reached around for the bag, and I held it farther back. Seriously, who’s grabby like that? Except for five-year-olds, and it’s not like they’re even real people yet.
“No, I just haven’t heard anything. He’s not at the lab.” I took a couple of steps back, but Mrs. Simmons isn’t one of those people with a real good perception of personal space.
“Interesting.” Mrs. Simmons was peering around my back at the bag. “Is that a doggie? I’ll take that doggie.”
I nodded. “Yes, that’s it, it’s a dog. For my project. I have to keep it in the bag though. That’s my science project, Dog in a Bag. You don’t mind if I keep it here for a little bit?”
Mrs. Simmons clasped her hands together tightly. “Oh, not at all. I like dogs. You can leave it here as long as you want. I’ll take very good care of it. Very good care of it.”
She smiled at me, showing all of her big horsey teeth.
“Great, I’m sure you would.” No way in hell was I going to leave Jack alone with Mrs. Simmons. Crazed killer or not, that’s just not something I would inflict on anyone. Mrs. Simmons, that is.
I spent the next million years alternately playing keep-away with Mrs. Simmons and cussing out Agatha inmy head. Because hiding in Mrs. Simmons’ apartment was supposed to be the easy part of the plan. It was the questioning part that we’d been nervous about.
Just when Mrs. Simmons had me ready to give myself up to the cops, Agatha crept into the apartment dragging a pink Dora the Explorer suitcase behind her.
“You okay?” I said, going over as she shut the door quietly behind her.
“Yes, but there’s not much time,” she whispered. “You’ve got a guard at your door, too, and mine’s gone upstairs to consult. You better hustle. But first give me the hybrid.”
“Jeffrey has a dog,” Mrs. Simmons said loudly. “He’s going to give him to me. He’s my dog.”
“Uh, no, Mrs. Simmons,” I said. I couldn’t help but smirk at the suitcase. “You going on the run, Agatha? With Dora?” I snickered.
“It’s old, okay? From when I was little. And it’s not for me, it’s for the animal hybrid. You’ll need your backpack. For cover.” She rolled her eyes at me.
She had a point.
It wasn’t easy making the transfer, in part because we had to do it without getting our limbs ripped off by an angry turban-wearing burrito, and in part because we had to do it without Mrs. Noseypants Simmons noticing that my doggie was less than doggielike. (Which meant there was a little more dumping involved than I would’ve liked.) But seriously, from the minute Agatha said “animal hybrid,” it was like she was all ears.
“I thought you said your project was Dog in a Bag. That looks like Dog in a Suitcase.” One sharp cookie, that Mrs. Simmons. Can’t put anything past her.
“That’s part two of my project.”
“We’re studying how he adjusts to different environments, right?” Agatha shot me a look. “It’s a comparative study. He was in a cardboard box earlier.”
I cleared my throat. “That’s right.”
“I see.” Mrs. Simmons raised her eyebrows thoughtfully. Score one for Agatha.
I zipped the suitcase shut. I have to admit, I felt kind of weird leaving him with Agatha. It’s not like that bunny stinker was anything but a pain in my neck, butit felt strange to just leave him behind. But I shook it off, grabbed the shreds of my backpack, and hurried into the hallway. I was just in time. Mr. Suit #2 was coming back down the stairs as I was going up.
I hardly glanced at him as I brushed past. But I was so busy being cool and casual that I didn’t even see Mrs. Garcia coming around the corner. Or stop before she bumped into my arm. And knocked my backpack onto the floor.
“Oh, Jeremy! I’m so sorry! Here, let me…what’s this?”
My experience with Mrs. Garcia has pretty much been limited to accepting cookies, so I didn’t realize how quick she could be. I barely had time to react before
“No, I just haven’t heard anything. He’s not at the lab.” I took a couple of steps back, but Mrs. Simmons isn’t one of those people with a real good perception of personal space.
“Interesting.” Mrs. Simmons was peering around my back at the bag. “Is that a doggie? I’ll take that doggie.”
I nodded. “Yes, that’s it, it’s a dog. For my project. I have to keep it in the bag though. That’s my science project, Dog in a Bag. You don’t mind if I keep it here for a little bit?”
Mrs. Simmons clasped her hands together tightly. “Oh, not at all. I like dogs. You can leave it here as long as you want. I’ll take very good care of it. Very good care of it.”
She smiled at me, showing all of her big horsey teeth.
“Great, I’m sure you would.” No way in hell was I going to leave Jack alone with Mrs. Simmons. Crazed killer or not, that’s just not something I would inflict on anyone. Mrs. Simmons, that is.
I spent the next million years alternately playing keep-away with Mrs. Simmons and cussing out Agatha inmy head. Because hiding in Mrs. Simmons’ apartment was supposed to be the easy part of the plan. It was the questioning part that we’d been nervous about.
Just when Mrs. Simmons had me ready to give myself up to the cops, Agatha crept into the apartment dragging a pink Dora the Explorer suitcase behind her.
“You okay?” I said, going over as she shut the door quietly behind her.
“Yes, but there’s not much time,” she whispered. “You’ve got a guard at your door, too, and mine’s gone upstairs to consult. You better hustle. But first give me the hybrid.”
“Jeffrey has a dog,” Mrs. Simmons said loudly. “He’s going to give him to me. He’s my dog.”
“Uh, no, Mrs. Simmons,” I said. I couldn’t help but smirk at the suitcase. “You going on the run, Agatha? With Dora?” I snickered.
“It’s old, okay? From when I was little. And it’s not for me, it’s for the animal hybrid. You’ll need your backpack. For cover.” She rolled her eyes at me.
She had a point.
It wasn’t easy making the transfer, in part because we had to do it without getting our limbs ripped off by an angry turban-wearing burrito, and in part because we had to do it without Mrs. Noseypants Simmons noticing that my doggie was less than doggielike. (Which meant there was a little more dumping involved than I would’ve liked.) But seriously, from the minute Agatha said “animal hybrid,” it was like she was all ears.
“I thought you said your project was Dog in a Bag. That looks like Dog in a Suitcase.” One sharp cookie, that Mrs. Simmons. Can’t put anything past her.
“That’s part two of my project.”
“We’re studying how he adjusts to different environments, right?” Agatha shot me a look. “It’s a comparative study. He was in a cardboard box earlier.”
I cleared my throat. “That’s right.”
“I see.” Mrs. Simmons raised her eyebrows thoughtfully. Score one for Agatha.
I zipped the suitcase shut. I have to admit, I felt kind of weird leaving him with Agatha. It’s not like that bunny stinker was anything but a pain in my neck, butit felt strange to just leave him behind. But I shook it off, grabbed the shreds of my backpack, and hurried into the hallway. I was just in time. Mr. Suit #2 was coming back down the stairs as I was going up.
I hardly glanced at him as I brushed past. But I was so busy being cool and casual that I didn’t even see Mrs. Garcia coming around the corner. Or stop before she bumped into my arm. And knocked my backpack onto the floor.
“Oh, Jeremy! I’m so sorry! Here, let me…what’s this?”
My experience with Mrs. Garcia has pretty much been limited to accepting cookies, so I didn’t realize how quick she could be. I barely had time to react before
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