again. Soon, I bet. Now, I believe I was revealing some doos Fiorenze gossip.”
I nodded. “She was asking you many questions.”
“So, I asked Fiorenze where Stefan was, and she said, and I quote, ‘I don’t know.’ ” Rochele looked at me expectantly.
“That’s it?” I said. That didn’t mean anything. “She doesn’t have to know where he is al the time.” I didn’t know that.
“But she said it with a shrug in her voice as if she didn’t care where he was and then she changed the subject. Trust me. They are wel and truly broken up.”
I tried to imagine what a shrug in a person’s voice would sound like and failed. “If you say so.” But I didn’t believe it. I’d had enough of Steffi’s on- again off- again linking with Fiorenze. I didn’t believe a word either one of them said.
“I say so.”
We turned the corner onto Malett, the steepest street in New Avalon. Below us the river glittered and there were already two blimps floating over the skyscrapers of the city.
CHAPTER 16
attack of Danders anders
Days walking: 67
Demerits: 7 - 3 = 4
Conversations with Steffi: 8
Doos clothing acquired: 1
Game suspensions: 1
Public service hours: 16
Hours spent enduring Fiorenze
Stupid-Name’s company: 2.75
W alking through the city even at eight thirty a.m. on a Sunday, there were cars everywhere. Horns honking. Drivers being hateful to every pedestrian who exercised their legaly supported right of way. Drivers exceeding the speed limit, not caring whether they lost points or not.
And then, worst of al, Danders Anders puling up his car and roling down his window.
“Get in.”
“No.” I kept walking.
“Andrew, she doesn’t get in cars anymore,” Rochele explained, folowing me. “Besides we have somewhere we have to be.”
Danders kept his car at a slow crawl beside us, causing an instant traffic jam, filing the air with profanities, and more horns honking.
What is it about cars that turns everyone into a doxhead?
“Emergency.”
“Me too, Andrew.”
“No parks.”
“We don’t have time,” Rochele said.
I sped up. There was no reasoning with Danders Anders. Up ahead was a pedestrian- only street. We could lose him there.
Danders stopped his car. Right in the middle of the street! He got out and caught up with me in a few easy paces. Then he picked me up as if I weighed no more than a bag of cotton candy and headed back to his car.
I screamed as loud as I could and kicked with al my might.”Let me go! Let me go!”
“Can’t,” Danders said. “Emergency.”
Rochele grabbed his shirt, trying to slow him down. She is tal and strong. But he is taler and stronger.
“Andrew! Let her down!”
Rochele put her body between him and his beloved car. “Let her go, Andrew. She doesn’t want to get in your car.”
“Need her,” Danders replied, as if that was reasonable. Behind him the traffic built up even more, the horns louder and angrier.
Danders pushed Rochele aside with one hand while keeping me from escaping with the other. I screamed so loud it hurt.
He winced. “Stop,” he said, reaching for the door handle. I screamed again, aiming at his ears.
“Ow,” Danders said as Rochele tried to stop him from opening the door. He swatted her away, while I screamed again so loud I thought my voice would break. Danders yelped and fel, taking me with him on account of his grip fairy. I landed on top of Danders, who was stil yelping. I looked up.
Two police officers. One of them holding a stun gun. That was what had caused Danders’s yelp.
“Andrew Khassian Rogers?” the one with the stun gun asked, but I could tel it wasn’t realy a question. They knew who he was.
Danders blinked.
“Let go of the girl.”
Danders let go of me. I pushed off him. How many demerits did you get for being arrested?
“Are you al right?” the non- stun- gun- wielding officer asked.
I nodded. “He didn’t hurt me.” I doubted he’d used even a tenth of his strength.
“And
I nodded. “She was asking you many questions.”
“So, I asked Fiorenze where Stefan was, and she said, and I quote, ‘I don’t know.’ ” Rochele looked at me expectantly.
“That’s it?” I said. That didn’t mean anything. “She doesn’t have to know where he is al the time.” I didn’t know that.
“But she said it with a shrug in her voice as if she didn’t care where he was and then she changed the subject. Trust me. They are wel and truly broken up.”
I tried to imagine what a shrug in a person’s voice would sound like and failed. “If you say so.” But I didn’t believe it. I’d had enough of Steffi’s on- again off- again linking with Fiorenze. I didn’t believe a word either one of them said.
“I say so.”
We turned the corner onto Malett, the steepest street in New Avalon. Below us the river glittered and there were already two blimps floating over the skyscrapers of the city.
CHAPTER 16
attack of Danders anders
Days walking: 67
Demerits: 7 - 3 = 4
Conversations with Steffi: 8
Doos clothing acquired: 1
Game suspensions: 1
Public service hours: 16
Hours spent enduring Fiorenze
Stupid-Name’s company: 2.75
W alking through the city even at eight thirty a.m. on a Sunday, there were cars everywhere. Horns honking. Drivers being hateful to every pedestrian who exercised their legaly supported right of way. Drivers exceeding the speed limit, not caring whether they lost points or not.
And then, worst of al, Danders Anders puling up his car and roling down his window.
“Get in.”
“No.” I kept walking.
“Andrew, she doesn’t get in cars anymore,” Rochele explained, folowing me. “Besides we have somewhere we have to be.”
Danders kept his car at a slow crawl beside us, causing an instant traffic jam, filing the air with profanities, and more horns honking.
What is it about cars that turns everyone into a doxhead?
“Emergency.”
“Me too, Andrew.”
“No parks.”
“We don’t have time,” Rochele said.
I sped up. There was no reasoning with Danders Anders. Up ahead was a pedestrian- only street. We could lose him there.
Danders stopped his car. Right in the middle of the street! He got out and caught up with me in a few easy paces. Then he picked me up as if I weighed no more than a bag of cotton candy and headed back to his car.
I screamed as loud as I could and kicked with al my might.”Let me go! Let me go!”
“Can’t,” Danders said. “Emergency.”
Rochele grabbed his shirt, trying to slow him down. She is tal and strong. But he is taler and stronger.
“Andrew! Let her down!”
Rochele put her body between him and his beloved car. “Let her go, Andrew. She doesn’t want to get in your car.”
“Need her,” Danders replied, as if that was reasonable. Behind him the traffic built up even more, the horns louder and angrier.
Danders pushed Rochele aside with one hand while keeping me from escaping with the other. I screamed so loud it hurt.
He winced. “Stop,” he said, reaching for the door handle. I screamed again, aiming at his ears.
“Ow,” Danders said as Rochele tried to stop him from opening the door. He swatted her away, while I screamed again so loud I thought my voice would break. Danders yelped and fel, taking me with him on account of his grip fairy. I landed on top of Danders, who was stil yelping. I looked up.
Two police officers. One of them holding a stun gun. That was what had caused Danders’s yelp.
“Andrew Khassian Rogers?” the one with the stun gun asked, but I could tel it wasn’t realy a question. They knew who he was.
Danders blinked.
“Let go of the girl.”
Danders let go of me. I pushed off him. How many demerits did you get for being arrested?
“Are you al right?” the non- stun- gun- wielding officer asked.
I nodded. “He didn’t hurt me.” I doubted he’d used even a tenth of his strength.
“And
Similar Books
