Bug Girl by Benjamin Harper

Author:Benjamin Harper
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Imprint

17

The doorbell rang.

In the distance, air-raid sirens still blared, and Amanda wondered who would be ringing the doorbell when they were all supposed to be locked in their homes. She hesitated. Poppy kept snoring. Perhaps Vincent had forgotten something. Only … No. This didn’t feel like a visit from Vincent.… Slowly she walked back down the stairs and opened the door.

There on the porch was the last person Amanda expected to see: Emily. Amanda nearly choked.

Only a few hours ago, Emily had been threatening to demean her in the showers. It was tempting to slam the door in her face, but … there had been a change. She did not look as mean. Yes, she still had her trademark lip curl, but she wasn’t quite so … smug. And she had come to see Amanda.

“Who’s your friend?” Poppy was up and suddenly standing behind Amanda.

“This is Emily,” Amanda told him. “She’s Megawoman’s daughter.”

Amanda kept her eyes locked on Emily’s face, but Emily did not deny it. Something had changed.

“Oh, ho!” Poppy cackled. “Little Miss Battfield. Now we’re cooking with gas! The two of you will have this solved in no time. No time at all. What we need is ice cream.”

Poppy shuffled off to the kitchen before either girl could stop him.

Neither Amanda nor Emily moved.

The silence grew until it was unbearable.

“Come in,” Amanda said unenthusiastically. She’d been waiting for this, wanting it, but now that it was happening …

Emily stepped inside. She took a breath. “I guess we have to talk,” she said finally.

She guesses … Amanda bit her tongue to keep from snapping back, “What was your first clue?” You need her, she silently reminded herself. You need her, and she doesn’t do anything unless she thinks it’s her idea. So just let it be. It was easier said than done.

Amanda led Emily to the dining-room table. Poppy slapped two towering bowls of ice cream down in front of them, and Amanda dug in. Hindering criminals burned a ton of calories. She was starving! And she hoped that the frozen goodness would make swallowing her pride a little easier.

Emily stirred her ice cream into soup and chatted politely with Poppy, answering his silly questions (What’s your favorite tree fruit? Are you allergic to legumes?) while Amanda shot her skeptical looks. The girl’s civility was making her nervous.

Then Poppy asked something that snapped Emily out of her pseudo-polite nodding.

“Say, how’s that Frida of yours doing? Quite the character, that one.” Poppy laughed. “I wouldn’t want to be on the wrong side of a fight with her!”

“Wait, what?” Emily sputtered. He had totally caught her off guard.

“Oh, I know a thing or two about the goings-on over at the Battfield house,” Poppy added mysteriously. “Frida and me, we go way back.”

Emily shuffled in her seat nervously and then made a point of sitting still. Amanda was enjoying watching her squirm—Emily hated to let her emotions show, and this was clearly too much for her.

With one last lick of her spoon,

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