Grogan in the face again, then wiped his arm on Grogan's t-shirt.
"What's your problem, Grogan?" said Celeste.
"Looks to m-me like you're the ones with the p-p-problem," said Grogan.
"I wish you'd just go away," said Cary.
Grogan laughed. "I wish the same thing about the f-four of you!"
"Nobody wants you here, jerk," said Celeste.
"Your mommy and d-daddy do. I'm their f-favorite."
"You have to tell them the truth." Paisley gave her immaculate black hair a toss. "Tell them we're innocent."
"Yeah," said Baron. "Do it or we'll tell them lies about you."
"They won't believe you," said Grogan.
"We'll make you tell them," said Cary.
Grogan strained against the bedsheets. "You b-better untie me n-now. Mom'll be home any m-minute."
"She's not your mom," said Cary.
Grogan aimed an evil grin at him, fangs flashing. "She sure isn't your mom, asshole."
For a long moment after that, no one said a word.
Finally, Celeste broke the silence. "You're a lying jerk, Grogan."
"Nuh-uh." Grogan looked proud of himself. "It's true. It's a secret."
"Liar!" As Cary glared down at Grogan, he wanted to kick him. He wanted to kick Grogan hard and keep kicking him until he took back what he'd said.
Even though he knew that what Grogan had said was impossible.
"I know lots of s-secrets." Grogan winked at Cary. "There's more where this c-came from."
"You don't know anything," said Celeste.
"You're adopted, asshole," Grogan said to Cary. "Wanna hear the rest of it?"
At that moment, Cary hated Grogan more than he'd hated anyone in his whole life...but he wanted to know what Grogan was going to tell him. What Grogan had said so far had to be a lie, but what if he had something true to say?
"C'mere, asshole." Grogan jerked his head to one side. "I'll only tell you."
I have to find out.
Slowly, Cary hunkered down on his hands and knees beside Grogan.
"Don't do it, Cary!" said Celeste. "Don't listen to him!"
I have to know.
Cary leaned down and put his ear next to Grogan's lips. He tried to stay ready to jump away at a moment's notice, in case Grogan tried to bite him.
He felt Baron's hand on his shoulder. "Cary, don't. He's a liar."
Grogan's breath was warm as he whispered in Cary's ear. "I'm going to tell you who your real father is," he said. "Or should I say your real father and mother at the same time?"
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*****
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Chapter Seventeen
Lilly, Pennsylvania
Saturday, April 5, 1924, 10:45 PM
Â
Olenka had never imagined that there would come a time when the Ku Klux Klan would protect her...but the time was now.
She and Max Beckenbauer--the young Klansman with the noose still hanging around his neck--were running from her neighbors, who wanted to kill him. The chase ended when columns of white-robed, hooded men suddenly marched around the corner, bearing torches and spanning the street from side to side.
The Lilly men who'd been after Olenka and Max stopped running and started backing away. Instead of facing a lone Klansman, now they faced an army.
For his part, Max kept running headlong toward the Klan's ranks, pulling Olenka along by the hand. The two of them plunged into the KKK army, ducking into the space between columns.
Just as they entered the white-robed ranks, Olenka heard shouting behind her. She glanced back over her shoulder just in time to see a blast of water slam into the marchers at the head of the formation.
Hoods flew and men fell from the force of the water. The Klansmen stopped moving forward, though Max and Olenka kept running between them.
They must be using the fire hose. It was the only thing Olenka could think of that could shoot that much water with that much power.
We got out of the way just in time.
She and Max pushed deeper into the ranks, arms brushed by the white linen robes arrayed on either side. Olenka felt like a little girl again, dashing between bedsheets strung on back yard clotheslines.
She began to wonder, though, when she would run out of bedsheets. The army stretched on
"What's your problem, Grogan?" said Celeste.
"Looks to m-me like you're the ones with the p-p-problem," said Grogan.
"I wish you'd just go away," said Cary.
Grogan laughed. "I wish the same thing about the f-four of you!"
"Nobody wants you here, jerk," said Celeste.
"Your mommy and d-daddy do. I'm their f-favorite."
"You have to tell them the truth." Paisley gave her immaculate black hair a toss. "Tell them we're innocent."
"Yeah," said Baron. "Do it or we'll tell them lies about you."
"They won't believe you," said Grogan.
"We'll make you tell them," said Cary.
Grogan strained against the bedsheets. "You b-better untie me n-now. Mom'll be home any m-minute."
"She's not your mom," said Cary.
Grogan aimed an evil grin at him, fangs flashing. "She sure isn't your mom, asshole."
For a long moment after that, no one said a word.
Finally, Celeste broke the silence. "You're a lying jerk, Grogan."
"Nuh-uh." Grogan looked proud of himself. "It's true. It's a secret."
"Liar!" As Cary glared down at Grogan, he wanted to kick him. He wanted to kick Grogan hard and keep kicking him until he took back what he'd said.
Even though he knew that what Grogan had said was impossible.
"I know lots of s-secrets." Grogan winked at Cary. "There's more where this c-came from."
"You don't know anything," said Celeste.
"You're adopted, asshole," Grogan said to Cary. "Wanna hear the rest of it?"
At that moment, Cary hated Grogan more than he'd hated anyone in his whole life...but he wanted to know what Grogan was going to tell him. What Grogan had said so far had to be a lie, but what if he had something true to say?
"C'mere, asshole." Grogan jerked his head to one side. "I'll only tell you."
I have to find out.
Slowly, Cary hunkered down on his hands and knees beside Grogan.
"Don't do it, Cary!" said Celeste. "Don't listen to him!"
I have to know.
Cary leaned down and put his ear next to Grogan's lips. He tried to stay ready to jump away at a moment's notice, in case Grogan tried to bite him.
He felt Baron's hand on his shoulder. "Cary, don't. He's a liar."
Grogan's breath was warm as he whispered in Cary's ear. "I'm going to tell you who your real father is," he said. "Or should I say your real father and mother at the same time?"
Â
*****
Â
Chapter Seventeen
Lilly, Pennsylvania
Saturday, April 5, 1924, 10:45 PM
Â
Olenka had never imagined that there would come a time when the Ku Klux Klan would protect her...but the time was now.
She and Max Beckenbauer--the young Klansman with the noose still hanging around his neck--were running from her neighbors, who wanted to kill him. The chase ended when columns of white-robed, hooded men suddenly marched around the corner, bearing torches and spanning the street from side to side.
The Lilly men who'd been after Olenka and Max stopped running and started backing away. Instead of facing a lone Klansman, now they faced an army.
For his part, Max kept running headlong toward the Klan's ranks, pulling Olenka along by the hand. The two of them plunged into the KKK army, ducking into the space between columns.
Just as they entered the white-robed ranks, Olenka heard shouting behind her. She glanced back over her shoulder just in time to see a blast of water slam into the marchers at the head of the formation.
Hoods flew and men fell from the force of the water. The Klansmen stopped moving forward, though Max and Olenka kept running between them.
They must be using the fire hose. It was the only thing Olenka could think of that could shoot that much water with that much power.
We got out of the way just in time.
She and Max pushed deeper into the ranks, arms brushed by the white linen robes arrayed on either side. Olenka felt like a little girl again, dashing between bedsheets strung on back yard clotheslines.
She began to wonder, though, when she would run out of bedsheets. The army stretched on
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