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KAT
KAT LEFT WILL'S BIKE BEHIND THE SHED, sneaking through the window. She placed her foot on the flowerpot stand, hoisting her body to balance her elbows against the first-floor rooftop. She then waggled her leg (missing twice) onto the roof, before messily sliding open Nancy's window and stumbling inside. God, how did Steve manage this five times a week?
She tiptoed from Nancy's room to her own, careful not to disturb her mother. Sighing, she double-locked her door and turned the tap on inside the bathroom, running her arm under the icy liquid. She had never been trained in medical science or anything, but the main part of her was refusing to go to the hospital until Mike and Nancy came home safely. Besides, going to the hospital would involve her parents or nasty questions about how she got the wounds, both of which she didn't want to deal with right now. She gingerly reached at the sweater at her hips to pull it over her head and swap it out for a thin fuzzy black one with longer sleeves to hide the injury. She rewrapped it, making sure the cloth was skin-tight against the skin of her left arm and hand. She then leaped right into her bed, though her mind was still spiraling. Her mental spotlight was about to center on whether Nancy and Jonathan were successful yet before the doorbell rang.
Shit. Kat's dad had a habit of checking in on all his kids every time he came home from work, which was sweet until he'd realize Kat was maybe a little bit bloody. Fuck fuck fuck fuck, she thought frantically as she shoved herself inside her closet, moving a few plastic drawers in front of her and sliding some dresses to hide her face. She finally slid herself into place, stilling her breathing.
"-I thought she was at Lucas', but Mrs. Sinclair said your house is the the designated hangout, so, you know...here I am," said a voice coming through Kat's partially-opened window, a voice that definitely was not Ted Wheeler and definitely was Billy Hargrove looking for Max.
A chill ran down the tip of her neck and Kat kicked open her hasty fort, before rewinding. If she went downstairs right now, she could divert Billy from finding Max, but then she'd have to handle her mother, which was prone to exposing her in front of guests. Whatever, Billy should never find Max, whatever they did.
"-Their driveway is pretty dark this time of night, so drive slowly," Mrs. Wheeler said, scribbling on a piece of paper.
"Oh, Kathryn," Billy said ominously, as if sensing her presence from behind. "Good to see you here,"
"Kathy?" Mrs. Wheeler said in confusion. "I didn't know you came home, sweetie,"
"Yeah- uh, I came in through the back. Just got changed before I heard the doorbell ring," Kat said uneasily, feeling the hidden hostility eminating from Billy, like a volcano threatening to erupt.
"Well, did you see Mike on the way back? I thought I told you to look after him and his friends for the afternoon," Karen said.
