The Puzzle Master by Heather Spiva Page A

didn’t think it was going to be this soon. Why hadn’t she said anything to him before this?
    “When’s she get back?” he asked.
           Luke was staring into space, out the window.
    “Luke?”
    “Huh? Oh, uh she’s supposed to be back in a couple of days.”
    “A couple of days?” Marshall couldn’t believe it. “If it’s just a checkup, what’s she doing there for a couple of days?”
    “They want to hold her for observation and everything.” Luke shrugged and then laughed, but he didn’t sound happy about it. “It’s just how the checkup goes I guess. She’ll be back here in no time.”
    Marshall nodded again. They were supposed to start on the puzzle today. It seemed so strange that she wouldn’t tell him; that she wouldn’t have called him or even told Luke that that those were the plans. Now she was in a hospital, or wherever, letting doctors check her out for an extended amount of time.
    “I’ll be in the back then,” said Marshall with a sigh. Luke was in the middle of lighting up, and nodded. He was puffing on the thing like it was about to disappear in two seconds. Something weird was going on. It was all wrong. Everything. The store, no Iris, Luke’s behavior.
    The door tinkled again and someone else walked in. Marshall turned around to see Michael walk through with Greg and Justin. Shoot , he thought, just who I didn’t need to see.
    “Hey Marshy,” said Michael, “ What’chya doing here?”
    “Come here after school all the time.”
    “To be with that Miss Iris?” Greg and Justin sneered at the comment, but Michael looked like he was actually serious.
    “She’s not here right now. What’s it to you?” They better leave him alone. He was in no mood to talk to a bunch of idiots about Iris. They had no idea what sickness was and he didn’t care how they took his answer.
    Greg and Justin wandered off to look at some old comic books, but Michael didn’t move. He stared at Marshall, and Marshall felt like he could read his mind. Michael’s lips were set together, arms crossed and one of his eyebrows raised . He wanted some answers and he was going to get them.
    “I saw you running like mad to get here,” he said. “What’s so important?”
    “Why do you care Mike, it’s just a store. I thought Iris was going to be here is all.”
    “I also saw you take a breath on your inhaler.”
    Ah man, he saw that too? “Yeah, so what?”
    “So, I haven’t seen you use that thing in ages. Didn’t know you still had the asthma.”
    “I don’t really, just … sometimes I have a flare up.” He could feel his body temperature rising. The air conditioning that had felt good a couple of minutes ago was suddenly not cool enough. A flush creeped up his cheeks.
    “Why are you asking me these questions?” Marshall turned around and looked at a bag of purses and ladies wallets, old and wrinkly leather that looked like they had been on a cow a hundred years ago.
    “I don’t know, just wondering. You gonna show me your best toy soon? You do want to join the club right?”
    Marshall had to say yes, that of course he did, even though he thought Michael’s club was the stupidest thing he’d ever heard of. He didn’t want to join; he didn’t want to show them the cool fishing pole he was going to get. He wanted Iris, here in the room, and them in the back starting the big puzzle.
     “Sure, just waiting to find the right one is all.” Michael nodded and grinned and seemed satisfied that Marshall was planning on joining. Michael turned away, watching Greg   rifle through a box of books. Justin was trying on a pair of seventies sunglasses.
    “So, she’s not sick?”
    “Why do you care?”
    “Maybe I don’t.”
    Marshall sensed compassion within the confines of Michaels’ words, but just when Marshall thought he’d hear more of it, Michael was his old self again. He snorted, and a limp grin splayed across his thick cheeks.
    “Alright Marshy, see you later.” Marshall