Raising Dragons by Bryan Davis

reached down to get his sweater off the ground. After pulling it over his head he fluffed up his matted hair. A chilly breeze swept through his clothes, evaporating the sweat and making him shiver, but it was a good shiver now that he had thick sleeves wrapping him in comfort.
    “Thanks again,” he said. “That’s twice you’ve helped me out.” Billy didn’t know what else to say at this point. He suddenly had a strange feeling, the same sense of worry he felt when he saw that Cadillac in his neighborhood. He clumsily extended his hand again to shake Bonnie’s. “Let me know if there’s anything I can ever do for you.”
    A deeper voice broke into the conversation. “Well, Mr. Bannister, I see you have a friend here to help you.”
    Billy turned to see Dr. Whittier standing a few feet away. Over the principal’s shoulder, he noticed a hefty, broad-shouldered woman. At first he thought the principal’s companion was a man. Her upper lip displayed more than a shadow of hair, but a closer look at her body proved her female gender. Her face looked familiar, but he couldn’t place it.
    “I scrubbed most of it,” Billy explained, “but she did help me right at the end.”
    “Don’t worry. I saw you working, and I’ve already taken care of your record. Actually, I’ve been waiting for Miss Silver.”
    Bonnie’s eyes widened. “For me?”
    “Yes, we have something important to discuss. Someone has reported that you keep contraband substances in your backpack. I understand the sensitive nature of your privacy concerns, so I asked Olga to assist me in searching your person, starting with your pack.”
    Billy noticed Bonnie’s glance toward him, a look that begged him to help her out. He cleared his throat and stepped forward. “I’m sure Bonnie would never keep anything like that in her backpack,” he offered. “Right, Bonnie?”
    “Of course I wouldn’t!”
    The woman approached Bonnie with her hand extended. “Then you should have nothing to hide, dear.”
    Billy thought the “dear” stuff was a little too much to believe. There was something devious about her.
    Olga took Bonnie firmly by the arm, and the two adults began escorting her around to the rear of the building. Bonnie looked back at Billy, terror and a pleading cry shouting from her eyes.
    The school bell rang, making Billy flinch. He glanced around at the students beginning to head toward the building. What do I do? Can they just take her like that?
    When they disappeared around the corner, Billy followed and hid behind a bushy tree to watch. Bonnie struggled to free herself, but she couldn’t pull away from the woman’s clutches. Bonnie’s thrashing finally forced Olga to wrap her in both arms, squeezing her, chest to chest, making her give up the fight. Although they had moved nearly to the backyard, Dr. Whittier and Olga were still close enough for Billy to see what was going on, though he wasn’t able to hear their conversation.
    Something was said that made Bonnie start kicking wildly, and Olga lifted her off the ground, making her legs flail in the air. Her screams drowned in the woman’s coat in muffled gulps.
    When Dr. Whittier reached for the backpack, Billy couldn’t take any more. He ran out yelling, “Stop that! Leave her alone!”
    Dr. Whittier jerked his head around. “Billy, you stay out of this.”
    Billy rushed up and put his mouth on Olga’s arm, blowing on it as hard as he could.
    “Yeeow!” She threw the wounded arm upward, and Billy wrenched Bonnie away from her other arm. With a lightning fast reach, Olga snatched Billy’s wrist before he could get away.
    Billy pulled and twisted his arm, trying to break free. “Run, Bonnie!” he yelled. “Run!”
    Bonnie scrambled a few yards away and then glanced back at Billy, her mouth open in silent terror.
    “Just go!” Billy shouted, giving up his efforts to free himself from the woman’s iron grip.
    “Go after her!” Dr. Whittier ordered. “You know I