The Dragon Lady of Hamilton High

by Lady Li Andre

  * * *

  14

  I had been in a couple of real confrontations before but never with men that looked like movie hitmen. They all wore sunglasses and had slicked back hair. There were no distinguishing features to set them apart. My guess is this was on purpose. There would be no real way to describe them accurately later.

  I fell into a ready back stance. Tony took up a slightly more relaxed version beside me. He had his hand in the inner pocket of his jacket. I decided to provide a distraction. I faced the one who seemed a step ahead of the others. “Back off or I’ll do you damage!”

  There was a slight upward turn to the corners of his mouth. “Erin Dawson, come with us now and your friend won’t get hurt.”

  Tony tensed. “She’s not going anywhere with you!” He moved a half step closer.

  The other three began closing around the sides. I calculated the distance between us and the dojo. It was less than a block. We could make a run for it. I saw the movement of a hand. At least one of them had a gun. That changed things. I waited until I had two of them, including the gunman, in range. “Kia!”

  Tony spun around with an impressive roundhouse kick and took out the guy on his far side. The other one advanced on him and he got in a solid punch.

  My primary focus was the guy with the gun but I wasn’t going to give the talker any slack. I used a karate side kick aimed for the gunman’s hand. The talker reached for me and I met his arms with an Aikido block. I used my momentum to twist away. I spun around and pushed him in the direction he was already falling.

  My kick had done what I’d hoped. The gun went skittering into the street. All four men were on the ground. I grabbed Tony’s arm. “Run!” I pulled him toward the dojo. I could hear sirens in the distance.

  I glanced back. The men were getting up but the talker pointed toward the car. The gunman went for his gun. I saw his intent. I pushed Tony into the closest doorway. The glass window next to us shattered. Tony curled around me protectively. “Holy shit!”

  Fortunately the police car was coming from our direction. The black car sped off in the other direction. I leaned into Tony. He was shaking. For some reason, I wasn’t. I was in control. I had been training all my life for a situation like this and I had passed the test. I noticed he was bleeding. “Were you hit?”

  He touched the trickle of blood on the side of his face. “Just broken glass, I think. How are you?”

  “I’m okay.”

  Max appeared beside us. His eyes went wide. “Erin! Are you both all right?”

  “Tony got hit by some glass but other than that, I think we’re both okay.”

  Max put his hand on Tony’s shoulder. “Hang on. I’ll see if the officers have medics on the way.” He jogged over to the officer, who was talking to a frighten woman.

  Tony swore under his breath. “I didn’t even see her.”

  “I think she came out of the store where we fought the men.”

  Tony looked around then pulled me forward. The officer was already looking in our direction. He looked familiar. Tony waved to him. “Hey, O’Brian. They’re already long gone. They took off when they heard the siren.”

  The officer was looking at Tony’s face. “I got a medic on the way. Anyone else hurt?”

  “I don’t know. You should probably check the shop where the window is blown. Make sure no one else got splattered.”

  A blue car drove up and parked by the police car. David jumped up and ran to us. “Tony! What happened?”

  Tony looked around. “Davy, we’re too close to school. There could still be eyes here. Make yourself scarce. I can cover because of Erin.”

  Max pointed down the street. “My dojo is that door with the banner hanging over it. You can park around back. Just take the alley. We’ll meet you inside.”

  David nodded and went back to his car. We watched him drive off. Tony turned to me. “Now the question is, who are these guys connected to – the No Names or your grandfather.”

  Max looked confused. We tried to fill him in. The medics showed up. Max put a hand on Tony’s shoulder. “Let them get you cleaned up. I’m going to take Erin over to the dojo. Come join us when they release you.”

  I walked with Max to the dojo. “Do you know about Tony?”

  “That he’s an officer? Yes. I met him at the hospital. His captain was giving him a hard time because he wouldn’t leave you.” He opened the door for me. “And I also met Davy.”

  David was standing at the front desk, talking to Ryan. He turned as we came in. “My sister is on her way down. Do you think your grandfather sent those guys to grab you?”

  “That’s one possibility. Tony is worried that they also could be connected to the outside source of the No Names.”

  David covered his face with his hands. “Oh, what a mess. How could Tony have dragged you into that?”

  “He didn’t. I made the choice to help him. Tony has no control over what the No Names think or do.”

  Tony came in with a nicely dressed lady. David waved to her. “This is my sister, Diana.”

  Tony grinned. “Amazing what you find wandering around the streets down here.”

  She frowned at him and turned her attention to me. She held out her hand. “I’m Diana Kinslow, Attorney at Law with Pierce County Legal Services.” I shook her hand. She looked around. “Is there some place we can talk?”

  Max pointed down the hallway. “You can use my office.”

  She tilted her head slightly. “And you are?”

  Max introduced himself and explained our connection. That seemed to satisfy her. I walked next to him as he led the way down the hall. “I do have a class at three thirty.”

  “Don’t worry, Erin. I’ll just keep them with the other class for today. They are actually farther along on the current kata. Maybe they will be able to help their fellow students.”

  I spent the next hour answering Diana’s questions. Tony and David also added things that I wouldn’t have thought of but their experience as officers was on their side. I put things back into the envelope that she had been looking at. “Is there any way you can keep these safe? Officer Hagen and Tony both agree that they are very important because they are the originals.”

  She took the envelope. “Absolutely. I can put them in the safe at our office. I’m also going to request any information concerning your grandfather, your mother, and the Gordons from the state of California. You said Captain Hagen suggested a DNA test already? That’s a good thing. It will save me the time of making the request.” She looked at David. “I know you guys are on a case at the school. Will you be able to double things if I ask for a protection order?”

  David shrugged. “We’re already involved.” He didn’t look happy. “We need to find a way to keep the No Names from pulling any more stunts like that.”

  Tony closed his eyes. “I don’t have enough to make any kind of conviction stick. They all have parole officers but you know what good that does. Hamilton is the end of the rope. Granger really hates the ‘no kid left behind’ thing.”

  I glanced at the clock. “Is there anything else you need from me? I’d really rather not miss my next class if I can help it.”

  Diana smiled at me. “I appreciate your dedication. I don’t have anything else. You’re obviously safe here. Will you be all right after you leave?”

  “Max drives me to the center and I don’t think anyone is going to try anything there. Captain Hagen said he was going to talk to Ms. Parker. We take the bus to school in the morning so I should be good.”

  Tony hugged me. “And I now have a good excuse to walk you to work. Okay, Dragon. Knock ‘em out.”

  I shook my head. “Thanks, Diana. I’ll see you guys tomorrow.” I went into the locker room to change.

  Amy caught me as I went out. She handed me a bag. “This is for you. It’s starting to get cold. I got a new one from my aunt for my birthday and I don’t wear this one anymore. It should fit you.”

  I pulled the coat
out of the bag. It was a thick winter parka. “Does it really get that cold here?”

  She laughed. “You’d be surprised. We even get snow some years. But this is water-proof, too. Just the thing for the rainy Pacific Northwest winters.”

  I hugged her. “Thank you.”

  She grinned. “Got any snow dragons for it?”

  “I’ll put Fafnir on it. He’s a dragon from Norse mythology. They lived in the cold north.”

  I put the coat in the locker room and went to my class. My students looked relieved to see me. We moved into the lesson. Tony watched from the doorway for a few minutes then left. I tried to stay focused but my thoughts were distracted.

  The third class went well. These students had no idea what was going on with my life as they only had class on Wednesdays and Fridays. Many of them had come to the open house and were talking about all of the demonstrations. A couple asked me about the Sinawali performance. My throat tightened. I wondered how Philip was doing. I hadn’t seen Yan today.

  At dinner, I noticed he wasn’t there. I mentioned it to Steven. “He usually doesn’t come in on Wednesdays.”

  I finished my dinner and went to the classroom. Students began arriving. Rebecca came in with another girl that I had seen around school. She brought her over. “This is Shelly. She decided to come to class with me.”

  Shelly was looking at my gee. “Is there a dragon on that, too?”

  “There is. He’s a lot harder to see because of the black material. I used a special metallic marker to draw him.”

  “That is so cool! Rebecca wore her dragon to school on Monday. It looks so amazing. I wish I had a dragon.”

  “Dragons are very particular. They only come out for people who are worthy to wear them. You have to have a healthy body, mind, and spirit.”

  I could see the hopeful look on her face. “I’m really trying hard. That’s one of the reasons I’m taking the class. Rebecca says it will help me get in shape.”

  “It does help improve muscle tone and many of the things I teach in this class will also help improve your outlook on life.”

  Rebecca put an arm around Shelly’s shoulders. “Things have been rough for her lately. Her mom and dad got a divorce. Her mom’s new boyfriend isn’t the nicest guy. I thought this class might help her feel safer.”

  I thought about how my dragons made me feel when I wore them. It sounded like she really did need one. “If you bring a blank shirt, I’ll see if I can find your dragon for you.”

  Her eyes brightened. “Thank you so much.”

  Everyone worked hard in the class. I was impressed with the new students who had joined us. I now had twelve ladies taking self-defense.

  Robert was in my last class of the evening so Rebecca stayed. She sat along the wall and watched her brother’s class work on their kata. After class she came up to me. “That’s really different from what we do in class.”

  “Karate has a different purpose. We actually use a few skills from Karate in self-defense but we also use skills from many other arts, sometimes in combination. Each art was developed in different places at different times. Katas are training drills that strengthen muscles and improve balance and flexibility. When you are defending yourself, you are facing an attacker who is trying to hurt you. Your goal is to survive that attack.”

  “I get it. We use what works at the time.”

  I smiled at her. “I wish I could talk longer but I have to go change. Max has to drop me off at the center.”

  “Is that where you’re living now?”

  I shrugged. “It’s more where I’m sleeping. That’s about all I do there. I’m either here or at school the rest of the time.”

  Robert came out. I said good night to them and went into the locker room. Amy and Linda were both there. I changed into my street clothes. Linda came and sat on the bench next to me while I tied my shoes. “I can’t imagine what it’s like to lose a mom. I depend on mine for so much. If you ever just want to talk, you know we’re here.”

  Amy came over and leaned against the wall. “Things sound pretty crazy in your life right now. Linda’s right. You can count on us if you need to spill some of it.”

  I stood up. “You’re both awesome. Right now I’m just trying to figure a lot of stuff out. I had to get a lawyer and I’m not sure what’s going to happen.”

  We walked out together. Max was waiting in the hall. “I hate to rush you but I don’t want you to be late for curfew.”

  I said goodnight to the girls and walked to Max’s car. The air was cold. I was glad for the warm coat. “I feel like I’ve dumped a load of trouble on your doorstep.”

  Max headed for the center. “Life does that sometimes. I used to be an architect until I had a heart attack. That changed my life completely. I felt lost. Getting into the martial arts saved me, literally. It gave me a whole new perspective on life.”

  He stopped at the center. I looked toward the door. “Things just seem to be getting crazier. Thanks for everything, Max. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  Ms. Auger met me at the door. “Only two minutes to spare.”

  “I’m sorry. I teach until nine thirty and I have to clean up the classroom and change.”

  She pursed her lips. “What do you teach?”

  “All different kinds of martial arts.”

  “No wonder you draw on everything.” She shook her head and locked the door. “Lights out in half an hour.”

  I went to the dorm room. The girls were chatting quietly. Becca leaned down from her bunk. “You got a jacket. Good thing. It’s supposed to be cold tomorrow.”

  “It already is.” I pulled it off and considered how to best present Fafnir on the surface. I had started the layout when Ms. Auger gave us the five minute warning.

  I was going to sleep in my clothes again but Heidi tossed something at me. “You can have these. I found them in the lost and found box.”

  I unrolled the bundle. There was a mismatched set of flannel pajamas. They were soft from many washings. “Thanks.” I quickly changed into them. “Hey, Becca, what do we do about laundry?”

  She looked down at me. “Ms. Auger will assign you a spot. Probably a weekend morning since you don’t get home until curfew. What do you do, anyway?”

  I didn’t get a chance to answer. The lights went out and everyone was quiet. I curled up and tried to sleep. So much had happened that day. My mind seemed to be spinning. I finally closed my eyes and drifted off.

  I woke early and finished the coat. I also contemplated the last two blank shirts. One did have some light stains. I decided to work with that one first. The shirt was yellow but one of the stains on the front looked almost gold. It reminded me of the shape of an apple. I smiled. I made claws grasping it. The design was a little different because I made the dragon’s head looking out the side from the shoulder. Ladon had guarded Hera’s golden apples but now he was guarding me.

  The morning bell sounded and we all rushed to get dressed and beds made before the bus arrived. Tony met me on the front steps. None of his buddies were there yet. I went up to him and he grinned. “That looks so cool! Which dragon is this?”

  “Fafnir. He’s Norse. I figured that would be a good choice for cold weather.”

  Tony laughed. He put his arm around me and pulled me inside. “Since you don’t have a locker anymore, you can share mine with me. I don’t mind.”

  I sighed. “I don’t have my morning period books either, which means I can’t do my homework.”

  He redirected us toward the cafeteria. “Well, you start with breakfast. After that, we’ll see if we can track down the other teachers and get you replacements.”

  I went through the line and returned with some breakfast. I leaned against him while I ate. “How much trouble did you get in last night?”

  Tony looked around. No one was sitting near us. “Not as much as I expected to. Your gift was my saving grace. I got a project for later.” He patted his jacket. “Which teachers do you need books from?”


  “Mr. Yenny and Mr. Craig. I had my Soc-Ec with me and Professor Linton already replaced my Lit books.”

  “Ah, Grapes.”

  “I really need to catch up on the reading. I don’t remember all the little details anymore.”

  “After we get your books, I’ll drop you at the library. Davy and I are going to see if we can figure out how many kids are taking little blue aspirin in school.”

  I finished my breakfast and we headed for the science wing. Mr. Yenny wasn’t in the classroom so I went to his office. He was sitting at his desk. I knocked on the door and he looked up. “Ms. Dawson. What can I do for you?”

  “I don’t know if you heard what happened yesterday but someone put a bomb in my locker. My books are toast. I was wondering if I could get another one.”

  He stood up. “Goodness. That was your locker? What a mess. Let me get you a replacement.” He reached up and grabbed one from the shelf.

  Tony was doing something but I couldn’t tell what. He was focused on Dr. Marsh’s desk so I figured it might be important. I tried to give him more time. “I know I’ve missed a few lectures. Is there anything you discussed that wasn’t in the textbook?”

  He sat back down and opened a file on his computer. “This is the presentation from Tuesday. Do you have internet access? I could send it to you.”

  “I don’t even have a computer. Right now, I don’t have much of anything except a few clothes. I’m living at a foster care center.”

  “I had no idea. I’m sorry. If you have a few minutes, I can show you the most important slides.”

  I looked at the material and got the idea of what the lecture had focused on. Tony tapped me on the back. “Thanks for showing me these. I do have to find Mr. Craig yet and get a new math book.”

  He smiled at me. “You’re a very bright student, Ms. Dawson. It’s a pleasure having you in class. If you need any extra help getting caught up, let me know.”

  I thanked him and we went out. Once we were far enough down the hall, Tony pulled me into a hug. “You are so amazing!”

  “Dare I ask what you were doing?”

  “I have my phone in my pocket. It takes pictures. I got everything visible on Dr. Marsh.” He pulled me up the stairs toward the math wing. There was red tape across my locker. “Oh, they didn’t find anything outstanding. Just your average pipe bomb.”

  I didn’t know anything about bombs of any kind. “I could do without a repeat of that episode.” I looked in the classroom. Mr. Craig was sitting at his desk. He was more than happy to provide me with a new textbook.

  Tony left me at the library. I had about a half an hour before the bell rang. “I’ll be back by then. I just need to check up on a few people.” A couple of his boys came down the hallway toward us. He pulled me close and kissed the side of my neck. “Have to keep up appearances, right?”

  The boys had stopped some distance away. They were staring at us. One of them cleared his throat. “What is on your shoulder?”

  Tony rolled his eyes. “Have you been asleep all this time or are you always an idiot. It’s a dragon. She’s the Dragon Lady.”

  His eyes were wide. “That thing looks alive.”

  Tony looked at my shoulder. “This is really a cool one. Who is it?”

  “Ladon, guardian of Hera’s golden apples.”

  He started to laugh. “I love it. He tapped the dragon on the tip of the nose. “You keep my precious apple safe. You got that?” He hugged me again. “See you in a bit.” He went off with the guys.

  I went into the library. I only got the science assignment done. I dumped all the books into my backpack. It was heavy now. Tony was at the library door when the bell rang. His expression wasn’t a happy one. I slipped my arm around his waist. “What’s wrong?”

  He stopped and pulled me close. “Did a check in with the office. I had them run the plates on the black sedan.” He took a deep breath. “It’s registered to a known mafia connection. I’m getting worried. These guys are serious trouble.”

  “So which side are they from? Did my grandfather hire them or are they connected to the No Names?”

  He hugged me. “Don’t know and that’s what really has me worried. I hate unknowns.”

  I could hear the clamor of the other students moving through the hallways. “I have to get to class. There isn’t anything I can do about these guys right now. Chances are, they aren’t going to jump into my class and grab me. I should be safe.”

  He kissed my forehead. “I hope so.” He pulled me toward the science wing. I got to the door as the bell rang. “See you after class.” He let me go and I hurried inside.

  Mr. Yenny was setting up a demonstration at the front of the classroom. I went to my seat. The guy who sat across from me was already there. He turned and gasped. “That is the coolest one yet. I’ve heard that you draw all your own designs. Do you ever sell them?”

  “No. Dragons are special. You don’t buy and sell them. Dragons only come to people who are worthy to wear them.”

  He looked down at his book. “I guess a dragon wouldn’t want anything to do with me.”

  His voice chilled me. I glanced over at him. “Why do you think that?”

  He didn’t take his eyes off his desk. “I’ve got issues.”

  “You also have choices. If you know you have issues, make a choice to change them.”

  His face twitched. “It’s not that easy.”

  Mr. Yenny called for the homework assignment and everyone began passing in their papers. I handed mine forward. The girl in front of me looked back over her shoulder. “I heard your mom died. That sucks. I know a couple of the kids that live at the foster care center. That must make it even worse.”

  I could tell the boy was listening. I thought of Fusan. “Sometimes things happen that are out of our control. There doesn’t seem to be anything I can do about the current situation. All I can do is deal with it.”

  Mr. Yenny started his lecture. I glanced at the boy. He seemed to be thinking about something other than the lecture. At the end of class, he turned and looked at me. “My name is Todd, by the way. I know your Tony’s girl. He’d probably pound me if he knew I was talking to you.”

  I closed my textbook. “I think I’ve gotten him past that. You aren’t the only one with issues. He’s got a bunch, too. I’m just trying to help him learn how to make better choices.”

  The girl in front of me turned to the boy. “You should have seen what happened in the hallway a few weeks ago. Tony was going to dump Kevin’s books and Erin stopped him.”

  My face warmed. “Sometimes people do things to look tough so other kids won’t be mean to them.”

  Todd looked away. “Even stupid things.”

  The bell rang and everyone got up. I touched his arm. “If you can see that something is hurting you or others around you, change it.” I followed the other girl out the door. One of her friends called to her in the hall. I caught the name. Jackie.

  Tony was waiting for me at the door. “I’m betting you’d like to drop some of those books. Your shoulder looks droopy.”

  His arm felt comfortable around my shoulders. “That would be great.”

  We headed for the stairs. “Everything okay? You look like something is up.”

  I told him about the conversation with Todd. He opened his locker. “You know, most boys would be jealous if their girlfriend was talking to another guy like that.”

  I stacked my books on an empty shelf. “Why? Don’t guys talk to other girls?”

  He shut the locker and showed me the combination. “I don’t know. Not like that. There’s just this fuzzy line about what people talk about.”

  “Maybe that’s part of the problem. People who should be talking about things are too afraid that someone will get the wrong idea.”

  He pulled me toward the art wing. “Remind me again how old you are. You don’t sound like a teenager.”

  “I’m seventeen. I’ll be eighteen in April.” I watched the o
ther kids we passed and thought about what he’d said. I paused at the entrance to the art wing. “Maturity doesn’t come with a number. I’ve seen adults a lot older than me act dumber than a teenager. It’s about life experience. I’ve just had a larger portion than most kids.”

  Tony hugged me. His forehead met mine. “I don’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing. Did you ever have a chance to be a kid?”

  “Everyone is a kid at some point. It’s a biology thing. How we experience our childhood is different for everyone because of stuff going on around us.”

  He pulled me close. “Someday you need to escape, just for a little while, and have fun.”

  The bell rang. I noticed Kevin was hanging back, afraid to pass Tony to get to his classroom. I felt sorry for him. I grabbed Tony’s arms. “It’s okay, Kevin. I’ve got him.”

  Tony chuckled as Kevin hurried by. “Ah, the great King Cobra trainer.”

  “You’re going to have to bring me a shirt.” I let him go. “See you later.”

  I grabbed my art board. The picture was almost done. I just needed to get some of the fine details and highlights finished. I started to work on it. Ms. Gilbert paused beside me. She smiled. “I like how you’ve pulled him into the foreground but he’s still hiding. It gives a sense of mystery to the series.”

  Several others passed by during class to see it. By the wrap-up warning, I was satisfied with it and decided to spray it and call it done. I pulled the other two images out and set them beside each other. I could see what Ms. Gilbert had meant. I considered the next step in the series. The bell rang and I put the drawings back into my portfolio.

  Tony looked damp. I felt his jacket. “Where have you been?”

  He didn’t look happy. “Outside dealing with a problem.”

  We went back toward his locker. “Can I ask?”

  He watched me open the locker then leaned next to it. “I couldn’t exactly let yesterday go without dishing something back.” His voice was tight. “I pounded a couple of them pretty good and found enough on them to make things stick. I hit the panic button and units rolled in. I almost got caught but managed to slip away.”

  I shut the locker. “Run that by me again. You almost got caught?”

  He pulled me close as we headed for the stairs. “If the uniforms catch me, they have to haul me in or I risk breaking my cover.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind.”

  “I’m sorry, but those guys could put you in danger and you got enough to worry about without having creeps after you in school.”

  David was waiting by the classroom door. He looked relieved when he saw us. He made a face at Tony. I felt Tony tense and slipped away from him. David came at Tony, grabbed his jacket, and swung him into the lockers next to the door. “What were you thinking?”

  He pushed something into Tony’s hand. Tony pushed him away. “They went after my girl. You think I’m gonna sit back and let them?”

  I was hoping that was sufficient. I caught sight of Principal Granger coming down the hallway. I stepped between them. “I don’t know what this is about, but it’s done. Now.” I turned on David. “What is with you? Are you trying to get him in trouble?” I tracked my eyes in the direction of the principal.

  He glanced that way and stiffened. “I’m trying to keep him out of trouble so my dad doesn’t beat the shit out of him at home.”

  Principal Granger had stopped a ways away and was watching us. I made a calculated decision. “Maybe that’s the problem. If things weren’t such hell at home, he wouldn’t have to raise hell here.” I turned and pulled Tony away.

  He looked confused. He pulled me close. “I didn’t have time to warn you. We needed to do that so he could slip me a note.”

  “You had a bigger audience. Maybe I can make it so you don’t have to kill each other to pass notes.”

  The bell rang. “Okay, fill me in at lunch.” He let me go. I watched him head for the end of the hallway. I glanced at Principal Granger. He looked thoughtful. I went into the classroom and sat down.

  David turned around and looked at me. “Thanks. I didn’t see him coming.”

  “Neither did Tony. I just think there’s a better way. Granger was seriously paying attention. Maybe he’ll cut you two some slack now.”

  Mr. Craig called for homework. I felt bad. I hadn’t had time to get it done. “I’m sorry, Mr. Craig. I’ll be caught up again by tomorrow.”

  He nodded. “I’m not worried. You always do more than what’s assigned anyway.”

  His lectures never went the whole period. I managed to not only finish the missing assignments but also the current one and the next two. It was easy math compared to the AP Calculus that I’d had at Lincoln.

  Tony met me at his locker after class and we walked to the lunchroom together. I could tell that something was still wrong. “What happened?”

  He got behind me in line and enclosed me in his arms. I could feel his breath by my ear. “I’ve been trying to get to that room at the end of the science wing but there’s always someone in the hall. It’s driving me crazy.”

  “Maybe you need a reason to be there. It’s the end of the hall. I’ve seen kids make out there before.”

  He chuckled softly. “You’re going to get me in trouble.”

  We got our lunches and went to our corner. Some of his boys were already waiting there for him. One of them was grinning broadly. “I heard you put the hurt on Stacks and Cream.”

  Tony’s face went taut. “Shut up!” He looked around. “I had cops chasing me out of there. I don’t exactly want to advertise. You know what I mean?”

  The boys drew back. Tony guarded me from interruption while I ate what he described as mystery meat on a bun with a side of grease sticks. We left the cafeteria. Some of the boys tagged along. We didn’t need an audience. “Isn’t there somewhere around here where we can get a little alone time?”

  Tony grinned at me. “I know a few spots.” He looked at the boys suggestively. “See you later.” They all laughed. He pulled me toward the stairs. We went to the science wing. “It looks empty.”

  I pulled him down the hall. “Looks that way.” I stopped by the door and pulled him close. I’d seen enough kids making out in halls to have a pretty good idea of what it should look like. “Do you need to see what you’re doing?”

  He pulled something out of his coat pocket. There was an odd looking key in a pouch. “I’ll look over your shoulder.” He put his arms around me and we leaned against the door. I could feel his hand working at the doorknob beside my hip.

  I kept watch down the hallway. A couple of other kids saw us and changed course. A teacher came out of the science office, glanced our direction, shook his head, and walked away. A few more kids came and went from their lockers but no one got too close. Another teacher came out of the science office with a tray in his hands. I recognized him. “Dr. Marsh is headed this way.”