Maggie flipped off the bathroom light and made her way through the dark house. Everyone else was asleep, or at least she thought they were. As quietly as she could, she opened the front door. In the moonlight she saw John Carl sitting on the porch couch. What was he doing? If Daddy caught him…

John Carl stood. It was too dark to see his face but she could feel his eyes on her. He asked, "Could I kiss you good night?"

Maggie stared at him. Two stupid questions flitted through her head. Had he kissed Brenda that night ? And, if he had would he still have her germs on his lips? Two more questions came to mind. If she let him kiss her, what would it mean? If she didn’t what would he do? Panic seized her. She’d never had a real kiss before.

He took a step towards her and then reached for her. Something bigger than her fear pushed Maggie into his arms. He brought his lips down on hers. They were soft, but through them Maggie felt the oppressive force of his grief. The sensation was suffocating. She couldn’t breathe. He pulled her closer. So close she could feel the beat of his heart. It was beating funny. She wanted him to stop.

The front door swung open. The porch light flipped on. Maggie knew without turning around that it was Billy. He must have seen John Carl kissing her through their bedroom window.

Billy shouted, “Let go of her. Can’t you see she doesn’t want you to kiss her?”

Instantly, John Carl let go. He looked down at her. She whispered, “I did want you to.” He touched her face with his hand.

Billy warned, “Don’t kiss her again.”

John Carl asked, “Why not?”

They were so loud they had probably woken everyone up by now. Especially Daddy. He was going to be so mad. Maggie stepped from between the boys.

Billy snarled, “Cause you got a girlfriend.”

With a slight jerk of his head, John Carl said, “Last time I checked, so do you.”

All at once Maggie felt dirty. Did they just kiss her because they could? Because she hadn’t stopped them?

Billy moved towards John Carl. He had his fist wadded in a ball. Before Maggie could say anything, Billy’s fist made contact with John Carl’s chin. John Carl’s reaction was so swift, Maggie wasn’t sure she even saw the blow. The next thing she knew, Billy was falling backwards, in a slow motion, it was so weird. She saw his head hit on the wooden armrest of the couch. It bounced against his chest. His body twisted sideways and landed with a thud on the floor. He didn’t get up. He didn’t move. Blood trickled from his mouth.

Unbidden, Billy’s words echoed in Maggie’s mind, “Without Daniel around, I'm afraid John Carl and I might kill each other one day.” Had this fear been realized already?

Terrified, John Carl backed away from his brother.

The house lights turned on. Bill was the first one out the door. He looked from Billy to John Carl and asked, “What did you do now?”

John Carl ducked his head and spun around. He banged the screen door open and ran into the night. The door closed with a jarring thwack.

Garnet came out onto the porch in her robe. Behind her was Mama. When Garnet saw Billy, her face turned ashen. Her knees buckled. Mama grabbed hold of her.

Daddy was the next one out. He went to Billy’s side. Carefully he lifted Billy’s eyelids. Then he listened to his chest. He pulled Billy’s lip away from his teeth and said “Looks like he just busted his lip. I don’t think the bleeding is internal. Maggie, go get my first aid kit and my flashing light out of the car.” He tossed her his keys.

Amazingly, she caught them and headed out the screen door. She listened for the sound of running feet. The night was still. Where had John Carl gone? She went to the Mustang and unlocked it. Daddy’s flashing light was on the dash. She tucked it under her arm. The first aid kit was under the front seat. She got it, slammed the door shut and raced back to the porch.

Daddy took the first aid kit from her and pulled out a small tube. He opened it and waved it under Billy’s nose. It smelled terrible. Billy did not stir. Daddy shook his head.

Garnet asked, “Is it bad?”

“I don’t know,” Daddy said. He looked at Maggie. “Go call Woody. We need his help moving Billy.”

Maggie ran inside. Skeeter sat up on the fold out couch and rubbed his eyes. “What’s going on?”

“Billy’s hurt. Skeeter, do you know Uncle Woody’s phone number?”

“Sure.” He got out of bed and went to the phone. His small finger punched out the numbers.

Maggie put the receiver to her ear. Uncle Woody’s sleepy voice said, “Hello.”

“Uncle Woody, Billy’s been hurt. We need you.”

“I will be there in a second princess.” He hung up the phone.

Skeeter followed Maggie out onto the porch.

Bill held up a piece of plywood. He asked, “Will this do?”

Daddy nodded. “Just put it here beside him.”

Bill did. When he stood, he looked at Maggie and asked, “What happened here?”

“Uh,” Maggie hesitated. How could she say it? This happened because of her. “Uhmm, John Carl kissed me and it made Billy mad and he hit John Carl, then John Carl hit Billy. Then Billy fell and hit his head on the couch." Maggie wished she could spontaneously combust right there.

Bitterly Bill said, “Idiots. I thought those jack asses I call sons would have learned something by now.”

Maggie stuttered, “I’m, I’m sorry.” She dropped her eyes to the floor.

Bill said, “Wasn’t your fault. If it hadn’t been you it would have been something else they were fighting about.”

Maggie felt Bill put his hand on her shoulder. She couldn’t look at him.

Uncle Woody clumped onto the porch.

Daddy said, “Woody we have to move Billy onto this board, in case he has broken his neck.”

Garnet shuddered.

With cautious hands, the men slid Billy onto the board.

Daddy said, “Lift it slow on the count of three. One, two, three.” Daddy was so calm, so in control. He knew what he was doing. For the first time in her life, Maggie wondered how many people her father had rescued as a fireman. Slowly they lifted Billy, careful to keep him level. Daddy told Maggie, “Open the door.”

Still holding the flashing light, she pushed open the screen door with her back. Her eyes raced across the darkness. Somewhere out there was John Carl. Was he watching them?

The three men took Billy out to the bed of Daniel’s truck. Once they got Billy settled, Daddy said, “Maggie, I need my light.” She handed the light to him. It had a magnet and suction cups on it. He attached it to the top of Daniel’s truck and put the cord into the cigarette lighter. The light began to spin and flash.

Garnet got into the back with Billy, so did Daddy. Mama climbed in front with Bill. Slowly Bill backed out and made his way down the drive.

A small hand slipped into Maggie’s. She looked down. Skeeter’s eyes were wide and frightened, he asked, “Is Billy gonna die too?”

“I hope not.”

*

Uncle Woody’s boys were asleep in Daniel’s room. Corey Jean had slept through everything and was still asleep. Maggie lay beside Skeeter on the fold out couch. Uncle Woody was asleep in Bill’s recliner. John Carl had never come home.

Careful not the make the metal frame of the fold out couch creak, Maggie got out of bed. She shoved her feet in her shoes and snuck out the back door. She knew where John Carl was. At least she thought she did.

Patches met her at the step and followed her down the drive. She turned into the branch. It was scary at night, nothing like it looked in the day. With every step she took she prayed that she would NOT step on a snake. Patches whined. The old dog didn’t seem to approve of where she was headed. When she reached the cattle tank, sure enough, John Carl was there, throwing small pebbles into the water.

For a moment Maggie watched the dark circles move outward from the splashes.

John Carl said, “You shouldn’t be here.”

“Neither should you.”

He grunted and threw another pebble into the water. His voice was raw when he asked, “How is Billy?”

“We don’t know yet. He’d just gone to x-ray when Mama called. She said the important thing is that he is still alive.”

John Carl’s voice dropped, “Hope he stays that way, don’t know if I could stand knowing I killed him too.”

His statement chilled Maggie. She asked, “What do you mean?”

John Carl’s shoulders slumped forward. “Daniel might still be a live if I hadn’t made him run all the way from the house to this stupid tank. Mama and Daddy won’t say out loud that it’s my fault, but I know they are thinking it. Billy too.” John Carl took in a shuddering breath. His voice dropped low. "That Friday after lunch we were gonna go swimming. Right before we left Daniel made some comment about Brenda. Made me mad. So I told him, I wasn’t taking him to the tank in my truck. Then he said he could beat my old sorry truck on foot. He bet me ten bucks he’d win. I said, ‘You are on.’ I got in my truck and he took off running. Billy jumped into the truck bed before I could get down the drive. I didn’t want him in my bed, so I swerved hard. Didn’t do any good, just wasted time. Daniel did get here before us. He did win. He was sitting on the bank laughing when we pulled up. He shouted at me, ‘You sure are slow.’ Then he dove into the water.” John Carl’s eyes fixed on the dark cattle tank. He whispered, “That was the last thing he said to me.”

He walked away from the tank, away from Maggie. Fearful he might run again, Maggie started to go after him, but he stopped. He turned and faced her.

“I saw Billy jump in, and go down. I saw Daniel go down and try to take Billy with him. I just stood on this shore like a statue and didn’t do anything. I was frozen, couldn’t seem to move. Like in a nightmare.” He paused, took in a breathe. “Only it wasn’t a nightmare. While they were working on Billy I heard one of the paramedics say the heat and exertion probably caused Daniel’s body to go into shock when he hit the water. If only I hadn’t…if only...”

Maggie ran to him and wrapped her arms around him. She held him but he didn’t hold her back. He just stood there with arms straight to his sides, like he didn’t deserve to be held.

She whispered, “It was an accident, both times were accidents. Daniel and Billy. You couldn’t know. Daniel decided to run, you didn’t make him. Billy threw the first punch.”

Abruptly, he pulled away from her. “No. I should have given Daniel a ride. I should not have hit Billy.” He turned from her and said, “You need to get back to the house.”

“So do you.”

There was a crunch behind them. Patches woofed. Maggie turned. It was Uncle Woody. He shined his flashlight at her and said, “You shouldn’t be out here young lady.”

“I know.”

He shined the beam on John Carl. “Neither should you.”

Maggie went to Uncle Woody, but John Carl remained where he was.

Sternly Uncle Woody said, “John Carl Wills. Home. Now. You need to call your mama and tell her you are okay.”

“I don’t want to talk to Mama.”

“Do you think I care what you want? To the house, now.”

Reluctantly, John Carl obeyed.