of
me
for all eternity. I’ll even draft an official document saying as much.”
Lyon’s eyes narrowed. After a moment’s scrutiny, she shrugged her shoulders and smirked. “Whatever,” Lyon said, eyeing her gold Rolex. “You’ve got about two hundred seconds until Poker Alice supersizes your humiliation, anyhow. Go for it.”
Marlo skipped back into Halo/Good Buy, straight toward the Sponges, Spoons, and Sporting Goods aisle.
One hundred and ninety seconds later, a series of alarms went off throughout the mall. The girls looked around the now-even-noisier mall with apprehension.
“Look!” said Norm, pointing at the Halo/Good Buy entrance.
The automatic doors slid open with a pneumatic whoosh. Out shuffled Marlo. Trailing behind her were two burly security guards, with a large red canoe perched atop their shoulders.
“Uh-oh,” muttered Jordie. “Looks like the bird was nicked by the plod.”
Lyon glowered at Jordie. “Does anything you say
ever
make sense?”
Marlo walked cautiously to the marble bench, with the guards in close pursuit. “I think my grandfather will be
much
happier with red,” she said sweetly.
The guards put the canoe down and glared at Marlo.
“Will that be all?” asked one guard, chewing gum in military time.
“Yes, thank you,” Marlo replied with a girlish titter. “You’ve both been absolute angels!”
The guards shared the briefest of sideways glances before leaving with a sharp, synchronized bow.
“Thank you for shopping at Halo/Good Buy,” they said in unison before making an abrupt about-face and marching back into the store. Tiny white parakeet wings poked through their starched khaki uniforms.
The girls stared at Marlo with a blend of shock and reverence. Even Lyon’s admiration grudgingly shone through, like a zit through concealer.
Norm rushed up to Marlo and grabbed her hands, beaming. “How did you do it?!”
Marlo grinned back. “Trade secret.”
Marlo peered over her shoulder at Lyon, her grin becoming something just short of a sneer.
Anxious shoppers filed by the girls toward the atrium. Marlo unclasped hands with Norm and took in the commotion around them.
“What’s with all the alarms?” she asked.
“We thought it was because of you,” Takara said with a dainty shrug.
Then, on another giant plasma screen in the commons, Yojuanna appeared. The computer-generated creation appeared to be munching a digital carrot. She tossed the carrot top over her shoulder and sang into her gleaming headset.
“To the Sky Deck, on the double.
An old lady, she’s in trouble.
She went down, all Humpty Dumpty,
so be careful: she’s way grumpy ”
A group of security guards trotted by, their ears pressed against their squawking walkie-talkies.
Marlo grabbed one of the guards by the sleeve. “Hey, what’s going on?” she asked. The security guard glared at Marlo. “I mean, is there some kind of emergency?” she added. “Something that could result in a lawsuit if me and my friends were to be hurt in any way?”
The security guard gulped. “Um, no, uh …
ma’am,”
he replied. “Just some crazy old woman up on the SkyBridge, chomping on an Adam’s Rib; apparently she saw her reflection below and went crazy jumping off, trying to get the ‘other rib.’”
“Is she okay?” Norm asked.
“Well, she busted more than just her rib, I hear. But it could’ve been worse, if she hadn’t had all those aces stuffed in her blouse. Now, if you’ll excuse me …”
The guard trotted away. Marlo and Norm traded looks of excitement.
“Poker Alice!” they squealed together before high-fiving.
Marlo hopped up and down like a terrier after slurping up an espresso.
“Girls,”
Marlo said with her hands on her hips, “any moment, some nasty dead teacher or demon guard is going to come and round us up, so let’s make the most of our day out. The clock is tickin’, and there’s stuff to be pickin’.”
Yojuanna smirked, her slightly bucked teeth
me
for all eternity. I’ll even draft an official document saying as much.”
Lyon’s eyes narrowed. After a moment’s scrutiny, she shrugged her shoulders and smirked. “Whatever,” Lyon said, eyeing her gold Rolex. “You’ve got about two hundred seconds until Poker Alice supersizes your humiliation, anyhow. Go for it.”
Marlo skipped back into Halo/Good Buy, straight toward the Sponges, Spoons, and Sporting Goods aisle.
One hundred and ninety seconds later, a series of alarms went off throughout the mall. The girls looked around the now-even-noisier mall with apprehension.
“Look!” said Norm, pointing at the Halo/Good Buy entrance.
The automatic doors slid open with a pneumatic whoosh. Out shuffled Marlo. Trailing behind her were two burly security guards, with a large red canoe perched atop their shoulders.
“Uh-oh,” muttered Jordie. “Looks like the bird was nicked by the plod.”
Lyon glowered at Jordie. “Does anything you say
ever
make sense?”
Marlo walked cautiously to the marble bench, with the guards in close pursuit. “I think my grandfather will be
much
happier with red,” she said sweetly.
The guards put the canoe down and glared at Marlo.
“Will that be all?” asked one guard, chewing gum in military time.
“Yes, thank you,” Marlo replied with a girlish titter. “You’ve both been absolute angels!”
The guards shared the briefest of sideways glances before leaving with a sharp, synchronized bow.
“Thank you for shopping at Halo/Good Buy,” they said in unison before making an abrupt about-face and marching back into the store. Tiny white parakeet wings poked through their starched khaki uniforms.
The girls stared at Marlo with a blend of shock and reverence. Even Lyon’s admiration grudgingly shone through, like a zit through concealer.
Norm rushed up to Marlo and grabbed her hands, beaming. “How did you do it?!”
Marlo grinned back. “Trade secret.”
Marlo peered over her shoulder at Lyon, her grin becoming something just short of a sneer.
Anxious shoppers filed by the girls toward the atrium. Marlo unclasped hands with Norm and took in the commotion around them.
“What’s with all the alarms?” she asked.
“We thought it was because of you,” Takara said with a dainty shrug.
Then, on another giant plasma screen in the commons, Yojuanna appeared. The computer-generated creation appeared to be munching a digital carrot. She tossed the carrot top over her shoulder and sang into her gleaming headset.
“To the Sky Deck, on the double.
An old lady, she’s in trouble.
She went down, all Humpty Dumpty,
so be careful: she’s way grumpy ”
A group of security guards trotted by, their ears pressed against their squawking walkie-talkies.
Marlo grabbed one of the guards by the sleeve. “Hey, what’s going on?” she asked. The security guard glared at Marlo. “I mean, is there some kind of emergency?” she added. “Something that could result in a lawsuit if me and my friends were to be hurt in any way?”
The security guard gulped. “Um, no, uh …
ma’am,”
he replied. “Just some crazy old woman up on the SkyBridge, chomping on an Adam’s Rib; apparently she saw her reflection below and went crazy jumping off, trying to get the ‘other rib.’”
“Is she okay?” Norm asked.
“Well, she busted more than just her rib, I hear. But it could’ve been worse, if she hadn’t had all those aces stuffed in her blouse. Now, if you’ll excuse me …”
The guard trotted away. Marlo and Norm traded looks of excitement.
“Poker Alice!” they squealed together before high-fiving.
Marlo hopped up and down like a terrier after slurping up an espresso.
“Girls,”
Marlo said with her hands on her hips, “any moment, some nasty dead teacher or demon guard is going to come and round us up, so let’s make the most of our day out. The clock is tickin’, and there’s stuff to be pickin’.”
Yojuanna smirked, her slightly bucked teeth
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