Casey, Delilah, Stokely, Stan and Zeke sat at a table tucked into a corner
of the library during third period. Casey had convinced everyone to come
because they had a very important issue to deal with: the new girl.
"Alright guys," he started out "I don't want to take any chances. We've got to check Riley out."
"Yeah, sure, sci-fi boy," said Zeke, voice dripping with sarcasm as he lit up a cigarette. He took a drag and continued "Don't you think you're going a little off the deep end?"
"He's right, Case," said Stan "What about those brothers that came a few months ago?"
"I already explained this to Delilah," replied Casey "but last time it was a girl-"
"So?" snapped Stokely.
"I'm just saying," Casey continued "plus, we didn't know about them until their third day. If they had been body-snatchers, we would have noticed by then."
"What do you want to do about Riley?" asked Stan.
Casey looked to Zeke.
"Nuh uh," said Zeke, shaking his head and taking another drag, "No way."
"He's right," Delilah said, "You don't just go up to new kids and ask them to do drugs. It's-it's way too suspicious."
"But how else can we tell?" asked Stokely.
"We'd have to follow her," said Casey "It'd be the only other way. We'd have to notice even the slightest piece of odd behavior."
"On second thought, drug test would be easier," said Zeke.
"But how would we get her to take it?" asked Stan "Like Delilah said, it's be way too weird."
"Do you guys remember what happened to Principal Drake when Mary-Beth poured that stuff on her?" said Stokely.
"Yeah, we can just pour some of it on her!" exclaimed an excited Casey. He definitely wasn't up for stalking someone.
"Hold on," said Zeke "I'm almost out of scat. And even a single dose might not show anything. Remember how much Mary-Beth put on her? I don't have anything close to that."
"How long will it take to make it?" asked Delilah.
"I just downsized my lab a little so we could be looking at two, maybe three weeks," he said, taking another drag on his cigarette.
"By then, then whole country could be aliens!" said Stokely.
"I guess we'll have to go with Casey's idea until then," Stan responded.
"I am not stalking anyone," Delilah said stubbornly.
"Then don't help," snapped Stokely, giving her a cold look. Delilah responded with one of her own.
"Calm down," said Casey "We have to start today. Zeke, offer her a ride home."
"Why me?" Zeke asked, dropping his cigarette and crushing it.
"Because you're the one with the car," came Casey's reply.
"What about pretty-boy? He's got a nice little ride." Zeke supplied.
They all looked to Stan, who shrugged.
"It's in the shop."
Everyone now turned to Zeke.
"You in?" asked Stokely.
He paused. "Fine."
*
Riley walked along the sidewalk, looking for her parent's car. The last bell had rung and students were still spilling out of the school into the crisp air. She ran her hands along her upper arms then pulled her jacket closer.
Just then, a black car with two thick red stripes pulled up to the curb. Curious, Riley looked inside. It was him, the tall, dark and nice-looking guy. Her mind groped about for his name. Then she had it. Zeke.
"Need a ride?" he asked.
Was he serious? Mr. Bad-boy, rumored-drug-dealer was offering her a ride home?
"Uh. no thanks," she said, trying to be as gracious as possible. "I'm getting picked up."
*
"Right."
Okay, this officially wasn't going well. How was he supposed to give her a ride home if she said no? At least it got him off the hook. He could just drive on home now but something in his mind wouldn't let him.
"I'll see you, then."
Idiot! He scolded himself for making the cheesiest remark possible.
"Bye," she said with a small smile. That was somewhat of a safety net for Zeke's pride. At least she had smiled. In truth, he was surprised she wasn't laughing at him.
Zeke pulled out and began the process of circling around the block. As he did, his mind went back to that smile. It was a pretty smile. Riley was a very pretty person. Part of him immediately called himself a sissy for even thinking about pretty smiles. Another reminded him that he hadn't used the word sissy since the second grade.
Zeke shook his head clear and began to look for Riley again. There! He spotted her hopping into a silver sedan. He immediately began to follow it as inconspicuously as he could. Then again, that wasn't easy considering the paint job on his car.
They turned onto Maple street then Hallam and in a little bit, Zeke realized they were taking the same route he would to get home. Finally, on 8th, they parked in front of a cute white stucco house. Zeke took note of the house number and drove the last fou blocks home.
*
"Yeah.no.no, she got a ride home," said Zeke into the telephone "Well, what did you want me to do, kidnap her? That would've come off real well.she may not have but, I followed her home.yep.yeah, she lives about four blocks away from me.no.no, Casey-Casey, I'm not-Casey-CASEY!" Casey had hung up. Zeke cursed, turned off the phone and flipped it onto the nearest table.
Zeke calmed himself down by running one hand through his hair. He could not believe he had practically just been named Official Babysitter of Riley because he lived near her. If anyone should be that, it was Casey or Stokes. They would know more about body snatchers than he ever would, behavior wise. They were the sci-fi ones, he just understood the biology part.
Going to his lab, Zeke checked his supply of ingredients and realized he was low on caffeine pills. He grabbed his coat and headed out for some fresh air and a trip to the pharmacy.
*
Riley stepped out of her house. She was tired of unpacking and needed to get away for a bit, maybe explore the neighborhood a little. Across the street, she saw a familiar form. Riley bounded down the front steps, through the yard and toward to receding figure.
"Hey!" she called.
Wait a minute, why was she running up to Zeke, big scary-man? Too late now.
Zeke stopped and turned around. He was surprised. Riley didn't think he was a freak. This was a good sign.
"Where are you going?" Riley asked once she had caught up to him.
"I was going to get some caffeine-" he stopped himself before he said "pills" and thanked everything lucky because of it.
Riley didn't notice and responded "Oh, is there a coffee shop near here?"
"Yeah-"
"Do you mind if I come? I could really use a mocha."
"No problem-" Zeke replied slowly. Okay, so this wasn't what he had planned but he was willing to run with it.
"Thanks," said Riley. Zeke wouldn't be her first choice for company but at least she kind of-sort of knew him. Besides, at the moment, the urge for hot, chocolatey-goodness was overpowering.
And so, the two half-willingly set off for the nearest café.
"Alright guys," he started out "I don't want to take any chances. We've got to check Riley out."
"Yeah, sure, sci-fi boy," said Zeke, voice dripping with sarcasm as he lit up a cigarette. He took a drag and continued "Don't you think you're going a little off the deep end?"
"He's right, Case," said Stan "What about those brothers that came a few months ago?"
"I already explained this to Delilah," replied Casey "but last time it was a girl-"
"So?" snapped Stokely.
"I'm just saying," Casey continued "plus, we didn't know about them until their third day. If they had been body-snatchers, we would have noticed by then."
"What do you want to do about Riley?" asked Stan.
Casey looked to Zeke.
"Nuh uh," said Zeke, shaking his head and taking another drag, "No way."
"He's right," Delilah said, "You don't just go up to new kids and ask them to do drugs. It's-it's way too suspicious."
"But how else can we tell?" asked Stokely.
"We'd have to follow her," said Casey "It'd be the only other way. We'd have to notice even the slightest piece of odd behavior."
"On second thought, drug test would be easier," said Zeke.
"But how would we get her to take it?" asked Stan "Like Delilah said, it's be way too weird."
"Do you guys remember what happened to Principal Drake when Mary-Beth poured that stuff on her?" said Stokely.
"Yeah, we can just pour some of it on her!" exclaimed an excited Casey. He definitely wasn't up for stalking someone.
"Hold on," said Zeke "I'm almost out of scat. And even a single dose might not show anything. Remember how much Mary-Beth put on her? I don't have anything close to that."
"How long will it take to make it?" asked Delilah.
"I just downsized my lab a little so we could be looking at two, maybe three weeks," he said, taking another drag on his cigarette.
"By then, then whole country could be aliens!" said Stokely.
"I guess we'll have to go with Casey's idea until then," Stan responded.
"I am not stalking anyone," Delilah said stubbornly.
"Then don't help," snapped Stokely, giving her a cold look. Delilah responded with one of her own.
"Calm down," said Casey "We have to start today. Zeke, offer her a ride home."
"Why me?" Zeke asked, dropping his cigarette and crushing it.
"Because you're the one with the car," came Casey's reply.
"What about pretty-boy? He's got a nice little ride." Zeke supplied.
They all looked to Stan, who shrugged.
"It's in the shop."
Everyone now turned to Zeke.
"You in?" asked Stokely.
He paused. "Fine."
*
Riley walked along the sidewalk, looking for her parent's car. The last bell had rung and students were still spilling out of the school into the crisp air. She ran her hands along her upper arms then pulled her jacket closer.
Just then, a black car with two thick red stripes pulled up to the curb. Curious, Riley looked inside. It was him, the tall, dark and nice-looking guy. Her mind groped about for his name. Then she had it. Zeke.
"Need a ride?" he asked.
Was he serious? Mr. Bad-boy, rumored-drug-dealer was offering her a ride home?
"Uh. no thanks," she said, trying to be as gracious as possible. "I'm getting picked up."
*
"Right."
Okay, this officially wasn't going well. How was he supposed to give her a ride home if she said no? At least it got him off the hook. He could just drive on home now but something in his mind wouldn't let him.
"I'll see you, then."
Idiot! He scolded himself for making the cheesiest remark possible.
"Bye," she said with a small smile. That was somewhat of a safety net for Zeke's pride. At least she had smiled. In truth, he was surprised she wasn't laughing at him.
Zeke pulled out and began the process of circling around the block. As he did, his mind went back to that smile. It was a pretty smile. Riley was a very pretty person. Part of him immediately called himself a sissy for even thinking about pretty smiles. Another reminded him that he hadn't used the word sissy since the second grade.
Zeke shook his head clear and began to look for Riley again. There! He spotted her hopping into a silver sedan. He immediately began to follow it as inconspicuously as he could. Then again, that wasn't easy considering the paint job on his car.
They turned onto Maple street then Hallam and in a little bit, Zeke realized they were taking the same route he would to get home. Finally, on 8th, they parked in front of a cute white stucco house. Zeke took note of the house number and drove the last fou blocks home.
*
"Yeah.no.no, she got a ride home," said Zeke into the telephone "Well, what did you want me to do, kidnap her? That would've come off real well.she may not have but, I followed her home.yep.yeah, she lives about four blocks away from me.no.no, Casey-Casey, I'm not-Casey-CASEY!" Casey had hung up. Zeke cursed, turned off the phone and flipped it onto the nearest table.
Zeke calmed himself down by running one hand through his hair. He could not believe he had practically just been named Official Babysitter of Riley because he lived near her. If anyone should be that, it was Casey or Stokes. They would know more about body snatchers than he ever would, behavior wise. They were the sci-fi ones, he just understood the biology part.
Going to his lab, Zeke checked his supply of ingredients and realized he was low on caffeine pills. He grabbed his coat and headed out for some fresh air and a trip to the pharmacy.
*
Riley stepped out of her house. She was tired of unpacking and needed to get away for a bit, maybe explore the neighborhood a little. Across the street, she saw a familiar form. Riley bounded down the front steps, through the yard and toward to receding figure.
"Hey!" she called.
Wait a minute, why was she running up to Zeke, big scary-man? Too late now.
Zeke stopped and turned around. He was surprised. Riley didn't think he was a freak. This was a good sign.
"Where are you going?" Riley asked once she had caught up to him.
"I was going to get some caffeine-" he stopped himself before he said "pills" and thanked everything lucky because of it.
Riley didn't notice and responded "Oh, is there a coffee shop near here?"
"Yeah-"
"Do you mind if I come? I could really use a mocha."
"No problem-" Zeke replied slowly. Okay, so this wasn't what he had planned but he was willing to run with it.
"Thanks," said Riley. Zeke wouldn't be her first choice for company but at least she kind of-sort of knew him. Besides, at the moment, the urge for hot, chocolatey-goodness was overpowering.
And so, the two half-willingly set off for the nearest café.