Chapter Four
Nora was hangry. Hungry because she’d missed lunch, and angry because it was her own fault for associating with Gwen and Tina.
Her plan had been to keep to herself at Firecamp, but after watching Fallon buddy up to the rest of the crew, Gwen and Tina’s sarcasm and indifference seemed like the right kind of part-time company.
She’d always thought of casual dope use as a victimless crime, until Gwen had started threatening Fallon.
Was Gwen telling the truth about having stuff other than weed?
Hearing that Fallon had run out of gas due to being ripped off by some random woman and not because of her own carelessness reinforced Nora’s impression of her as inexperienced and na?ve about the ways of the world.
She probably should have stood up for Fallon, but her aloof behavior was intended to make it clear that she wasn’t signing on to be her protector.
Still, she couldn’t stand by and let Gwen take charge through intimidation.
After keeping watch outside the cabin for ten minutes while Gwen and Tina vaped, Nora looked in to see them finishing off a bag of Doritos, something that could have taken the edge off her appetite if they’d bothered to share.
Fallon would have shared, a little voice inside her head suggested.
That’s not the point. Get in. Get out. Get on with your life.
* * *
The cry of triumph as the tree fell made Nora smile.
But when Fallon split her two-handed high fives between Jade and Kennedy, and then Hannah and Delores before stopping and turning away from her, Nora’s enjoyment faded.
Clearly, Fallon considered her “unfriended.” Nora had worried as Fallon leaned into her cut with that long, elegant mane, but she’d done well.
And none of that mattered, even when Gwen and Tina taunted Nora about being teacher’s pet.
She was the best sawyer in the crew, and that was more important to her than who she was or wasn’t friends with.
She’d be done with this place soon enough, and her real life would begin.
“Okay, crew.” Jade’s voice broke into her thoughts. “Do a quick cleanup and meet here in thirty minutes. I have a surprise for you.”
Nora found herself sharing the restroom with Fallon again, but Fallon seemed to have no interest in conversation as they washed up. Unaccountably, Nora felt obliged to try. “Hey, don’t worry about Gwen. She’s just—”
“I don’t care what you do or who you hang out with, Nora,” Fallon said, throwing Nora’s words from last night back at her.
“My plans may include socializing or making friends, but not with people like—” She cut herself off.
“I’m here for the summer, and longer, I hope.
” She faced Nora. “So you go your way, and I’ll go mine, okay? ”
Nora was too stunned to reply. Where had this tough-talking woman come from? Fallon was gone before she could even blink.
As they gathered around the parked cars, Fallon stood next to Ranger Upshaw, grinning as she chatted with Kennedy. “Now that everyone has successfully completed chainsaw training, we have a special treat for you,” Upshaw said, nodding to Jade.
“We’re going into town to get ice cream,” Jade announced. Hannah and Delores began murmuring excitedly. The day had been unseasonably warm, and Nora thought ice cream sounded good, but Gwen called, “How ’bout margaritas instead?” and Tina raised her fist in salute.
Jade just shook her head. “Fallon and Ranger Reva will each drive. But we need to be back in two hours. We break camp early tomorrow, and there’ll be lots of prep. Get it?”
“Got it,” the group called.
“Good. Now let’s get going.”
Hannah, Delores, and Kennedy rushed to Fallon’s car, leaving Nora, Gwen, and Tina to ride with Ranger Upshaw in her Ford Lariat.
Nora anticipated a lecture on their lack of enthusiasm, but Upshaw fiddled with the radio as soon as they were underway.
“There are two oldies stations in this valley,” she said.
“One only does pre-2000s, but the other is pretty good.” Turning up the volume, she began to hum along to the tune that came on.
The song was almost to the chorus before Nora recognized it. “Complicated” by Avril Lavigne.
Her brother Rudy had called her in to watch Lavigne’s video on MTV one day.
“I’m going to marry that girl someday.” Rudy had said that about every singer or actress that he found intriguing, but in this case, Nora could see the attraction quite clearly.
She hadn’t really listened to the words at the time but had begged Rudy to loan her a tie so she could imitate Avril’s look.
Gwen’s reminiscence sounded entirely different. “This is exactly what my sister taught me about life,” she yelled from the back seat before bellowing out the words.
The lesson fit what little Nora knew about Gwen, someone whose life seemed full of falls, breaks, and taking.
By the next chorus, they’d all joined in, laughing at each other’s rock star moves in the confines of the truck’s crew cab.
When the song was over, Gwen leaned out her window and howled like a coyote.
“What do you think that song was about?” Upshaw asked Nora when a commercial came on.
Feeling like she’d been called on to explain a poem back in English class, Nora stuttered. “Uh. I…not being fake, I guess.”
“I think so too. Like, not pretending to be something you aren’t just to impress others.” Reva spoke softly, cutting her a quick glance before turning onto a paved road. Nora sighed and looked out the window. Lecture delivered, however subtle.
The small town of Cascada was nestled about twenty miles below base camp. After they parked at the Swift River Ice Cream Shop, Gwen and Tina occupied themselves with primping as Nora casually scanned for Fallon’s car.
Upshaw apparently noticed. “Fallon told us about running out of gas and how your father saved her,” she said, opening her door.
“He must be a really great guy, and from what Jade says, he’s certainly taught you a lot.
Anyway, I gave Fallon the staff credit card to fill up her tank since she’s driving for the crew tonight.
She’ll be here in a minute.” Upshaw squinted into the back seat, adding, “Don’t waste time, girls.
We need to head out before long. And along with the best ice cream in town, this place has nice souvenirs if you’re interested. ” She disappeared into the shop.
Nora clenched her fists. Of course Fallon had painted her father as her savior, the lone hero. She lurched from the truck, slamming the door hard enough that Gwen and Tina stared after her as she threw herself onto one of the benches outside the shop door.
Gwen came over and patted Nora’s arm. “That’s bullshit,” she said. “I asked for an advance, and they flat said no.”
“Yeah,” Tina said. “How come Fallon gets special treatment?”
There was no way Nora was going to tell them what had actually upset her, so she kept quiet.
Right then, the classic red Cadillac pulled in next to Upshaw’s pickup, the radio blaring another oldie, “Livin’ La Vida Loca.
” Hannah hopped out of the passenger’s side, still singing along.
Fallon cut the engine but let the song continue to serenade the parking lot.
Delores got out of the back and opened the driver’s door, laughing as she pulled Fallon out, taking her hands and dancing with her.
Nora tried not to stare at the way Fallon moved and how her face lit up when she smiled.
“I guess having Mae’s credit card makes everyone else happy,” Tina said.
The song ended, and Jade began herding them inside. “I have an idea,” Nora said, working to unclench her jaw.
* * *
Upshaw’s pickup arrived at Firecamp, and Mae watched them all pile out before looking down the road. “Where’s Fallon?”
“She told us to go on, so we all rode together.” Delores worked her fingers through her hair, pulling out a few pine needles she’d gotten from riding in the truck bed. She turned to Kennedy. “Maybe she wanted to buy something more personal at the shop? It was really sweet of her to treat us all.”
Kennedy nodded. “And it fits that she didn’t say anything about it ahead of time.”
Nora hid her smirk. Fallon wouldn’t have said anything because she didn’t know she was buying until after the fact.
Then Upshaw walked over to Mae, handing her the credit card.
“I’m sure she’ll be right behind us. She should have a full tank of gas.
Check the charge when you have a minute, and we’ll know how much to deduct from her first paycheck. ”
Oh no. Nora swallowed before biting at her thumbnail. If Upshaw had already taken the card back, that meant Fallon couldn’t use it to pay for the ice cream. Gwen evidently reached the same conclusion and started to laugh.
“What?” Tina asked, always a little slow. Gwen whispered in her ear, and Tina giggled. “No way!”
“Shut up,” Nora said, running a hand through her hair.
She recalled the paltry bills that Fallon had offered her father.
Without that card, she could be charged with theft and an arrest on her record would…
“Shit.” Nora groaned. Once Fallon realized what was happening, why hadn’t she told someone, stopped them from leaving?
Nora turned abruptly to Jade, who’d walked up behind her.
“What’s going on, Nora? What are your buddies laughing at?”
“I think…” Nora took a breath. “I think there may be a problem.”
On the way back to town, Nora truly wished Upshaw would yell at her or at least give her a real lecture. The falling darkness made her feel worse. “It was supposed to be a joke,” she offered. “My brothers and I pulled this kind of stunt all the time.”
“So you said.” Reva’s voice was low and solemn. “We’ll see how funny Fallon thinks it is.”