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In thefor theie were already dressed, already had their backpacks on Maggie had been working her Sidekick hard allwith one thu contact with her friends who out who she would eat lunch with at school Brent had already started worrying about how far behind he was going to be in Algebra, having missed et to school

School was just going to have to wait

Grandma had made a pot of tea, and set out a sis Weathers was sitting at their kitchen table dabbing at the corners of his ht?" he asked, as they caie took off her backpack and set it by the door She knehat that tone of voice meant Dad had never been much of a disciplinarian but he was a parent and he could always let you knohen you were in trouble with a single look or a few softly-spoken words This felt exactly the sa some exercise There was a whole presentation at school last year about how the President wants us to get more exercise outdoors Don&039;t you work for the President?"

Even Brent couldn&039;t help but sh

"There are daht," Weathers said "The owner said it sounded like a bomb hit his house The owner of the Gilbert Brothers Junkyard tellsto cost hie"

"What?" Brent said "That&039;s not fair! That was all broken down junk ere playing with We couldn&039;t possibly have daed it any more than it was already"

"So you adht? I wasn&039;t sure, I was just hoping you ie&039;s heart sank in her chest S," she said, before Brent could get them in any more trouble "If you have any questions for us, ant a lawyer here before we say anything else"

Weathers sighed and took another bite of eggs He chewed very slowly and then took a newspaper out of the inside pocket of his jacket He unrolled it and threw it on the table where they could both see it The front page was taken up alie holding a broken-down car over her head while Brent raced backwards to catch it The headline read simply WHO ARE THEY?

"The picture was taken with a cell phone cah detail for the local police to identify either of you," he said, reaching for a tea cup "I kept your na the inevitable Sooner or later - probably in the next twenty-four hours - sonize the clothes you&039;re wearing in that shot Oraround like monkeys I won&039;t be able to stop the to want to talk to you, all at once You&039;ll have no privacy after that The media will hound you constantly And that&039;s just the start of it"

"I don&039;t suppose the FBI runs a Secret Identity prograie tried

"No, we do not We do, on the other hand, enforce the law The owner of that junkyard - or that chies and then I&039;ll have to arrest you I don&039;t want that I think there are other things we can do with you two"

"What, like dissect us in a lab soaret Reynolds Gill!" Grandma said "You will not take that tone in the presence of coht Yesterday at the hospital you told hiet out Now he&039;s your best friend As usual Grandma&039;s behavior made no sense to her

Weathers finished his breakfast and left Grandet into school late and then sent hi to say

"Youlady, and there&039;s consequences for that When you get hoone froie asked "What&039;s a hi-fi?"

"That overly loudto yesterday! I don&039;t knohere you hide the record player," she said, and Maggie&039;s eyes ide - apparently Grandma had never heard of iTunes, "but I&039;ll find it and confiscate that, too Noas you continue to act like this!"

"Don&039;t you dare," Maggie said Thethat could calo crazy "And what are you going to do to punish Brent?"

"Nothing I know that last night&039;s ruie "You leave your brother alone It ood boy and I won&039;t have hiie whined "Alhen Dad punished us he punished us both equally He "

"I am not your father," Grandrabbed her backpack and storet her note If the vice principal at the school gave her trouble about cos she could do