He gets crushed and hopes he only whimpered in his head.
‘It’s confirmed,’ Kirby says. ‘He’s adorable.’
Moxie looks pleased and reaches over to tug Sam’s waistcoat. ‘And he helped me sew. He did quite a lot actually.’
‘Keep him,’ Kirby says. ‘Keep him for ever, Moxie.’
Moxie leans her head on Sam’s shoulder for a second. ‘I will.’
The circle Kirby was with now expands to devour Moxie. Girls from her class hug her and comment on the dress and she performs a small twirl on request. Her cheeks flush and she talks fifty miles a minute. This happy-Moxie is a sparkling explosion of life.
Sam steps back a little. It’s all this: people, the noise, the close crush of bodies that smell of lilac perfume and coconut shampoo, the popping soft drink cans, the crash of the sea, and their loudly happy laughs. It scares him.
They’re not marks and he’s not stealing.
He doesn’t fit here.
His fingers stray to his neck, to the key on a string, pressed warm against his chest. He imagines if he gets lost all he needs to do is pull out the key and say, Proof I belong to the De Laineys. Take me home.
A warm hand slips into his and he flinches before he sees Moxie peering up at him. Firelight dances in her eyes.
‘Do you want to go?’
Sam glances over at the cars where Jeremy and Jack are snatches of spiky hair and a salmon shirt. They definitely don’t look ready to go.
‘I’m fine.’ He tries to smile. He fails.
Kirby glides past with her eyes set on the boys in the cars. ‘Is it all right if I use your incredible costumes as a conversation opener with anyone who’s cute since you have Mister Sad-Eyed Gorgeous now and I’m alone in the world? Good, thanks, Moxie.’
‘Hey!’ Moxie sticks her tongue out at Kirby’s fast disappearing back.
‘Sad-eyed?’ Sam says.
‘In a sweet and adorable way.’ Moxie turns and her fingers find his jaw, so light on his skin, and he shivers. Just a little. She smiles at that. ‘Dance with me. Then we’ll tell my brothers we need to go get ice cream, because I know you’re an anxious wreck here.’
‘I said I’m fine—’
‘A considerate but very obvious lie.’ She takes Sam’s hand and drags him to the dancers.
The ocean whispers of seaweed and salt in the background while everyone dances. Music punches out of the speakers. Sand churns. Arms wave in the air as sweaty hair clings to foreheads.
Firelight heats Sam’s back and the sea breeze strokes his face.
They dance.
Moxie is all twirling arms and spinning rainbow skirt. Most of her hair falls from the braid and little white flowers cling to the damp strands. She catches Sam’s hands and he whirls her around. He can’t dance. He’s all elbows and knees.
He doesn’t care.
Let him embarrass himself. Just so long as he’s with Moxie.
The song ends and Moxie collapses against him. He puts his arms around her waist and they breathe raggedly together.
‘Your hair is glittering.’ Moxie runs her fingers across his scalp and shows him her speckled hand.
‘Permanently,’ he says. ‘Thanks for that, by the way.’
‘You’re welcome. At least this way I’ll always be able to find you.’
His smile is sad. It’s like the entire night sings goodbye.
He runs his thumb over her bottom lip. ‘Can we stop talking now?’
Her laugh is a burst of stardust.
He kisses her.
Maybe maybe maybe nothing matters past this party and this beach and this kiss. Moxie will be ablaze from all the praise of her sewing. Sam will hold her. He’ll figure out a way to stay, to make Avery safe.
It’ll all be fine.
Moxie sighs into his shoulder. She starts to say something, or maybe kiss him again, but a frown folds her face and she pulls away to look over his shoulder.
Sam turns.
Kirby is jogging towards them, face pinched.
A boy storms just ahead, fury in his jaw and eyes of murder.
‘Hey!’ he shouts. ‘Is that Sammy Lou?’
Sam’s hands drop away from Moxie.
The earth suddenly splits, a chasm caving downward like a fist just punched the world out from beneath him. The black hole takes everything – his heartbeat, his mind, the stars, his Moxie.
He’s alone, he’s just a shell, as the boy grabs the throat of his shirt. ‘You tried to kill my cousin, you piece of shit.’
Moxie shoves between the boy and Sam so fast they both stumble backwards.
The boy releases Sam’s throat.
He still can’t breathe.
‘What the hell?’ Moxie snaps. ‘Don’t touch him. Who are you?’
Kirby arrives, breathless. ‘Um, OK, whoa. Let’s calm down. Moxie, this is Griffin. Erm, Griffin … Moxie. And Sam is …’
Griffin’s lips peel back in a snarl. ‘You have some nerve showing up here, you twisted little freak.’
Blood rushes into Sam’s ears. Or maybe it’s the ocean. He can’t quite hear through the roar. He can’t quite see.
He needs to get out of here.
Run, Sammy.
Moxie’s body coils beside him, smile gone as she stares daggers at Griffin. ‘You want to explain yourself? Or do I just start yelling for my brothers? I have a lot of brothers.’
‘Oh, I’ll explain.’ Griffin stabs a finger against Sam’s chest so hard he flinches. ‘Did you know this kid is wanted for assault?’
Moxie slaps his hand away since Sam hasn’t moved a muscle to defend himself. ‘I’m pretty sure,’ she says coldly, ‘you have the wrong person.’
‘Yeah, sure I do. Sammy Lou? His brother is Avery and he’s got some sort of spastic disease.’ Griffin mimes one of Avery’s hand-flapping stims, his eyes cruel.
Sam’s stomach knots. ‘He doesn’t have a disease and there’s nothing wrong with him.’
Griffin ignores him. ‘They go to that public school on the south side. Well, went. They’d better be thrown out by now since he nearly beat my cousin to death.’
‘He did not.’ Moxie’s fury rolls off her in waves. ‘And don’t talk like that about his brother. That’s the most ableist crap I’ve ever heard.’