“It gutted a good bit of the house. The whole back side is toast.”
“Are you still living there?”
“No, some friends put us up until the house is fixed.”
“How long will you be on crutches?”
“Could be as long as six weeks.”
“So…whatcha gonna do for the talent show? Any thoughts?”
“I don’t know…” Danny grumbled. “I asked Patti to be my partner, but she refused.”
“Hey! Wanna work on something together?”
“That’s a great idea! What exactly did you have in mind?”
Andy glanced about with shifty eyes to make sure no one could hear. “I have masterminded a plan to even the score with ole Mrs. Fishbine!”
“But…won’t we get into big trouble?”
“On the last day of school?” Andy laughed. “What can she possibly do to us?”
“That’s beautiful. You’re a genius!”
“We’ll give her what she really deserves.”
“So, what’s the deal?”
“It’s one dastardly little plan. Only thing is I can’t tell you…yet.”
“Why not?”
“It’s all hush-hush, top secret stuff. I can’t say until Winter Break.”
“Winter Break? I don’t think I can wait that long!”
“That’s not too far away. Just remember, curiosity killed the cat.”
“Yeah, and it’s gonna kill this mouse, too.”
“First, I have to work out the kinks. Besides, it’ll be worth the wait.”
“Oh, I hate waiting! Tell me…please?”
“No, it’s a big secret. So, never breathe a word to a soul, ok?”
Danny placed his hand on his heart. “You can count on me.” The boy unveiled a glow-in-the-dark yo-yo from his jacket pocket. Danny performed a few stunts before rocking his yo-yo to sleep. He tried to show Andy when a finger plucked the dangling string. The yo-yo was thrown into havoc, promptly lassoing itself.
“Well, well, well…” a voice piped up. “If it isn’t the biggest yo-yo of ‘em all.”
“You shouldn’t be so hard on yourself, Mark.” Danny returned his wounded toy to his pocket.
“How would you like me to break your other leg?”
“In your dreams!”
A long-awaited shrill tone announced the start of another mundane Monday.
“Saved by the bell,” Mark grunted.
Begrudgingly, the children filed into the building. Per the prescribed regimen, they visited their lockers and prepared for lessons. Danny juggled his crutches and books while stowing his belongings. Today’s class schedule started with science, but for once Danny did not look forward to it. He did not wish to face Mr. Foster after last week’s events. Hobbling, Danny arrived at his seat to discover his nemesis chatting away with Patti. And, when the twosome cackled with delight, Danny wanted to explode.
“Here’s your notebook, Patti!” The steamed boy dropped the notebook from under his arm The binder slammed upon the desk. “You forgot it when we were studying together.” Patti’s jaw hit the floor. Mark turned forest green with envy.
“Why did I ever name you Mouse?” Mark shot Danny a dirty look. “You look more like a rat to me.”
“Then, you must be looking in the mirror. It’s a common mistake.”
“Boys, please…” Patti winked at Danny. “Don’t stop on my account.”
Mr. Foster grew flustered waiting for order. “Is there a problem back there?”
“He stole my seat!” Danny accused.
“Mark, you know you don’t belong there!”
“But, Mr. Foster…”
“Don’t make me separate you two.”
“Oh, I’ll keep watch over them,” Patti assured, sandwiched between the two rivals.
“Mr. Ormont, can I see you a second?”
“Yes, sir,” Danny sulked. Grabbing his crutches, he took a circuitous route to Mr. Foster’s desk.
“I had a word with your father.”
“I figured you would...”
“He asked me to assign you a new science partner.”
“No! Please don’t do that!” Danny bowed his head in shame.
“I told him I didn’t think that was necessary.”
Danny gazed at his teacher in admiration. “Really?”
“Yes, under one condition. That this will never happen again.”
“Oh, I promise…I won’t let you down!”
“Better not,” Mr. Foster cracked a smile. “Your father’s even tougher than the principal!”
“Very true.”
“Say, I’m sorry to hear about your accident.”
“Just my dumb luck, I guess.”
“Well, let’s not have any more accidents, ok?”
“That’s fine with me.”
“Oh, and one more thing…”
“Yes, Mr. Foster?” Danny asked, whipping back around.
“Are we still friends…Mouse?” Mr. Foster extended his hand.
Danny pumped Mr. Foster’s arm vigorously. “You betcha!” Smiling until it hurt, the relieved child limped back to his desk.
“I got my eye on you, Mouse!”
“Aw, I didn’t know you cared.”
“One more false move, and I’ll snap you like…”
“Et-hem!” Mr. Foster cleared his throat. Silence blanketed the room.
Science Class:
“Today,” Mr. Foster began. “We’re going to try something new.” The children groaned, anticipating the worst. Mark slithered under the tables, keeping one eye on the teacher. He crawled beyond Patti’s feet and positioned himself under Danny’s desk.
Mr. Foster revealed a wooden box. “I brought this game.” The bewildered children whispered amongst themselves. Mark untied one of Danny’s shoes and wound the laces around the table leg. “I hope you like it as much as I do,” the teacher said.
Mumbles escalated into chatter as curiosities grew. Mark rushed to complete his handiwork. Intertwining the loose laces with the bows of the tied shoe, he knotted the free ends together.
“Let’s settle down, people,” Mr. Foster ordered. “Now, grab a partner, please.”
Mark popped back into his seat just in time “Oh, boy!” Patti latched onto Mark’s arm. “I have my partner!”
The victorious boy stuck his tongue out at Danny. “Too bad, Mouse,” he snickered. “Better luck next time!”
Chaos filled the room as the children strategically chose partners. Danny could only sit still, unable to maneuver about the crowded room on crutches. He tried to get Andy’s attention, but his friend had already teamed up with someone else.
“Once you have your partner,” the teacher directed. “Come gather around me.” The class gathered around the center of the room, pushing and shoving for the best view. At last, Danny rose upon his crutches and took a nosedive – smack on his face, flat on the floor. The classroom erupted into laughter; contorted children ogling the calamity.
“Gee, what happened?” Mark rushed to help Danny to his feet. “Are you hurt?”
Mark crouched down and whispered an ominous message into Danny’s ear. “You may have won the battle, Mouse,” he warned. “But, you won’t win the war.”
Danny climbed back into his seat and retied his shoelaces. Mr. Foster called the class to attention as Mark fled to Patti’s side. Rising to his feet, Danny limped over to join his classmates and took a back seat to the crowd.
“This is like a floating maze,” Mr. Foster began. “You must get the ball to the end.”
“That’s not so hard,” someone shouted. Mr. Foster ignored the retort and continued.
“Each team will collaborate, working together to steer the ball to hole one hundred.”
“But, how do we do that?” cried another.
“These knobs roll the maze left or right, up or down. You must be quick, anticipating the ball’s every movement.”
“Can I try? Can I try?” The students paw
ed the controls, but the man ignored their pleas.
“Andy, you’re waiting very patiently,” Mr. Foster declared. “Why don’t you go first?” The class parted to allow Andy and his partner to approach the maze. “Ready? Set? Go!”
“Left!” Andy shouted. “Right! Now, left again!”
“Ker-plunk!”
“Not bad,” Mr. Foster encouraged. “You made it to the sixth hole.”
“Pick me, pick me!” The choir of children chanted.
“Andy’s team has one more try,” Mr. Foster said. “Then, I’ll pick the best behaved.” The teacher placed the ball at the start. Andy and his partner took their positions once more. “Ready? Set? Go!”
“Left!” Andy directed. “Right, left, left again!”
“Ker-plunk!”
“Ok, they made it to ninth hole that time,” the teacher smiled. “Who can beat that?” Mr. Foster picked the next team from a sea of volunteers. Mr. Foster announced the scores as the results rolled in: “Fourteen… eleven…eight…seventeen…five…nineteen…” Danny observed each team’s technique.
At last, it was time for Mark and Patti to try. Danny held his breath. With Mark’s agility, they could easily claim the winning score.
“Ready? Set? Go!”
“Ker-plunk!” The ball immediately sank into the zero hole. “Mark, wake up!” Patti berated her partner over the jeering crowd. “You know I hate losers!”
“What are you saying?” Mark gasped. “You’re the one who’s asleep at the wheel!”
“Remember this takes teamwork,” Mr. Foster said. “Ready? Set? Go!”
“Ker-plunk!” Again, the ball sank into the zero hole. “Mark!” Patti blasted the inept boy. “We’d do better if you were asleep!”
“Did anyone not get a turn?” The teacher scanned the students for a raised hand.
“Me!” A little voice declared, blocked by the crowd. “I didn’t have a turn!”
“Danny?” Mr. Foster inquired. “Where’s your partner?”
“Right here!” Patti hoisted Danny’s hand high in the air. “C’mon, Mouse…” The girl rushed to Danny’s side. “We’ll show them!”
“No fair!” Mark whined. “She already went!”
“Yeah, but there’s an odd number of students today.” Danny arose on his crutches. The class cleared a path and let the couple pass. The eager boy leaned against the table, cracked his knuckles, rubbed his hands together, and rested his fingers on the maze’s controls. Patti mimicked his actions. They hunched over the maze, waiting for the signal.
“Ready? Set? Go!”
The ball was set in motion. Patti bit her lip, studying the course. Danny studied her most subtle movements while the ball steadily progressed.
“Watch my hands, Patti,” Danny whispered. “Watch my hands.”
Still, the girl’s eyes remained glued to the course.
“Twenty,” Mr. Foster soon announced. The class held their breath, watching in silence.
“Watch my hands, Patti,” the boy repeated to himself. “Watch my hands.”
Slowly, Patti’s eyes jockeyed between the maze and the boy’s hands. She seemed hesitant to look away, until at last, her eyes rested solely upon Danny’s hands.
“Forty…”
Mysteriously, the pair compensated for each other’s movements, communicating through unseen means.
“Sixty…”
“My eyes,” Danny meditated. “Look into my eyes.” Patti did not glance at the maze anymore, compensating for her partner’s motions without a conscious thought.
“Eighty!” The class roared with excitement.
Now, they were in the home stretch. The couple moved as one. Patti locked eyes and smiled at Danny. Together, they guided the ball to the finish with lightning speed. Were they reading each other’s thoughts?
“One hundred!” Mr. Foster shouted over squeals of delight. The class could not believe how effortlessly the two manipulated the silver ball through the entire maze.
Danny slapped Patti a high-five in celebration of their victory.
“Beginner’s luck!” Mark scoffed. “Bet they could never do that again!”
“How about it?” the teacher asked.
“Bet we could!” Danny boasted, smiling at his partner. Patti smiled back in agreement then turned to Mark and shot him a disgusted look. Then, she smiled sweetly at Danny once more. The two assumed their positions at the maze, and Mr. Foster placed the ball. When Patti leaned over the maze, her necklace slipped out from behind her turtleneck. A sandstone medallion dangled from a thin leather strap. Danny gasped in surprise.
“The triple spiral!” Danny gasped. “But, does she remember…?”
“Ready? Set? Go!”
The teacher’s words snapped Danny’s attention back to the task at hand. Instinctively, the two locked eyes. The ball accelerated to top speed.
“Twenty!” the class cheered. Mr. Foster smiled in delight. The pair moved together in a well-choreographed dance. They manifested an unspoken rhythm reaching far beyond their own comprehension.
“Forty!” the class shouted.
The actions of the twosome seemed effortless. The ball careened through the maze like quicksilver.
“Sixty!” the class squealed for an instant, then fell silent. There was no sound except the soft scratches of the ball running over the wooden track. Eyes transfixed, they balanced each other’s movements with precision.
“Eighty!” the children howled. The concentration of the players remained immutable. The class was ecstatic. Danny and Patti had closed their eyes! The ball zipped like lightning; the pair mastered the maze with ease.
“Ker-plunk!” The ball gyrated wildly, disappearing into the last hole.
“One hundred!” the teacher declared. “You’re golden!”
The class exploded into pandemonium. Danny gave Patti a big hug. Patti returned his gesture with a token effort. “Too bad, Mark!” Danny ribbed his foe. “Better luck next time!”
“So, who thinks they can match that?” The teacher’s words were engulfed by the chaos.
Mr. Foster announced free time, allowing those who wished to practice with the maze.
Patti tried to sneak back to her seat, but her attempt was quickly foiled. Danny blocked her path, placing one crutch before her and placing the other behind.
“Ha-ha! We did it, Patti!” Danny beamed. “Only we could have pulled that off!”
“Yes, but, but…how?” Patti scratched her head. “H-h-how did we do it?”
“Didn’t you feel that? I sure felt it! Surely, you felt something, too?”
“What do you mean, feel? …Feel what?”
“Aw, c’mon, Patti!” Danny squealed with delight. “The maze – that was no accident!”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Don’t ya see? There’s something special between us!”
“Really? Like what?”
“Patti, even you have to admit that for a moment there…”
“…What? What were you going to say?”
“Wow…it’s like…well, you DID anticipate my every move!”
The incredulous girl stared at Danny; her cheeks touched with pink. “How can that be?” Patti demanded. “You’re keeping something from me!”
“I don’t know myself! It’s like…what twins can do.”
“What are you babbling about, Mouse?”
“They say twins can tune in to each other’s thoughts.”
“That’s ridiculous! You? My twin?”
“Not exactly, but…I know you.”
“Of course you do, stupid! That’s no news flash!”
“No, Patti…” Danny whispered. “I mean I’ve known you!”
“What are you getting at?”
“Patti, I think…I mean, I know…” Danny floundered. “About your necklace…”
“Oh, do you like it?” Patti fingered the etching. “It’s one-of-a kind, like me.”
“What are you ta
lking about?”
“It was a gift from my uncle,” the girl bragged. “It’s made from Argent’s Point sand in Maine.”
“But, Patti…”
“There’s something special about the sand there. Betcha can’t guess!”
Staring at her with trepidation, Danny tried to keep his mouth zipped, but his tongue would not be silenced.
“It’s home of the singing sand,” they blurted out together.
“It squeaks when you walk on it,” Danny added.
“Hey, that’s a private beach!” Patti’s eyes popped out like someone had squeezed her head. “How could you possibly know?”
“I guess it’s just one more of those things…”
“One of what things?” Patti cried, collapsing into the chair beside him. “This is just way too scary! What’s this all about?”
“Think of how we met,” Danny pleaded. “And the maze, and the fire, and…”
“Aah! How’d you know about that?” Patti gasped. “I never told a soul!”
“Somehow, I just know. These things just…come to me.”
“My fist might just come to ya if you don’t shut up!”
“Patti, please listen…” Danny begged, easing her fist downward.
“I don’t want to hear it!” The stubborn girl clamped her hands over her ears.
“You will listen!” The boy uncovered her ears. “You must listen!”
“Ok, ok!” Patti shrugged. “What’s so bloody important?”
“Can’t you see? I’m trying to tell you something!”
“So, tell me already!”
“I’ve been trying and trying to tell you…”
“Well? I’m waiting!” Patti tapped her foot. “Make it good.”
“It’s like. like…we’re connected. I feel it…don’t you?”
“Mouse, the maze was just uh, uh...a fluke.”
“That was no fluke! Don’t you feel that we’re connected? That maybe we belong together?”
“Your banana brains have turned to banana SPLITS!!!”
“Don’t try denying it!”
“Feelings?” Patti froze, frightened by his amazing insight along with the peculiar revival of warm emotions she assumed were dead. “Feelings are life’s little grass stains – made to wash away!”
The sting of her razor sharp words ambushed Danny’s tender heart. Why would she say such a horrible thing to me? Danny would not be discouraged. Fate had brought him closer to Patti than he could have ever imagined. There was no surrender. He had passed the point of no return.
“Look, I know you! It’s all so clear—”
“Ha, you don’t know me! You don’t know me at all!”
“Damn it, I do know! Like I said…I know you started the fire!”
Premonitions Page 19