Meri. She then reached in her apron, pulled out a small envelope, and handed it to Meri. Naz reached behind the same counter and pulled out a larger bundle and put it on his back.
“Ready?” Naz asked as he looked at Meri.
She nodded.
“Remember, us ladies have to stick together,” said Richelle.
Meri nodded again as she and Naz walked toward the door.
“Be careful,” said Richelle.
Frances waved from her register as the two walked out waving goodbye.
“Wait!” said Meri as she set the bundle down on the ground and put the envelope in her sock. “You should do that all the time,” she continued, as she stood up and put the bundle on her back.
“Do what?” Naz asked.
“You know, talk up. Stick up for yourself.”
“I always stick up for myself.”
“No, you always stick up for me. There’s a difference.”
He thought about what she said and shrugged his shoulders. “Wanna run?” he asked.
“How fast?”
“That’s up to you. But remember your heart condition.”
He was trying to use reverse psychology to goad her into running, but it wasn’t necessary. They both knew the doctor said running would make her heart stronger, and she enjoyed running almost as much as he did.
“Let’s go,” she said, ignoring him.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
SPOOKED
Back at MeeChi’s, Mr. Tesla prepared hot turkey sandwiches with gravy and mashed potatoes for Naz and Meri. Meri ate almost as much as Naz did, and he wondered where she put it all. Afterwards, Mr. Tesla let them have as much Neapolitan ice cream and chocolate cake as they could eat. Meri didn’t have any homework due until Monday so the three of them played Scrabble and listened to Meri’s favorite oldies radio station until Naz decided it was getting too late, and the sun would set on them. He wasn’t going to let that happen. Naz thought it was a perfect end to a week that started out to be the worst he ever remembered.
Naz stood up, put on his book bag, and glanced through the two-way mirror. Standing at the register was someone he recognized. It was the husky boy with the Mohawk from Tuesday morning—the same one that had stabbed Ham. He was talking to the cashier and handed her something. “Mohawk” looked up at the two-way mirror, and for a moment Naz felt the boy was actually looking directly at him. But that can’t be, Naz thought. Naz had once been so intrigued by the mirror that he looked at the mirror side over and over again, never being able to see through to the other side. It has to be my imagination, he thought.
“Naz,” Meri called.
Naz, frozen, continued to stare through the two-way mirror, oblivious to Meri’s summons. A chill ran through him as he watched Mohawk walk away from the cashier and head to the door to meet the boy with the gruff voice that had cut Naz. There was also another boy with fiery red hair and freckles, but Naz didn’t recognize him. Mohawk, “Gruff”, and “Red” began to tease Tone as the bird moved from side-to-side on his perch in a frustrated motion. This angered Naz, but he didn’t dare do anything but watch. Red kept putting his finger near Tone’s beak, but the bird just turned his head to the side. Naz noticed two symbols tattooed on Red’s forearm. From where he stood, it looked like something wrapped around a sword and an eye. Then he noticed that Mohawk and Gruff had the same symbols on their arms. There was a crackling sound of glass breaking, which brought Naz back to reality. The two-way mirror had somehow cracked leaving a thin line in the thick glass.
“Naz!” Meri called again.
“Huh?” Naz responded.
“Aren’t you gonna answer Mr. Tesla?”
“I’m sorry, Mr. Tesla.”
Mr. Tesla examined the unexplained crack in the two-way mirror while Meri looked through the mirror to see what had Naz so spooked, but by then Mohawk, Gruff, and Red had left the store. Naz breathed a sigh of relief.
“I wonder how that happened,” said Mr. Tesla, examining the glass.
“Ready?” Naz asked as he looked at Meri.
She nodded.
“Remember, us ladies have to stick together,” said Richelle.
Meri nodded again as she and Naz walked toward the door.
“Be careful,” said Richelle.
Frances waved from her register as the two walked out waving goodbye.
“Wait!” said Meri as she set the bundle down on the ground and put the envelope in her sock. “You should do that all the time,” she continued, as she stood up and put the bundle on her back.
“Do what?” Naz asked.
“You know, talk up. Stick up for yourself.”
“I always stick up for myself.”
“No, you always stick up for me. There’s a difference.”
He thought about what she said and shrugged his shoulders. “Wanna run?” he asked.
“How fast?”
“That’s up to you. But remember your heart condition.”
He was trying to use reverse psychology to goad her into running, but it wasn’t necessary. They both knew the doctor said running would make her heart stronger, and she enjoyed running almost as much as he did.
“Let’s go,” she said, ignoring him.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
SPOOKED
Back at MeeChi’s, Mr. Tesla prepared hot turkey sandwiches with gravy and mashed potatoes for Naz and Meri. Meri ate almost as much as Naz did, and he wondered where she put it all. Afterwards, Mr. Tesla let them have as much Neapolitan ice cream and chocolate cake as they could eat. Meri didn’t have any homework due until Monday so the three of them played Scrabble and listened to Meri’s favorite oldies radio station until Naz decided it was getting too late, and the sun would set on them. He wasn’t going to let that happen. Naz thought it was a perfect end to a week that started out to be the worst he ever remembered.
Naz stood up, put on his book bag, and glanced through the two-way mirror. Standing at the register was someone he recognized. It was the husky boy with the Mohawk from Tuesday morning—the same one that had stabbed Ham. He was talking to the cashier and handed her something. “Mohawk” looked up at the two-way mirror, and for a moment Naz felt the boy was actually looking directly at him. But that can’t be, Naz thought. Naz had once been so intrigued by the mirror that he looked at the mirror side over and over again, never being able to see through to the other side. It has to be my imagination, he thought.
“Naz,” Meri called.
Naz, frozen, continued to stare through the two-way mirror, oblivious to Meri’s summons. A chill ran through him as he watched Mohawk walk away from the cashier and head to the door to meet the boy with the gruff voice that had cut Naz. There was also another boy with fiery red hair and freckles, but Naz didn’t recognize him. Mohawk, “Gruff”, and “Red” began to tease Tone as the bird moved from side-to-side on his perch in a frustrated motion. This angered Naz, but he didn’t dare do anything but watch. Red kept putting his finger near Tone’s beak, but the bird just turned his head to the side. Naz noticed two symbols tattooed on Red’s forearm. From where he stood, it looked like something wrapped around a sword and an eye. Then he noticed that Mohawk and Gruff had the same symbols on their arms. There was a crackling sound of glass breaking, which brought Naz back to reality. The two-way mirror had somehow cracked leaving a thin line in the thick glass.
“Naz!” Meri called again.
“Huh?” Naz responded.
“Aren’t you gonna answer Mr. Tesla?”
“I’m sorry, Mr. Tesla.”
Mr. Tesla examined the unexplained crack in the two-way mirror while Meri looked through the mirror to see what had Naz so spooked, but by then Mohawk, Gruff, and Red had left the store. Naz breathed a sigh of relief.
“I wonder how that happened,” said Mr. Tesla, examining the glass.
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