Page 7 (1/2)

You didn’t say no to a palerly put the small, round wad into Johnnie-O’s hand

"Next ti down"

Purple-puss’s Adam’s apple bobbed nervously, like a walnut in his throat Or a jawbreaker

Then Allie and Nick watched in utter disbelief as Johnnie-O peeled the paper frouross," said Nick

In response, Raggedy Andy punched him in the sto a second later that it didn’t hurt How annoying it ht, to not be able to inflict pain This place must be a bully’s version of hell

Johnnie-O worked the guain He closed his eyes for a moment as he chewed "A lot of flavor still left in this one," he said

"Cinnau?"

Nick only shrugged "I chew until I can’t taste it any "You ain’t got no tastebuds"

"Can I have it next?" said Purple-puss

"Don’t be gross," Johnhed at that, and Johnnie-O threw her a sharp gaze, followed by a second gaze that was , are you?" he said

Her lips pulled tightly together in anger, and she knew that rier "I’h," she said "I’m pretty in my oay" Which was true No one had ever called Allie a ravishing beauty, but she knew very well that she wasn’t unattractive, either What made her madder still was that she had to justify herself and the way she looked to this big-handed creep, who chewed other people’s used gum "On a scale of one to ten," Allie said, "I suppose I’m a seven But you, on the other hand, I esti, mainly because it was true

"Seven’s not worth lookin’ at," he said "And the way I see it, we’re not going to have to look at each other er, are we?"

"What’s that supposed to mean?" said Nick, who did not like the sound of it any more than Allie did

Johnnie-O crossed his arer coue over ots to be ," said Allie

"I wasn’t talkin’ to you We don’t need the likes of you around here"

"Well," said Allie, "I’hed

"Oh," said Raggedy Andy, "I don’t think he’ll want to go where you’re going"

Allie didn’t quite knohat that meant, but even so, she started to panic

"Grab her," Johnnie-O ordered his co quick, and so she said the first thing that came to mind "Stay away from me or I’ll call the McGill!"

That stopped them dead in their tracks

"What are you talkin’ about?" said Johnnie-O, not as sure of hio

"You heard ement It comes when I call it And I feed it bad little thieves whose hands are bigger than their brains"

"She’s lying," said another kid, who hadn’t spoken until now, probably because he had such a nasty, squeaky voice

Johnnie-O looked all irritated "Of course she’s lying" He looked at Allie and then back at the quiet kid "So how do you know she’s lying?"

"She’s a Greensoul--probably just crossed over," the squeaky kid said, "which means she hasn’t even seen the McGill"

"Besides," said Purple-puss, "no one sees the McGill and lives"

"Except for her," said Nick, figuring out his own angle on the situation

"That’s why I stay with her As long as I’m with her, the McGill protects me, too"

"So, what’s it look like?" Johnnie-O said, looking closely at Allie, trying to read the bluff in her face

"Well, I could tell you," she said, using one of her father’s favorite lines