There's a crunch and a shout from both boys in the back, and Finn tosses a hand over his shoulder. "Delicate," he mutters, throwing the car into drive after a turn so sharp Kai is gripping Chip's arm.

And then they're off. Flying down the scraggly roads, the car shuddering and jolting, all respect for the speed limit thrown out the windows that Kai eagerly cranks open.