Chapter 4
"I'm home," I sighed, opening the door to my house. I was really glad to be home after all the events that occurred at school today.
"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?!" my mother's shrill voice made me jump out of my skin. She came around the corner and hugged me.
"What…do you mean?" I asked in between my gasps of air.
She let me go and crossed her arms. I then began to take off my jacket. "The teacher at Azumano Middle School called and told me that she was sorry you weren't there today. I was so…" her eyes now rested upon my bandaged shoulder that now lay exposed to wandering eyes. Her expression change from angry to worried. "What happened to your shoulder?!"
'Crap!' I thought. 'I forgot to hide my shoulder.'
"Um…" I was trying to come up with a good lie to fool her. "Uh…yeah. I was walking up the steps after getting to school this morning. Me and Dai were talking and I lost my footing and fell backwards. Dai tried to catch me, but he was too slow and I fell out the first floor window. Luckly, only my shoulder got cut, nothing else. Some teachers came to help me, along with Dai, and called an ambulance." I felt like I was over explaining this, but I continued anyway. "I was at the hospital until school got out so the doctors could make sure I was going to be fine. Dai walked with me until he got home, then I came back here."
My mother's face showed confusion and interest. I think I got her fooled. But I wished she'd had work. She worked Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. Today was Monday, so she was home.
"I'm glad Dai walked home with you. He's a good friend." She said, hugging me again. Then she let go. "One last question."
"Okay." Now I was confused.
"Why'd it take you so long to get home?" she asked.
I felt a gasp coming up, but it caught in my throat. Dark had asked me out, but I couldn't tell her that! She knew Dark was a thief and she didn't like him. Desperately, I thought of my reason once again.
"Daisuke asked me out!" I heard myself blurt out Daisuke's name. Then I added, "I mean, just as friends. Not boyfriend and girlfriend." That part was true. But not the person.
"Oh, how sweet," she smiled. "When is it?"
"Uh, tomorrow," I told her. Me and Dark hadn't figured out a date yet. I'll call him later to tell him.
"Oh, nice." She patted my good shoulder. "How 'bout you go to your room and I'll make you a snack?"
"Alright," I picked up my stuff off the ground. "I want to call Dai anyway, just to talk to him."
"Okay," she walked back to the kitchen and I raced upstairs, pounding in Daisuke's cell phone number.
As soon as I got to my room, I shut the door and put the phone up to my ear. It rang twice before someone answered.
"Hello?" Dark's voice answered.
I sat on my bed. "Hey, Dark. It's Ally."
"Oh, hey," he replied. "What's up?"
"Oh, nothing much," I retorted through the phone. "I got home and, oh yeah, I told my mom I fell out the window and that's what cut my shoulder. And, um… oh yeah," my voice had a bit of worry in it. "I told my mom I was going out tomorrow night with Daisuke."
There was a long silence on the other end of the phone. I think it lasted about a minute before anything was said.
"Shut up, Daisuke," Dark spat quietly. It sounded like his hand was on the mouthpiece. "I know you're worried, but there's nothing we can do."
"Um, Dark," I broke into the conversation. "I can hear you."
"Oh, sorry," his voice was now louder. "Daisuke was just yelling at me. He wants to know why you told your mother you were going out with Daisuke tomorrow?"
"Well, truth be told," I started. "My mother doesn't like you, so if she found out I was going out with you, the notorious Phantom Thief, she would be so mad."
Again, more silence. I bet Dark was thinking about my mom's dislike of him.
"Okay," he sighed. "Here's what we'll do. Daisuke will pick you up around six tomorrow afternoon and he'll change into me once we're about half a mile away from your neighborhood."
"Okay," I agreed. "I guess I'll see you two tomorrow. Bye Daisuke, Dark."
"Daisuke says see you at school," Dark replied. "I'll see you tomorrow afternoon for our date."
I hung up and fell backwards onto my bed, sighing.
"If Dark's plan works," I whispered to myself. "Nothing can go wrong tomorrow night."
My mom called me from in the kitchen. "Ally! Your snack is ready! Come and get it!"
"Be right there mom!" I replied, changing into sweats and a t-shirt and ran down to the kitchen.
