“We should have gotten out of there when those guys showed up.”

“I know that,” said Poe.

“Your mom is friends with Bud Harris.”

“Except technically the guy you hit wasn’t doing anything. It was the guy holding me.”

“It’s a little more complicated than that,” said Isaac.

“I dunno,” Poe told him. “I can’t really think right now.”

Isaac began to walk faster.

“Isaac,” Poe called. “Don’t do anything stupid.”

“I won’t tell anyone. You don’t have to worry.”

“Hold up a second.” Poe grabbed him by the shoulder. “You did the right thing, we both know that.”

Isaac was quiet.

Poe nodded up the road. “Anyway I need to cut off here to take the back way to the house.”

“I’ll walk you.”

“We need to split up.”

Isaac must have had a look on his face, because then Poe said: “You can go back to the old man’s for one night; it won’t kill you.”

“That’s not the point.”

“You did the right thing,” Poe repeated. “In the morning when our heads are straight we can figure this all out.”

“We need to be figuring it out right now.”

Poe shook his head. “I’ll meet you at your place in the morning.”

Isaac watched as he turned away and made his way up the dark road toward his mother’s house. He paused once and waved. Once Poe was out of sight, Isaac continued down the tracks in the darkness, alone.

2. Poe

He went up the muddy road toward his mother’s trailer. He’d tried to keep his head on in front of Isaac, the last thing Isaac needed to see was Poe going batshit. But it was a definite possibility.