Melanie Jackson Angeles Angels are a team See I’m into baseball I’m a pitcher The girl nodded You will help me I was not getting through to this kid I wasn’t used to dealing with children I had no younger siblings And my life consisted of baseball baseball baseball I decided the best plan was to forge ahead I smiled brightly at her So Now that we’ve cleared that up why don’t you go over to that guy in black He’ll Take care of you I meant to say I never got the words out The kid opened her mouth wide and howled Tears sprang from her eyes I’d never seen anything like it People turned to stare They looked from me to the kid and back again The stares turned to glares I was being mean I was bullying a little kid I gave up I took the girl’s hand (cid:179)(cid:47)(cid:72)(cid:87)(cid:182)(cid:86)(cid:3)(cid:74)(cid:82)(cid:3)(cid:191)(cid:81)(cid:71)(cid:3)(cid:92)(cid:82)(cid:88)(cid:85)(cid:3)(cid:68)(cid:88)(cid:81)(cid:87)(cid:17)(cid:180) 6
Death Drop She kept bawling But she let me lead her to the attendant I have a lost child I began The attendant was telling a boy with thick glasses that he didn’t meet the height requirement He pointed to a cardboard cutout of a grinning red demon with horns and a tail A sign underneath warned If you’re shorter than the demon you’re too young to ride Death Drop I recognized the boy Dieter Crane The Deet we called him He was the class bookworm He was also a pest about baseball Dieter showed up to every practice begging Coach to let him on the team But brainy Deet had skipped ahead two years in school so he was younger than the rest of us He was too young for the team Coach said Every practice Coach roared at him to scram But it didn’t put Dieter off 7
Melanie Jackson He wasn’t put off now either He scrunched up his nose under his glasses and argued with the attendant He said age shouldn’t be a factor I tried again I have a lost Without looking the attendant snapped Lost-and-found is inside Like the blond kid was a misplaced (cid:192)(cid:76)(cid:83)(cid:16)(cid:192)(cid:82)(cid:83)(cid:3)(cid:82)(cid:85)(cid:3)(cid:86)(cid:88)(cid:81)(cid:75)(cid:68)(cid:87)(cid:17) I began to feel sorry for Blondie Annoying or not she deserved better I led her inside Behind us the Deet was insisting But I’m mature for my age We were in a dark passageway Above us a red puppet demon jeered at us The higher they climb the harder they fall He cackled with laughter Someone slammed into me Sorry Dieter exclaimed He squinted up at me Zeke Sheldon Hi Zeke 8
Death Drop The attendant shouted Come back here Four Eyes Pushing past other visitors the Deet (cid:93)(cid:82)(cid:82)(cid:80)(cid:72)(cid:71)(cid:3)(cid:68)(cid:85)(cid:82)(cid:88)(cid:81)(cid:71)(cid:3)(cid:87)(cid:75)(cid:72)(cid:3)(cid:191)(cid:85)(cid:86)(cid:87)(cid:3)(cid:70)(cid:88)(cid:85)(cid:89)(cid:72)(cid:17) The attendant marched to a door I hadn’t noticed A gleaming green-neon sign on it said (cid:50)(cid:73)(cid:191)(cid:70)(cid:72)(cid:17)(cid:3)(cid:51)(cid:85)(cid:76)(cid:89)(cid:68)(cid:87)(cid:72) Let’s try in there I suggested to Blondie Maybe your aunt’s waiting for you I pushed the door open into a bright (cid:86)(cid:88)(cid:81)(cid:79)(cid:76)(cid:87)(cid:3)(cid:82)(cid:73)(cid:191)(cid:70)(cid:72)(cid:17)(cid:3) The attendant was at the desk He was whining into a phone His voice had a nasal quality like it was designed for complaining You’re the manager Come on give me backup I can’t deal with hooligans I didn’t think of Dieter as a hooligan He was just determined I noticed the attendant’s name on a (cid:69)(cid:68)(cid:71)(cid:74)(cid:72)(cid:15)(cid:3)(cid:76)(cid:81)(cid:3)(cid:192)(cid:68)(cid:80)(cid:72)(cid:3)(cid:79)(cid:72)(cid:87)(cid:87)(cid:72)(cid:85)(cid:86)(cid:29)(cid:3)Smythe Sadler 9
