Page 9 (1/1)

When I’d first seen Bob, I’d been scared out ofthe trees Dark-haired and with eyes the color of the sky, he’d been as big as the superheroes in the stash of corandfather had in his office that I’d been warned away fro

I’d touched them a lot

Bob had claiht to question hi then for me to know that there were no cabins or houses there, other than randparents’ The first time we’d er fish he’d seen in the oceans, telling me stories that had fascinated me I’d liked hi week, on the sa candies A once-a-week ritual had started, and being relatively friendless with the exception of the rando or stayed nice, Bob had become my best friend over the course of a suhteyes, they had appeared rare and expensive--as if he’d gathered them around the world--because the pretty, painted faces had co back, I totally sa creepy all of that was, but then, I’d been so starved for friendship, I probably would’ve warers at randfather had stued by ers and turn it into a whistle Needless to say, Pappy freaked and I’d been carted away froone into the trash Moht all about the whole stranger-danger thing

I’d never seen Bob again

I’d collected more weirdos over the years, like the old lady as always at the convenience store when I was stocking up on junk food because randparents were health-food nuts Somehoe’d struck up an oddball friendship--h-school librarian She’d been the closest thing to a BFF I’d ever had

There had been more, and as ridiculous as it sounded, sometimes I wondered if there was some innate crazy that other crazy folks could sense in one another, like a houessed I shouldn’t have been so surprised by a rando into me on a campus with thousands of people

I enteredmy bracelets, I shifted from foot to foot, impatient When the elevator stopped, I barreled out the doors and al herself on the opposite wall

"Sorry So sorry," I said, wincing as she righted herself "Really sorry"

"No biggie" She shall to my dorm room As I reached the door, the shiver was at the base ofits way up until it traveled across my shoulders My heart turned over heavily and I closed my eyes

Twice in one day

Oh God

I’d never felt thishard, I wrapped e to turn and scan the hall, because I knew no one would be there

Dragging in a deep breath, I opened the door and stepped inside the roo as I closed the door behind me

Erin was sprawled on the floor, pal up toward the sky She turned her head, peering at me froet your neck to bend like that without killing yourself?" I asked

"Skills, yo"

Erin did yoga and e her yin and yang together or so She’d once toldherself into painful-looking positions helped keep "good vibrations" around her Which was strange, because I’d never seen Erin lose her temper in the two years I’d known her

Erin unfolded herself frorinned atand stepped over her legs Bending down, I lifted the bedspread and rew to the size of saucers when I spotted the bottle I snatched it up and clutched it to rin spread into a s in the middle of the penthouse suite in the hotel not too far from Radford, I yelled for Apollo for the fourth tih the door

Finally, there was an answer in the for the room War when I saw Apollo standing right there As in, he’d zapped himself into the room practically on top of ht hundred square feet in here, buddy, you didn’t need to land on my ass"

Apollo snickered as he folded his arod We were nearly the sa him at maybe an inch or two over my six-foot-four "Who is she?"