gotta thank you for that. I mean, you really saved my ass today.”
“You’re damn right, she did,” said Yokci, which was kind of surprising because I never considered him one of my biggest fans. I think his general clumsiness with fighting made him feel nervous around me.
“Shit, I know, Yokci! That’s why I’m saying thank you! Geez!” Fohi pushed Yokci, barely moving him, since he was nearly twice Fohi’s size.
“Hands to yourself, twerp, or I’ll make you eat leaves,” warned Yokci.
“Yeah, right.” Fohi ignored Yokci to look at me again. “So anyway, thanks. I’d a-been poked bad if it weren’t for you.”
“Dude, you’d a been Fohi-on-a-stick if it weren’t for her friggin ninja moves,” said Rob. “That was quick thinking, Bryn. One second I saw Fohi falling to his death, and the next you’re there like a human bridge or something, holding him over the pit. How’d you do that, anyway?”
I shrugged. “I have no idea. I saw him falling and just moved.”
“Ninja, man. She’s a friggin ninja ,” said Fohi, his voice full of admiration.
I laughed. “I’m not a ninja, you idiot. Just a dumbass who should have let you learn a painful lesson. I know I learned mine.” I looked down pointedly at my leg.
“Hey,” said Fohi, acting offended. “That’s kind of a harsh lesson, being skewered on a pike. And besides, what’s that all about … learning lessons or whatever? Don’t you agree with defending our territory?”
“Yeah, we need to defend it. I’ve got no problem with that. I’m just worried about one of us getting hurt, that’s all.”
“We got that taken care of,” said Fohi proudly. “Got it all mapped out today.” He pulled a paper out of his back pocket.
I held my hand out. “Can I see?”
“Not so fast,” said Coli from behind Fohi, snatching the map from his hand. “This goes to Kowi first.” She marched away and handed it to her boyfriend who had arrived and was standing on the other side of the hut.
“Friggin bi… ,” said Fohi, stopping himself from saying the word, fuming at her back. “Where does she get off, huh?”
“Don’t worry about it, dude. It’s just Coli,” said Rob. “We were giving it to Kowi anyway. She just acted as your personal delivery girl, right?”
Fohi turned around and laughed bitterly. “Yeah. Right. Good one, Rob.”
Rob looked at me when Fohi turned to scowl at Coli again and rolled his eyes. I had to stifle a giggle in the back of my hand. While my head was turned, I saw Paci enter the hut. I wanted to look away and pretend I didn’t care about him at all, but it was impossible. Not only was he striking to look at in general, but tonight his stride was purposeful and his expression was especially serious as he went right up to Kowi and whispered in his ear. He looked commanding and a little intimidating.
“What’s going on?” Rob said quietly.
“I have no idea,” I whispered back.
We didn’t have to wait long to find out. Kowi and Paci came over to stand in front of me. Kowi spoke first.
“Uh, Bryn … do you know someone named Jimmy?”
I looked at him confused. “What? No.” I tried to think back to my life before my dad left. There had been a guy named James in my trig class but I had no idea where he was now, and he’d never gone by Jimmy that I knew of.
“How about someone named …” he stopped and looked at Paci.
Paci spoke up. “Sissy. He said her name was Sissy.”
“Sissy?” Suddenly, it dawned on me. “Wait a minute … do you mean Jimmy and Sissy at the Cracker Barrel?” I looked at them like they were crazy. Why in the hell would Jimmy and Sissy be here in the swamp? Could that mean Bodo’s here?
I grabbed Paci’s arm and squeezed it hard in my excitement, my heart nearly leaping out of my chest. “Is it Bodo?”
Paci took my hand and gently pulled it off his arm. “No. It’s not Bodo,” he responded, his face a mask. He may have even looked slightly irritated, but I
“You’re damn right, she did,” said Yokci, which was kind of surprising because I never considered him one of my biggest fans. I think his general clumsiness with fighting made him feel nervous around me.
“Shit, I know, Yokci! That’s why I’m saying thank you! Geez!” Fohi pushed Yokci, barely moving him, since he was nearly twice Fohi’s size.
“Hands to yourself, twerp, or I’ll make you eat leaves,” warned Yokci.
“Yeah, right.” Fohi ignored Yokci to look at me again. “So anyway, thanks. I’d a-been poked bad if it weren’t for you.”
“Dude, you’d a been Fohi-on-a-stick if it weren’t for her friggin ninja moves,” said Rob. “That was quick thinking, Bryn. One second I saw Fohi falling to his death, and the next you’re there like a human bridge or something, holding him over the pit. How’d you do that, anyway?”
I shrugged. “I have no idea. I saw him falling and just moved.”
“Ninja, man. She’s a friggin ninja ,” said Fohi, his voice full of admiration.
I laughed. “I’m not a ninja, you idiot. Just a dumbass who should have let you learn a painful lesson. I know I learned mine.” I looked down pointedly at my leg.
“Hey,” said Fohi, acting offended. “That’s kind of a harsh lesson, being skewered on a pike. And besides, what’s that all about … learning lessons or whatever? Don’t you agree with defending our territory?”
“Yeah, we need to defend it. I’ve got no problem with that. I’m just worried about one of us getting hurt, that’s all.”
“We got that taken care of,” said Fohi proudly. “Got it all mapped out today.” He pulled a paper out of his back pocket.
I held my hand out. “Can I see?”
“Not so fast,” said Coli from behind Fohi, snatching the map from his hand. “This goes to Kowi first.” She marched away and handed it to her boyfriend who had arrived and was standing on the other side of the hut.
“Friggin bi… ,” said Fohi, stopping himself from saying the word, fuming at her back. “Where does she get off, huh?”
“Don’t worry about it, dude. It’s just Coli,” said Rob. “We were giving it to Kowi anyway. She just acted as your personal delivery girl, right?”
Fohi turned around and laughed bitterly. “Yeah. Right. Good one, Rob.”
Rob looked at me when Fohi turned to scowl at Coli again and rolled his eyes. I had to stifle a giggle in the back of my hand. While my head was turned, I saw Paci enter the hut. I wanted to look away and pretend I didn’t care about him at all, but it was impossible. Not only was he striking to look at in general, but tonight his stride was purposeful and his expression was especially serious as he went right up to Kowi and whispered in his ear. He looked commanding and a little intimidating.
“What’s going on?” Rob said quietly.
“I have no idea,” I whispered back.
We didn’t have to wait long to find out. Kowi and Paci came over to stand in front of me. Kowi spoke first.
“Uh, Bryn … do you know someone named Jimmy?”
I looked at him confused. “What? No.” I tried to think back to my life before my dad left. There had been a guy named James in my trig class but I had no idea where he was now, and he’d never gone by Jimmy that I knew of.
“How about someone named …” he stopped and looked at Paci.
Paci spoke up. “Sissy. He said her name was Sissy.”
“Sissy?” Suddenly, it dawned on me. “Wait a minute … do you mean Jimmy and Sissy at the Cracker Barrel?” I looked at them like they were crazy. Why in the hell would Jimmy and Sissy be here in the swamp? Could that mean Bodo’s here?
I grabbed Paci’s arm and squeezed it hard in my excitement, my heart nearly leaping out of my chest. “Is it Bodo?”
Paci took my hand and gently pulled it off his arm. “No. It’s not Bodo,” he responded, his face a mask. He may have even looked slightly irritated, but I
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