Dry

In the car, Alyssa thinks about how dangerous she thinks Jacqui is. Kelton tries to put on the radio, but there’s no updated news, and the music annoys Jacqui. When Jacqui reveals that she’s 19, Alyssa asks where she went to high school, and they find out that they all attended the same school. Kelton even recognizes Jacqui from her SAT record. Alyssa wants to know why Jacqui dropped out of high school, but this question annoys Jacqui. When they arrive at Alyssa and Garrett’s house, they find the front door kicked in and everything inside askew. The hot water heater is even gone. Their dog comes out, followed by a neighbor’s scary Rottweiler and Doberman, and Alyssa and Garrett run from the dogs.

Alyssa and Garrett run back into the car, and they wait for the dogs to leave. Kelton decides to take everyone to his house, although he’s nervous about what his dad will say, especially about Jacqui. On the way over, Kelton can tell that his dad has been busy booby-trapping the house. His dad opens the door, and when Jacqui says that she’s there for antibiotics, his dad tries to reject her, Alyssa, and Garrett. In response, Kelton storms out, and his mother steps in to insist that they can accommodate everyone. Inside, Kelton gives everyone a tour of the house and their safe room. When he offers them water, outside of his dad’s view, Alyssa suddenly tears up and hugs Kelton. Jacqui begins to look sick, but she insists that she’s ok. Kelton goes outside to make things right with his dad, although his dad tells him that they plan to leave the next morning without waiting for Brady. He says that they can’t bring Alyssa and Garrett, at which point Kelton realizes that his father is scared. He thinks, “There’s that moment when you realize [parents are] not superheroes, or villains. They’re painfully, unforgivably human” (150). Kelton then compliments his father on the booby traps, which puts his dad in a friendlier mood.

Alyssa calls local hospitals looking for her parents, although she’s unable to reach any hospital—or even 911. She watches everyone else in the McCracken house keeping themselves busy, seeing Garrett leave a bowl of water outside for their dog. Since Garrett’s upset, Alyssa sends him to ask Kelton about chess boxing, which should keep them both occupied. In the meantime, Alyssa finds a poster for an HOA meeting and tries to sneak out to attend it. Kelton’s mother sees her leave but lets her go with some water. Outside, Alyssa feels exposed and vulnerable. At the meeting, the neighborhood takes stock of its available resources. Alyssa offers everyone her water, but when it becomes clear that she doesn’t have enough to split evenly, Alyssa’s too scared to know how to divide it. She leaves the meeting, abandoning the water for the others to deal with. Back at the McCrackens’ house, everyone has dinner together and begins discussing whether to share resources. Alyssa finds herself surprisingly agreeing with Mr. McCracken, who doesn’t want to share. In addition, he announces that the family will be leaving tomorrow without Alyssa, Garrett, or Jacqui but that he’ll leave the keys to the house with Alyssa. Suddenly, all their phones ring with a message saying that martial law has been declared in Los Angeles.

Kelton expected martial law to come, but he wishes he’d been wrong. Either martial law will work, or everything will devolve. Early the next morning, the motion detector alarms wake up the household. They see lights outside and hear pounding on the door. Kelton’s dad tells him to take Alyssa, Garrett, and Jacqui to the safe room. Kelton’s mom is scared that his dad is finally taking out all his guns. When someone opens the back door, Kelton’s dad shoots. However, everyone soon realizes that the person who opened the door had a key. It was Brady, Kelton’s older brother, and Kelton’s dad shot him. Neighbors burst through the open door, but Kelton’s parents are too distraught to do anything. Alyssa yells that they need to leave, and Kelton brings out his gun before he suddenly loses consciousness.

Before Kelton could shoot anyone, Alyssa knocked him out. While the neighbors scavenge the house and Kelton’s parents wail over Brady’s body, Jacqui, Alyssa, and Garrett take Kelton outside to the BMW. They drive away wildly, and Jacqui thinks about how the events at the house were inevitable since the McCrackens were flaunting their resources. She thinks, “The place was a lightning rod in a shit storm, and they couldn’t see it” (174). Alyssa begins directing them somewhere and wakes up Kelton, who initially panics and wants to return to his parents. Garrett points out that the scavengers won’t hurt his parents, and Kelton calms down. Kelton remains mad at Jacqui, however, who he thinks knocked him out, but Alyssa reveals that it was her. As they drive, they pass a tent city in a Target parking lot and a church packed with families. Jacqui wants to know where the Kelton family’s bug-out is, but Kelton’s reluctant to tell, and they’d need a better vehicle to reach it anyway. Garrett says that they need a truck like Uncle Basil’s, which is in Dove Canyon, and Jacqui realizes that Alyssa’s directing them there.