“Dani, no!” I said.
“It’s just hair,” she said, her voice irritated, already tying the scarf around Courtney’s neck.
The boy went into the kitchen and came back with some scissors. Dani stood up, pulling Courtney up with her.
“Come on, sweetie.”
We crowded into the small bathroom. Dani flipped the toilet seat down, eased Courtney onto it. Dani took a breath, picked up the scissors, grabbed the back of her hair in one big chunk, and started hacking at it. I held my hand over my mouth, trying not to cry. When she’d cut off the bulk of it, which she dropped into the garbage, she cut the rest in a choppy style. She wet her hands and ruffled her hair until it was standing up in tousled spikes. It made her eyes look bigger.
She undid her shirt, pulled the tank top down over her head, while I helped Courtney with hers. Then Dani smoothed some foundation onto Courtney’s face, wetting the old, cakey makeup so it would spread over the bruises. She pulled Courtney’s hair back in a braid. While they were busy, I ringed my eyes with black and coated my face with pale powder. I stared at myself in the mirror.
I looked dead. Haunted.
“Come on,” Dani said.
We walked back out into the living room. Owen stood up from where he’d been waiting on the couch. He looked nervous.
“I was thinking … three of you kind of stand out, you know? Maybe you shouldn’t sit together.”
I looked at Dani. “He’s right.” Whether it was the cops or the boys looking for us, more people would remember three girls.
“We can’t all sit by ourselves.” I knew she was worried about Courtney.
“Maybe you two can pretend to be like girlfriends or something,” I said.
“That’s a good idea,” Owen said. “Like she could rest on you and you could hold her hand, you know?”
“We probably shouldn’t get picked up together in Vancouver either,” Dani said. She looked at me. “But I don’t want to leave you behind.”
“I can do it. I’ll be okay.” I didn’t really want to be separated from my sisters, but Dani was right. Then I realized it might look weird if the same vehicle came and got me. “Or maybe I should wait somewhere else?”
“There’s a park I think you could walk to,” Owen said.
“We better hurry,” I said.
*
We followed Owen down the back stairs and into a side garage. They had a big truck, a black crew cab with seats in the back. Owen opened the back door, waiting for me. I hesitated, remembering.
Want to go for a swim?
Owen was watching my face. Did he know what they’d done to us? Could he tell? I looked away.
“My dad, you can trust him,” Owen said. “We won’t tell anyone.”
“Why?” I said, meeting his eyes.
“He was in prison, for years. He looks out for people now.” I thought about the gun under the china cabinet.
Dani, on the other side of the truck, said, “What was he in jail for?”
“He killed a man in a bar fight. Self-defense, but he still got time.”
“What about his friend?” I said.
“He was in prison too. He’s cool—he taught me how to box. He’ll take care of you.”
*
We pulled up beside the bus station. Owen gave Dani some cash. The light on the dash told us it was three in the morning.
“I’ll stay with you until the bus comes,” he said. “If you want to get some sleep, I’ll keep a lookout.”
I was exhausted, my body hurting all over, but I didn’t want to sleep.
“I’m fine,” I said.
“Me too,” Dani said from the passenger seat. In the back with me, Courtney was leaning up against the side, sleeping.
“Remember to act like strangers on the bus,” Owen said.
“We’re not idiots,” I said.
He glanced back at me. “Sorry. I’m just trying to help.”
“It’s okay,” I said, feeling bad.
“There are a couple of stops,” Owen said, “but you should be in Vancouver by lunchtime.” He looked at me again. “When you get to the station, just start walking to the park.”
“How do I get there?” I was nervous about getting off in a strange city without my sisters.
“Stick to the main road and head straight. There are cameras at the station so you don’t want to stay there long.”
“Should I get out now?” I said.
“Yeah, maybe sit on the bench outside the station until it opens. We’ll keep an eye on you from here. Anyone bothers you, I’ll come get you.”
“Okay.” I took a breath, climbed out with my packsack on my shoulder, gave Dani a look through the window. “See you on the bus.”
“Don’t worry,” she said. “This is the safest way.”
Owen got out and grabbed something from the back of the truck, handed me a skateboard covered in stickers.
“This’ll make you look like a skater chick.”
I stared at the board, then back at him. He flushed.