They could have found some other house in the school district, for a quarter of the price. Maybe it made them feel safe up here on the hill, driving round in an SUV. Or maybe there was some other reason. I got back to the house, went to my room, and lay down, listening to music, and thinking over the day.
When I went down an hour later, Richard was watching the news on TV from an easy chair. He didn’t pay any attention to me when I sat down. A few minutes later, Hannah came in and said hello.
“How was school?”
“It was okay, but boring.”
“Boring?”
“Nothing much happened.”
“What were the teachers like?”
“Just
teachers.”
“What did you have for lunch?”
“A
sandwich.”
When Richard went upstairs, I picked up the remote and flipped the TV over to the movie channel. I like movies. If I need to switch my brain off for a couple of hours, I just watch a movie.
The movie was about some guy working in the French resistance during WWII. I like those movies. I had vague memories of watching movies with my dad, when I was young. He would come home, stick his feet up after a hard day at work, and watch a movie. That’s about the clearest memory I have of him. That, and him and my mother arguing. When Richard came back, he picked up the remote and, without saying anything, turned back to the news.
“We were watching that,” Hannah said, staring at him coldly.
“I was in the middle of the news,” Richard said.
“It’s my fault,” I said. “Sorry.”
Hannah got up, and went into the kitchen. After the news finished, Richard followed Hannah, then they both came back in.
“We’re going into town for a quick look around before dinner,” Hannah said.
“You coming?”
I couldn’t say no. The car was our safe haven, and they wanted me there, to question me. How did that old wartime poster go? Loose lips sink ships. Remember!
The enemy may be listening. We were out of the neighborhood and rolling down the slope into the town, before Richard turned to me, and asked me what had gone on that 26
day. He was no longer my father; he was Special Agent Richard Johnson, of the anti-teenage cyber terrorist squad, or whatever they were calling themselves that week.
“What do you mean?” I said.
“What happened?”
“It’s my first day. Nothing happened.”
“You didn’t see Zaqarwi?”
“Yeah, I saw someone that probably is him, but I didn’t rush in and start saying hello. How would that look?”
“Drop the attitude, Ripley.”
I didn’t think I had an attitude. I was just telling him that nothing had happened.
“I didn’t agree to give you a nightly report.”
“You’re here to work with us. That means keeping us informed.”
“I agreed to work with Philips.”
“You think that you are going to keep us out of the loop?”
“I don’t know what you are talking about.”
“Just tell us what happened today. You don’t need the attitude.”
“What did I just say? Nothing happened.”
“He’s right,” Hannah said to Richard. “It doesn’t make sense to waste time giving reports, when there is nothing to report.”
Richard frowned at Hannah. “I thought you were working with me.”
“Now who’s got the attitude?” Hannah said.
“Look,” Richard said, “this isn’t a democracy. He’s the criminal, in case you forgot.”
“I will give you a report when anything happens,” I said. “Until then, you either leave me alone or I walk. That’s what we agreed.”
“You walk right back to the Pizza Hut, smart guy? I’ll bet you will.”
“Can we stop arguing?” interjected Hannah. “It’s getting us nowhere.”
Richard turned the car around, and began driving back to the house. But suddenly I spotted a bike shop, and said, “I want to get a bike.”
The store was surprisingly well stocked. I test-rode several bikes, and eventually chose a dual-suspension alloy mountain bike, which was overboard for trips to school, but I didn’t
When I went down an hour later, Richard was watching the news on TV from an easy chair. He didn’t pay any attention to me when I sat down. A few minutes later, Hannah came in and said hello.
“How was school?”
“It was okay, but boring.”
“Boring?”
“Nothing much happened.”
“What were the teachers like?”
“Just
teachers.”
“What did you have for lunch?”
“A
sandwich.”
When Richard went upstairs, I picked up the remote and flipped the TV over to the movie channel. I like movies. If I need to switch my brain off for a couple of hours, I just watch a movie.
The movie was about some guy working in the French resistance during WWII. I like those movies. I had vague memories of watching movies with my dad, when I was young. He would come home, stick his feet up after a hard day at work, and watch a movie. That’s about the clearest memory I have of him. That, and him and my mother arguing. When Richard came back, he picked up the remote and, without saying anything, turned back to the news.
“We were watching that,” Hannah said, staring at him coldly.
“I was in the middle of the news,” Richard said.
“It’s my fault,” I said. “Sorry.”
Hannah got up, and went into the kitchen. After the news finished, Richard followed Hannah, then they both came back in.
“We’re going into town for a quick look around before dinner,” Hannah said.
“You coming?”
I couldn’t say no. The car was our safe haven, and they wanted me there, to question me. How did that old wartime poster go? Loose lips sink ships. Remember!
The enemy may be listening. We were out of the neighborhood and rolling down the slope into the town, before Richard turned to me, and asked me what had gone on that 26
day. He was no longer my father; he was Special Agent Richard Johnson, of the anti-teenage cyber terrorist squad, or whatever they were calling themselves that week.
“What do you mean?” I said.
“What happened?”
“It’s my first day. Nothing happened.”
“You didn’t see Zaqarwi?”
“Yeah, I saw someone that probably is him, but I didn’t rush in and start saying hello. How would that look?”
“Drop the attitude, Ripley.”
I didn’t think I had an attitude. I was just telling him that nothing had happened.
“I didn’t agree to give you a nightly report.”
“You’re here to work with us. That means keeping us informed.”
“I agreed to work with Philips.”
“You think that you are going to keep us out of the loop?”
“I don’t know what you are talking about.”
“Just tell us what happened today. You don’t need the attitude.”
“What did I just say? Nothing happened.”
“He’s right,” Hannah said to Richard. “It doesn’t make sense to waste time giving reports, when there is nothing to report.”
Richard frowned at Hannah. “I thought you were working with me.”
“Now who’s got the attitude?” Hannah said.
“Look,” Richard said, “this isn’t a democracy. He’s the criminal, in case you forgot.”
“I will give you a report when anything happens,” I said. “Until then, you either leave me alone or I walk. That’s what we agreed.”
“You walk right back to the Pizza Hut, smart guy? I’ll bet you will.”
“Can we stop arguing?” interjected Hannah. “It’s getting us nowhere.”
Richard turned the car around, and began driving back to the house. But suddenly I spotted a bike shop, and said, “I want to get a bike.”
The store was surprisingly well stocked. I test-rode several bikes, and eventually chose a dual-suspension alloy mountain bike, which was overboard for trips to school, but I didn’t
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