Pig City by Louis Sachar Page B

House,” said Gabriel. There was no mistaking it. He walked inside. She followed.
    He sat in the swinging chair.
    She was going to tell him that that was her chair, butthen she decided it didn’t matter. She sat on the bed. She glanced quickly at the dress and camera lying on the television, then her eyes turned to Gabriel.
    He swiveled around in the chair, looking at everything.
    â€œWhat do you think?” she asked him.
    â€œJust as I expected,” he said.
    â€œOkay, here’s the thing,” said Laura. “Even though you already know about Pig City, you still have to give insurance, just to make it official.”
    â€œRight. I know that,” he said.
    Laura smiled. She got the treasure chest out from under the bed. “You know what this is?” she asked.
    â€œA treasure chest,” said Gabriel.
    Laura nodded. “Inside are the Treasures of Pig City,” she said. “It’s where we put everybody’s insurance.” She sat back down on the bed.
    Gabriel snapped his fingers. “Oh, I just remembered,” he said. “I left my insurance at home. Why don’t you let me use somebody else’s insurance for now, and then I’ll bring my own insurance to school tomorrow.”
    â€œWhat are you talking about?”
    â€œNothing. Never mind.”
    â€œI pick your insurance,” said Laura. “You don’t get to bring your own.”
    â€œRight. I knew that,” said Gabriel. “I was making a joke.”
    â€œOkay,” said Laura. She looked at the muumuu. She wondered if Gabriel would really agree to wear it. She thought about Aaron and Nathan, how quickly they had agreed to do what they were told. But Gabriel was different. Aaron and Nathan were followers. Gabriel was a leader.
    â€œOkay, here’s the thing,” said Laura. “Now you have to agree to do whatever I say.”
    â€œI will.”
    â€œOnce I tell you what your insurance is, you can’t change your mind.”
    â€œI won’t.”
    â€œOkay, here’s the thing,” said Laura. She stopped.
    â€œWhat?” he asked.
    â€œOkay, this is what you have to do.”
    â€œWhat?”
    She took off her cap and wiped her hair off her face. The hat stayed off.
    â€œWhat do I have to do?” he asked.
    â€œYou have to kiss me.”

20
The Kiss
    They remained where they were, Gabriel in the swinging chair, Laura on the bed.
    Gabriel said, “What?”
    â€œYou heard me,” Laura whispered.
    It had surprised her almost as much as it had Gabriel, and she was the one who said it. She was all set to tell him he had to put on the muumuu, but somehow those other words came out.
    They stayed glued to their chairs.
    The best way to explain Laura’s change of heart is like this: Before, she had to kiss him. Now, he had to kiss her. That was a big difference.
    She took a deep breath. She felt her heart beating. She imagined herself kissing him, then raising her fist to her nose and saying very sexily, “Welcome to Pig City.”
    â€œWhat’s so funny?” Gabriel asked.
    She shook her head. She hadn’t realized she was smiling.
    They stared into each other’s eyes.
    Gabriel climbed out of the swinging chair.
    Laura stood up. She felt tingly all over. “Have you ever kissed a girl before?” she whispered.
    â€œNo,” he said. “Have you?”
    She laughed.
    He did, too. “I mean, have you ever kissed a boy?”
    She shook her head. “I never would have chosen it for your insurance,” she said, “except it was your idea in the first place.”
    â€œWhat do you mean?”
    â€œYou know. What you said in the note you wrote me.”
    â€œWhat are you talking about?” Gabriel’s voice was an octave higher than usual. He cleared his throat.
    â€œYou know,” said Laura.
    â€œNo, I don’t.” His voice was still way up there.
    â€œYou said if I