(Written in 2021)

"We're best friends, right?" The older girl smiled at him, a child two years his senior. A dirty hand crusted in mud wrapped around Rory's wrist, prying it open. In the palm she placed a lighter. "Let's play the Fire Game."

In the span of one recess, she had transformed the bathroom into a miniaturized kingdom of toilet paper rolls, stacked taller than Rory stood. It was her handiwork, her idea. All Rory wanted was to play Explorer, but they never played it once. He took a deep breath to keep the frog in his throat down, and another for good measure. "I don't want to play the game, it's scary..."

Her smile grew with devilish intent as he spoke. (Her mischief was beyond her age.) "Oh, Rory, Rory, Rory... The toilet paper's dry, it'll burn really quick. And we can use the sink if it's too much!"

"Cause water always kills fire?"

"Yeah! We can pretend it was an accident." Her hair hung like drapes as she bent to his height, her breath hot. It reminded Rory of steam. "If we get in trouble, we get vacation for a week."

"But it's scary..." The frog in his throat finally escaped, bringing a sting to his nose and tears to his eyes. "I don't wanna get grounded again..."

But the girl laughed and pat his head, her hand sinking into his haphazard haircut. "Just trust me! I'm eight!