Free Blood Run by Christine Dougherty Page B

at an in-between age at an in-between time motivated much of what she did, she just didn’t know it.
    Promise bothered Deidre on some fundamental level. She was a pretty girl but didn’t even care enough about that to wear make up. She’d been from a good, if slightly funky, family. She could have been popular here in the post-plague outpost; more than that, she should have been! Instead, she chose to hang around with that orphan, Lea. It was almost as though popularity didn’t mean anything to Promise, and for Deidre, that was unacceptable.
    “Who was that?” Peter asked.
    Promise shook her head, irritated. “She’s nobody, just a snob.”
    She rounded into 508, and Lea and Mark looked up in surprise from where they sat on Lea’s cot. Lea jumped up.
    “Oh gosh, I thought…when you weren’t here by four, I thought…” she trailed off and looked from Mark to Peter. Then she addressed Promise again, “You’re usually here before the curfew. Hi, Peter.” She smiled briefly and then dropped her eyes.
    Peter nodded. “Hi, Lea…hey, Mark.”
    “Hey, Peter. Hey, Promise,” Mark said. “You guys almost didn’t make it.” He smiled, and Promise smiled back, relieved. The last thing she wanted was more uncomfortable tension.
    “Yeah. It was a last-minute decision,” she said.
    “Hey, look at Ash,” Lea said as Promise turned to pull the door closed.
    They all looked.
    Ash was looking across to Snow, his head up and ears pricked forward. He was as still and watchful as Promise had ever seen him. Snow snorted softly and raised her head, and Ash blew out a breath as if he’d been holding it. Lea laughed with her hand over her mouth. “Love at first sight,” she said and glanced at Promise.
    For her part, Promise felt a small nip of jealousy, followed by a settling, a feeling of rightness she couldn’t have explained. Peter led Snow across the classroom, past the big windows to where Ash stood. The horses touched noses, breathing audibly. The light was fading from the sky, coloring everything a soft orange, and that last light of the day seemed to highlight the horses where they stood. Promise reflected to herself that you could practically hear the bond as it formed between them.
    Then Lady jumped up from where she’d tucked herself under a corner of the blanket, and all hell broke loose.
    The little terrier ran in circles at Snow’s feet, barking wildly and bouncing as if her legs were springs. She was mad. She nipped inches from Snow’s haunches, and Snow kicked one irritated leg back, whinnying nervously as her eyes rolled, trying to see behind her. Then the dog was at her front and jumped to bark and snap at her chest, and Snow stepped back, blowing in alarm. Ash’s head jerked up and down, and he snorted and pawed the ground, confused. Promise ran to grab Ash’s bridle as Peter scooped up the dog. She wriggled furiously in his arms, trying to push herself nearer the white horse, straining against his stomach with her skinny back legs.
    “Lady, stop! Stop it right now!” Lea said and grabbed Lady from Peter’s arms so he could calm Snow. “Lady, you hush now. Hush, baby.” Lea hugged Lady, planting kisses on the top of the dog’s hot little head, but still Lady struggled, whining. “Lady, no. You have to make friends. You have to make friends with pretty Snow.”
    Mark laughed and turned to bolt the door of the classroom, sliding a barrier system into place. He shook his head. “She’s just jealous,” he said, and then his face flushed as if he recalled his own jealous behavior in the cafeteria today.
    “Lady, say hi to Snow,” Lea said and brought the dog closer to where Peter held Snow’s bridle. Peter eyed the dog with caution, but smiled at Lea. Lea smiled back. “See, Lady, Snow is a nice horse.” She reached forward and caressed Snow’s nose, and the horse calmed under her hand. Lady’s wiry body relaxed by degrees, and when it seemed Lady was relaxed enough, Lea brought her