any part of this.”
“Then you should leave.”
She folds her hands and her voice drops. “Old soldier.”
I glance at her.
“Saw him punch it in one time. It’s Old soldier. Capitalize the O.”
I enter the account number found in Dad’s office and type in the password. Bingo.
“He has six accounts. Oh, here.” Martin-Education. I click on the balance tab.
“$22,000 available? I don’t need that much. I’ll just take two thousand.”
“Don’t be stupid. Like Dad won’t be suspicious if the bank sends him a check for two thousand dollars.”
I dig in my pocket and yank out the series of numbers Poole gave me.
“He won’t know. I’m transferring to a friend of Poole’s who works at the stadium.”
“The vagrant? That crazy who came to school? What if his friend keeps it?”
“Wouldn’t matter much. What do I need it for anyway?”
Lani leans back. “What’s going on?”
I want to tell her about the curse. I want to let her in because she feels more like my sister than she ever has before. She’s now my partner in crime and she deserves to know. But I can’t. Don’t know why, but I can’t. If she believed me, she might cry, and I couldn’t take that.
“I’m changing life plans, Lani. This may come in handy.” I push my hand through my hair and push back from the computer. “College isn’t in my future.”
“Mom will kill you.”
“She can’t. It’s not possible.” I slap my hand over my mouth.
Lani stands and walks toward the door. “You’re a different brother. I don’t think I know you. I like you, don’t get me wrong.” She squints. “You’re not into D-R-U-G-S?”
I laugh. “No.”
She nods, big and slow. “Well, I just wanted to tell you I thought it was great how you answered Mom. Definitely not a loser-answer.”
Lani opens the door, peers out, and slips into thehall. Her head pops back inside. “You didn’t hear the P-A-S-S-W-O-R-D from me … Martin!”
I jump and yank Lani inside, slam the door.
“It’s really important that Mom doesn’t come in here right now.”
She jumps behind me and vice-grips my gut. “The window.”
I peer out. A face stares back and I dive to the floor, bringing Lani with me.
Slowly, the window opens and a grimy leg pokes in.
“Hey gang, Marty, Lani. Looks like I got here in time for the fun. What are you playing?”
Lani scrambles to her feet and reaches for the door. I lunge, perform a perfect tackle/hand-slap-over-the-face combination, and again Lani thumps to the ground.
“Don’t think I want to tackle Lani all night.” Poole tests the firmness of the bed with his hand. “Do you have any other games?”
“Listen,” I hiss into Lani’s ear. “Poole is over for a sleepover. I’m not sure why he chose …” — I dagger eye Poole — “the
window
entrance.”
Poole jumps on the bed and lands flat on his back. “Thought there’d be less commotion.”
I point at Lani. “Yes, this is far less. Thank you.”
“No problem.”
“So sis, I’m going to let your mouth free and I need it to be quiet. It’s a miracle the Owl isn’t here already. Canyou promise not to make any normal, sisterly, shrieky noises?”
“Mm-hm.” She nods, and I slowly remove my palm.
Lani stands and glances from Poole to the open window. “I’m going to my bedroom now. Where doors
and windows
are always locked. I have no valuables except for a clarinet.” She peeks at Poole. “You don’t play clarinet, do you?”
Poole shakes his head, and Lani tries my doorknob for the third time. “So you’d better stay in
this
room.” She slips out the door.
“Well, Poole,” I let my arms flop to my sides. “Welcome to my home.”
CHAPTER 13
Y OU’VE NEVER HAD A SLEEPOVER?”
I bite my lip and shake my head. I flip through Julia’s art. “Nope. Kids less concerned with hygiene …” I quote Mom and peek at the dusty kid stretched out on my bed. If any kid ever qualified. “… are the carrier pigeons of
“Then you should leave.”
She folds her hands and her voice drops. “Old soldier.”
I glance at her.
“Saw him punch it in one time. It’s Old soldier. Capitalize the O.”
I enter the account number found in Dad’s office and type in the password. Bingo.
“He has six accounts. Oh, here.” Martin-Education. I click on the balance tab.
“$22,000 available? I don’t need that much. I’ll just take two thousand.”
“Don’t be stupid. Like Dad won’t be suspicious if the bank sends him a check for two thousand dollars.”
I dig in my pocket and yank out the series of numbers Poole gave me.
“He won’t know. I’m transferring to a friend of Poole’s who works at the stadium.”
“The vagrant? That crazy who came to school? What if his friend keeps it?”
“Wouldn’t matter much. What do I need it for anyway?”
Lani leans back. “What’s going on?”
I want to tell her about the curse. I want to let her in because she feels more like my sister than she ever has before. She’s now my partner in crime and she deserves to know. But I can’t. Don’t know why, but I can’t. If she believed me, she might cry, and I couldn’t take that.
“I’m changing life plans, Lani. This may come in handy.” I push my hand through my hair and push back from the computer. “College isn’t in my future.”
“Mom will kill you.”
“She can’t. It’s not possible.” I slap my hand over my mouth.
Lani stands and walks toward the door. “You’re a different brother. I don’t think I know you. I like you, don’t get me wrong.” She squints. “You’re not into D-R-U-G-S?”
I laugh. “No.”
She nods, big and slow. “Well, I just wanted to tell you I thought it was great how you answered Mom. Definitely not a loser-answer.”
Lani opens the door, peers out, and slips into thehall. Her head pops back inside. “You didn’t hear the P-A-S-S-W-O-R-D from me … Martin!”
I jump and yank Lani inside, slam the door.
“It’s really important that Mom doesn’t come in here right now.”
She jumps behind me and vice-grips my gut. “The window.”
I peer out. A face stares back and I dive to the floor, bringing Lani with me.
Slowly, the window opens and a grimy leg pokes in.
“Hey gang, Marty, Lani. Looks like I got here in time for the fun. What are you playing?”
Lani scrambles to her feet and reaches for the door. I lunge, perform a perfect tackle/hand-slap-over-the-face combination, and again Lani thumps to the ground.
“Don’t think I want to tackle Lani all night.” Poole tests the firmness of the bed with his hand. “Do you have any other games?”
“Listen,” I hiss into Lani’s ear. “Poole is over for a sleepover. I’m not sure why he chose …” — I dagger eye Poole — “the
window
entrance.”
Poole jumps on the bed and lands flat on his back. “Thought there’d be less commotion.”
I point at Lani. “Yes, this is far less. Thank you.”
“No problem.”
“So sis, I’m going to let your mouth free and I need it to be quiet. It’s a miracle the Owl isn’t here already. Canyou promise not to make any normal, sisterly, shrieky noises?”
“Mm-hm.” She nods, and I slowly remove my palm.
Lani stands and glances from Poole to the open window. “I’m going to my bedroom now. Where doors
and windows
are always locked. I have no valuables except for a clarinet.” She peeks at Poole. “You don’t play clarinet, do you?”
Poole shakes his head, and Lani tries my doorknob for the third time. “So you’d better stay in
this
room.” She slips out the door.
“Well, Poole,” I let my arms flop to my sides. “Welcome to my home.”
CHAPTER 13
Y OU’VE NEVER HAD A SLEEPOVER?”
I bite my lip and shake my head. I flip through Julia’s art. “Nope. Kids less concerned with hygiene …” I quote Mom and peek at the dusty kid stretched out on my bed. If any kid ever qualified. “… are the carrier pigeons of
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