My hands are sweating when I hang up the phone. Anne sends the link right away, and I click on it. I can’t believe I’m about to go to an airport and try to get on a plane. I put my information into the form and find that it’s surprisingly easy to buy my ticket. I’m worried that as soon as I hit the button to confirm my order, an alarm will sound, the screen will flash red, and I’ll be denied my ticket. Maybe my apartment will even be swarmed with TSA agents. My finger hovers over the button. I’m getting palpitations. I close my eyes and tap the screen.
Nothing happens. No alarm sounds, and no one barges into my apartment. I open my eyes and see that my finger missed the button. I tap it again and wait, holding my breath, as the page turns white, then reloads with my ticket confirmation. I exhale heavily, and then remind myself that this was the easy part. Now I have to get through the airport.
ChapterSix
DEMONIC HUSKY EYES
I’m on the sidewalk outside my building, my backpack slung over my shoulder, waiting for Anne to pick me up. A young girl is doing cartwheels back and forth in front of me. I’m terrible at guessing ages, but I’d say this kid is probably five or six. Or maybe ten.
When she does a fourth cartwheel in front of me, I look around, wondering where her parents are. No one seems to be taking ownership of the young sidewalk acrobat. I watch with a raised brow as she stops cartwheeling and crouches down next to a bush lining the sidewalk. Then, as if knowing she’s being watched, she stands up and turns around, facing me.
“Look at this!”
I have no choice but to look at the kid’s extended hand which is suddenly a lot closer to my face than I’m comfortable with. On the kid’s finger is what looks like a fake mustache. I frown, trying to figure out why the kid is showing me this, when I notice the mustache is moving.
“What’s that?” I ask, taken aback.
“It’s a caterpillar.”
“Oh. Lovely.” It’s the hairiest caterpillar I’ve ever seen. I didn’t even know caterpillars could be so hairy.
“Do you want to hold it, Gnome?”
It takes me a second to realize the kid is not calling me a gnome, but is trying to say my name.
“Maybe you should put that thing down,” I suggest. “It might be poisonous.”
“You’re silly. Caterpillars aren’t poisonous.” The kid places her other hand in front of the caterpillar. We both watch as the caterpillar moves from one hand to the other. “This one is going to turn into a moth.”
“Is that so?” I look around again. Anne should be here any minute, and I’m afraid that once I’m gone, this kid won’t have any adult supervision. “Where are your parents?”
“My mom is cleaning the bathroom. She doesn’t know I’m out here.”
“You should probably go back inside before she realizes you’re missing and starts to worry.”
The kid grimaces. “Can I bring the caterpillar inside?”
I think about that for a moment. “Better put it back on that bush where you found it. That way it can build a cocoon and become a butterfly.”
“Moth,” she corrects me.
“Right.”
Anne honks her horn as she pulls up to the curb. The kid runs back to the bush to release the caterpillar. I toss my backpack into Anne’s backseat, then watch from the passenger seat as the kid disappears into the apartment building.
“Whose kid is that?”
“No idea,” I say. “She lives in the building and thinks my name is Gnome.”
“Gnome? I’ll have to remember that.”
“Please don’t.”
“Are you excited to fly for the first time, Gnome?”
“I’m a little bit nervous, Anette.”
Anne cringes. “Okay, fine, sorry. Forget I ever called you that.” We’re both quiet for a moment as she drives us to the airport. “There’s no need to be nervous, though. Do you know how rare a plane crash is?”
