Excerpt: The Hot Mess of Childhood

The two boys crawled out from under the desk and saw the damage. The bank was a disaster, every bit as discombobulated as they expected it to be from the sound of the explosion and the ensuing collapses and crashes. The only thing that looked unmolested was Mr. Jeffries's desk, where the glue had held every single item tight to the surface. Of course, that surface was now covered in shredded paper, dust and bits of glass. Bertrand looked at the mess and his plan for revenge felt tiny and silly to him now. He regretted it, but not for long before he heard a siren in the distance and Gus pulled on his sleeve.
They did not crawl back home. Instead they ran from the building, headed for the first alley they saw and bolted as fast as they could as the wail of sirens grew closer. A few lights were coming on in windows now, but the boys didn't concern themselves with who looked out. They just wanted to be home, pretending to sleep.