"Do you know anyone who died?" asked Cait.
"Only the bugs," replied Nellie. She drew in the dirt with a stick. "I'm probably getting some now."
"What kind of bugs are you catching now?" she asked, letting Nellie prattle on some more. Cait's only real experience with death had been family pets. She tipped her head to the side, closed her eyes, and half-nodded in rhythm with Nellie's speech.
"It's easy to catch the things like Japanese beetles because they're everywhere. But it's more exciting to use the jar for things like bees and wasps. It's neat how the chloroform just knocks them out when the jar is close enough beneath them. But then, so are you!" Nellie's older brother Bart was paying her fifty cents for each usable bug that could go in his collection. "I've found a few things that I can't identify yet. I know that's Bart's job, but now I'm really curious. Some of these little dudes are really cool-looking."
"Yeah. I think you'll miss this once his class is over," said Cait, brushing her red hair to the side. Nellie made a face but didn't say anything.
Other kids had started milling around the door, so Mr. Tronch waved them out a few minutes early. Sometimes kids hung out in the atrium after school, but Cait didn't feel like it today. "Bye, Nell. Call me later if you're doing anything," she said, swinging her backpack up to her shoulder. She heard her dad's voice in her head telling her to use both straps to protect her back and shoulders, but she hated how she looked with her backpack on that way. Like a kindergartner toddling off to class for the first time.
Cait caught sight of Reggie, the kid who walked the same way as her. He was 5'10" and always walked quickly, so she liked to challenge herself to keep him in her line of sight while walking. She didn't know anything about him other than what you could see--he got tall early.
Reggie must have been distracted because he wasn't keeping to his normal fast gait. He kept pulling out his phone like he was waiting for a text. Cait easily surpassed him from the other side of the street. Breaking her routine of following Reggie made Cait feel anxious. She readjusted her backpack to the other shoulder and started up the hill on Burlynd Street. She focused on her footfalls and tried to let her mind clear. She'd be the only one at home this time of day.
"Only the bugs," replied Nellie. She drew in the dirt with a stick. "I'm probably getting some now."
"What kind of bugs are you catching now?" she asked, letting Nellie prattle on some more. Cait's only real experience with death had been family pets. She tipped her head to the side, closed her eyes, and half-nodded in rhythm with Nellie's speech.
"It's easy to catch the things like Japanese beetles because they're everywhere. But it's more exciting to use the jar for things like bees and wasps. It's neat how the chloroform just knocks them out when the jar is close enough beneath them. But then, so are you!" Nellie's older brother Bart was paying her fifty cents for each usable bug that could go in his collection. "I've found a few things that I can't identify yet. I know that's Bart's job, but now I'm really curious. Some of these little dudes are really cool-looking."
"Yeah. I think you'll miss this once his class is over," said Cait, brushing her red hair to the side. Nellie made a face but didn't say anything.
Other kids had started milling around the door, so Mr. Tronch waved them out a few minutes early. Sometimes kids hung out in the atrium after school, but Cait didn't feel like it today. "Bye, Nell. Call me later if you're doing anything," she said, swinging her backpack up to her shoulder. She heard her dad's voice in her head telling her to use both straps to protect her back and shoulders, but she hated how she looked with her backpack on that way. Like a kindergartner toddling off to class for the first time.
Cait caught sight of Reggie, the kid who walked the same way as her. He was 5'10" and always walked quickly, so she liked to challenge herself to keep him in her line of sight while walking. She didn't know anything about him other than what you could see--he got tall early.
Reggie must have been distracted because he wasn't keeping to his normal fast gait. He kept pulling out his phone like he was waiting for a text. Cait easily surpassed him from the other side of the street. Breaking her routine of following Reggie made Cait feel anxious. She readjusted her backpack to the other shoulder and started up the hill on Burlynd Street. She focused on her footfalls and tried to let her mind clear. She'd be the only one at home this time of day.
