Free Violet Raines Almost Got Struck by Lightning by Danette Haworth Page B

says and snatches my arm. “They can’t live here if they can’t fix it.”
    Lottie clenches her teeth and turns on us. Her eyes glitter. “Shut up! Just shut up, okay?”
    I feel like I just been slapped. Tears well up in my eyes.
    Lottie says, “I’m sorry, you guys, okay? I just—”
    Mrs. Townsend turns to us. Her eyes are moist and her voice cracks when she speaks. “Girls, this isn’t a good time right now.” She rubs her eyes. “Maybe you should go home.”
    I stumble down Lottie’s steps like a blind person, my eyes are so blurry with tears. It’s raining good now, but no thunder or lightning.
    Melissa blocks my path and leans into me. “This is your fault,” she hisses. I imagine horns on top of her head.
    â€œNo, it’s not,” I say. “It was the antenna! Lottie said so herself.” I wipe the rain from my cheeks.
    Putting her hands on her hips, she gets in my face and says, “Of course she said that. She doesn’t want you to feel bad.”
    It wasn’t my fault. I would die if it were my fault. “Florida’s the lightning capital of the United States,” I shout. “Eddie told me that.”
    She smirks. “Oh, yeah—your loverboy.”
    I can’t take no more of it. I clench my teeth and push her.
    She trips backward. Her eyes go wide open, then she gets her balance back and her meanness too. “Are you going to pull my hair now?”
    My feelings are swirling around and I can’t fight good right now. “Shut up!”
    She snorts. “Nice comeback. What else did you learn on the playground?”
    It’s too much. I lunge at her, but she’s onto me this time and slips out of the way. Without a target to hit, my body swings out of balance, my arms spin like windmills, and my legs tangle. I fall in a heap.
    When I get up, Melissa has a superior look on her face. On a good day, I could wipe that look off in ten seconds, maybe nine. But this ain’t a good day. I get up, brush myself off, and stalk past her through the rain to my house.
    Usually, I like sun showers, but I can’t see no rainbow in this one.

19
    I’m on my porch, two doormats away from the fattest dragonfly I’ve ever seen. I don’t even know what I’ll do if I catch him.
    â€œViolet!” Lottie’s voice.
    At first, I flick my eyes up without moving, but then I see Melissa with her, so I straighten up and act like I was just waiting for them to come down the road. The dragonfly takes off. My shoulders slump and I plop down on our porch swing.
    They get to my front walk and climb up the porch steps.
    â€œWhat were you doing?” Melissa asks snidely.
    â€œWhat were you doing?” I ask back in the same voice.
    She huffs and rolls her eyes.
    Lottie sits on the swing beside me. There’s enough room for Melissa, but she don’t sit down. Lottie says, “We’re going to search for shells by the bridge. Want to come?”
    â€™Course I do. “Let me just close up the house.” I wonder if Lottie had to ask special permission from Melissa to invite me. Suddenly, I’m glad I let Melissa come to the cave with us that day.
    I go in, and as soon as the door swings shut, I hear Melissa talking. She don’t know the windows are open. I hide real quick behind the sheer drapes in case anything gets said I should know about. They can’t see me, but I can see Melissa’s face and the back of Lottie’s head.
    â€œDo you think she’ll find out today?” Melissa asks.
    Ooh, I’m so glad I’m catching this secret.
    Lottie waits for a second before answering. It must be something important.
    â€œNo, because Chad is still in a coma, remember?”
    What? Who’s Chad? I know everyone Lottie knows, and I sure haven’t heard about no Chad in a coma.
    â€œOh, yeah,” Melissa says. “I can’t believe they ended the