Celebrity by Linda Gerber

Author:Linda Gerber [Gerber, Linda]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781101566961
Publisher: Penguin Group US
Published: 2012-03-15T04:00:00+00:00

Victoria must have called my

parents. I don’t know. I was too shocked and confused and kind of excited to notice. Mateo and Logan and I played that section of the video again and again until suddenly my mom and dad rushed through the door, followed by Señor Ruiz-Moreno, followed by Cavin, followed by Bayani. They all crowded around the table and watched in silence as we played the video once again.

“It could be something,” Cavin said hesitantly.

“I can’t tell.” My dad shook his head.

“I could enhance the image,” Bayani offered, “if I can access the editing program.”

Logan elbowed me in the side. “Look at you,” he said, grinning. “Always causing a fuss.”

I was still a beat behind, and it took me a second too long to realize he was teasing. By the time I smacked him on the arm, my hesitation made him laugh. And that made me want to smack him again. I might have, too, if Bayani hadn’t started messing around with the video just then.

On the screen, the three dark blobs I had seen began to take shape. I stared as they turned into men. Two of the men were wearing dark blue jumpsuits and white gloves. It looked like they were handing something to the third blob, a man in a business suit, wearing dark glasses. “There,” Mateo breathed. “Contrabandistas.”

“What’s a contrabandista?” Logan asked.

“A thief,” Señor Ruiz-Moreno said. “A smuggler. These men are artifact smugglers.”

It could have been my imagination, but it felt like we all got caught in a freeze-frame for a minute. No one said a word. No one moved. It got so quiet that my shallow, quick breaths sounded like gusts of wind in my ears. My heartbeat was thunder.

And then all at once, the moment ended and chaos rushed in to take its place. Everyone started talking at the same time.

“… call the authorities.”

“… too dark to tell….”

“… the rest of the day off.”

“… could be nothing.”

I felt like I was outside the room, watching from a distance. A strange twist in my stomach told me I was in deep trouble. But this time it wasn’t my mom’s and dad’s anger I was afraid of. If those men were really robbers and they knew I caught them on video….

As if he could read my mind, Logan bumped my arm with his. “Don’t worry. I’m sure they didn’t see you.”

I nodded, afraid that if I tried to answer, he would hear the fear in my voice. I didn’t think I could deflect a tease just then.

From the corner of the room, Mateo caught my eye. I’m sorry, he mouthed.

I didn’t know if he meant he was sorry I had accidentally filmed a robbery, sorry he had mentioned it, or sorry for the drama it had created. It didn’t matter. None of it was his fault. It’s okay, I mouthed back.

I hoped I was right.

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