comfortable. The cement walls blocked out every sound from the outside world. It was the perfect place to hide after school. All I’d need was a few good books to pass the time. I pulled out the beaten-up copy of The Great Gatsby I had in my backpack from a summer reading project and set it on the shelf—a little start to my secret reading room. I switched off the lamp and closed the door as I left.
It had been ten minutes, and the hallway was eerily quiet and empty now. My pink Chucks squeaked along the waxed linoleum. When I reached the double doors, I hesitated. Someone was in the stairway. I peered through the little window and saw the one person I least wanted to see: Lennie. He was talking to some guy wearing a black slouch hat.
“It’s top quality,” Lennie said, handing him a small paper bag.
Slouch Hat looked into the bag, then rolled it up and shoved it in his front pocket. “How much?”
“Twenty.”
The kid took a bill from his wallet and handed it over. “I’ll call you if I need more. I know some guys who might want to check out your stuff, too.”
“You know where to find me,” said Lennie.
Oh, my God. I ducked down so they wouldn’t see me through the window. Had I just witnessed what I thought I’d witnessed? Unbelievable.
The door pushed against me and I jumped back. “Ahhh!”
“Emerson,” said Lennie. “Can I help you?”
I stepped away. “No.”
He came through the door, letting it swing shut behind him. “Were you spying on me?”
“Of course not.” I glanced behind me, now wishing Mr. Cook would appear. “I was just leaving.”
I attempted to walk past him to the door, but he sidestepped into my path, glaring down at me. “What are you doing here?”
I remembered what someone once told me about vicious dogs. They could smell your fear. I straightened my shoulders and lifted my chin. “I might ask you the same thing!”
He nodded. “You might. And I might have a very good answer.”
“Such as?”
“Such as I help out in the au-to-mo-tive shop after school.” He articulated the word like he was trying to sound aristocratic. “Fully approved and sanctioned by the administrative powers that be. And you?”
“None of your business,” I said, desperately wishing I’d had a better comeback, something that seemed to escape me whenever I was in Lennie’s presence.
“Better be on your way, then.” He glanced up at the big, roundclock that hung over the doorway. “Mr. Cook is due to pass through here on his daily rounds in approximately two minutes.”
My eyes widened. He had it all timed perfectly.
“Unless you want a ride,” he added, grinning.
“No, uh . . . I don’t think so.” I brushed past him to get to the door. As I started to pull it open, he slid his heavy boot in the way. I stared down at it, fingers squeezing the door handle so tight my knuckles went white.
“It’s just a ride,” he said in a low voice. “I wasn’t asking you out or anything.”
I swiveled my head to look up at his face, which was now inches from mine. “That’s not what I thought. I would never think that.”
The grin that had been taunting me through most of our conversation fell from his face. He pulled his foot out of the way. “Of course you wouldn’t.”
My heart was now thumping visibly through my shirt, I was sure of it. I yanked the door open and nearly flew down the stairwell. I was almost to the bottom when I heard the door above swing open again.
Lennie called out, “Love what you’ve done with your hair, by the way!”
I put a hand to my head, felt the giant binder clip, and groaned inwardly as I pushed through the doors to the downstairs hallway.
EIGHT
I pedaled home. Fast. My legs screamed. All I kept thinking was that I had to beat Lennie home. I didn’t want him there waiting to taunt me again. I’d also nearly forgotten about the twins’ bus, and the disaster it would be if I didn’t arrive in time to greet them. Mom was usually
It had been ten minutes, and the hallway was eerily quiet and empty now. My pink Chucks squeaked along the waxed linoleum. When I reached the double doors, I hesitated. Someone was in the stairway. I peered through the little window and saw the one person I least wanted to see: Lennie. He was talking to some guy wearing a black slouch hat.
“It’s top quality,” Lennie said, handing him a small paper bag.
Slouch Hat looked into the bag, then rolled it up and shoved it in his front pocket. “How much?”
“Twenty.”
The kid took a bill from his wallet and handed it over. “I’ll call you if I need more. I know some guys who might want to check out your stuff, too.”
“You know where to find me,” said Lennie.
Oh, my God. I ducked down so they wouldn’t see me through the window. Had I just witnessed what I thought I’d witnessed? Unbelievable.
The door pushed against me and I jumped back. “Ahhh!”
“Emerson,” said Lennie. “Can I help you?”
I stepped away. “No.”
He came through the door, letting it swing shut behind him. “Were you spying on me?”
“Of course not.” I glanced behind me, now wishing Mr. Cook would appear. “I was just leaving.”
I attempted to walk past him to the door, but he sidestepped into my path, glaring down at me. “What are you doing here?”
I remembered what someone once told me about vicious dogs. They could smell your fear. I straightened my shoulders and lifted my chin. “I might ask you the same thing!”
He nodded. “You might. And I might have a very good answer.”
“Such as?”
“Such as I help out in the au-to-mo-tive shop after school.” He articulated the word like he was trying to sound aristocratic. “Fully approved and sanctioned by the administrative powers that be. And you?”
“None of your business,” I said, desperately wishing I’d had a better comeback, something that seemed to escape me whenever I was in Lennie’s presence.
“Better be on your way, then.” He glanced up at the big, roundclock that hung over the doorway. “Mr. Cook is due to pass through here on his daily rounds in approximately two minutes.”
My eyes widened. He had it all timed perfectly.
“Unless you want a ride,” he added, grinning.
“No, uh . . . I don’t think so.” I brushed past him to get to the door. As I started to pull it open, he slid his heavy boot in the way. I stared down at it, fingers squeezing the door handle so tight my knuckles went white.
“It’s just a ride,” he said in a low voice. “I wasn’t asking you out or anything.”
I swiveled my head to look up at his face, which was now inches from mine. “That’s not what I thought. I would never think that.”
The grin that had been taunting me through most of our conversation fell from his face. He pulled his foot out of the way. “Of course you wouldn’t.”
My heart was now thumping visibly through my shirt, I was sure of it. I yanked the door open and nearly flew down the stairwell. I was almost to the bottom when I heard the door above swing open again.
Lennie called out, “Love what you’ve done with your hair, by the way!”
I put a hand to my head, felt the giant binder clip, and groaned inwardly as I pushed through the doors to the downstairs hallway.
EIGHT
I pedaled home. Fast. My legs screamed. All I kept thinking was that I had to beat Lennie home. I didn’t want him there waiting to taunt me again. I’d also nearly forgotten about the twins’ bus, and the disaster it would be if I didn’t arrive in time to greet them. Mom was usually
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