Since We Last Spoke by Brenda Rufener

Author:Brenda Rufener
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2019-01-27T16:00:00+00:00

22

Aggi

AFTER SLICES OF PIZZA, THE four of us are laughing and crying and expressing just how much we love science and one another. Well, Umé doesn’t exactly say she loves science, but she’s at least playing along without protest. Dr. Nelson retells stories from her high school years and has Grace and Umé sitting on the edges of their chairs begging for more.

“There was that time,” Dr. Nelson says, “when we broke into the biology lab at our high school on a rescue mission we called Save Life. Worms and frogs and, I think, a few dung beetles found themselves rescued and given freedom in a pond near my family’s home.”

Dr. Nelson’s face beams with pride from remembering yesteryear.

“Same trope, different decade, huh?” Umé says. “Kids have been rescuing mice and frogs since forever.”

Dr. Nelson winks. “It’s an oldie, but we made it our own. Still puts a smile on my face.” Dr. Nelson shoves the cardboard box at us. “Come on, kids, eat another slice so I don’t slip into a carb coma alone.”

I grab my stomach and groan. “This is my second dinner, and the first was huge.”

“So how’d you become a biologist, then?” Umé asks. “If you couldn’t handle keeping animals captive?”

Dr. Nelson flicks a crumb off her pants. “That was a long time ago.”

“Did you get caught?” Grace asks. “Did your teachers find out about your rescue mission?”

“I got into a bit of trouble with the police. Thanks for asking.” Dr. Nelson winks at Grace and taps her on the knee. “Took a gap year before college on account of it. Let’s just say I’ve done my fair share of community service.”

Umé pulls her knees to her chest. “You’re a professor now. Couldn’t have been that bad. Breaking and entering? Destroying school property?”

“Let’s just say the rescue mission grew into something bigger as the night went on.”

Our faces contort. “Bigger?”

Dr. Nelson sighs. “Long story. One I’d rather not get into.”

Umé leans forward in her chair, elbows on her knees. “But one we have time for.”

Dr. Nelson rubs her arms in an attempt to change the subject. “So cold out here. We should head home before it starts snowing again.”

Umé kicks at the metal fire pit. “Can’t we light this thing?”

Dr. Nelson shrugs and reaches into her bag, pulling out a small orange box of matches with black lettering that reads: Take a poop? Light a match.

After a couple of strikes, the fire pit roars and we hover around the circle listening to Dr. Nelson divulge details we desperately want to hear. Well, except Grace. She’s been sent to the other side of the roof to search for something that doesn’t exist. Another one of Dr. Nelson’s missions, titled Protecting Innocent Ears.

“We didn’t plan to hurt the poor bastard,” Dr. Nelson whispers. “We only wanted to save the beavers.”

“Hurt who?” I ask, warming a narrow slice of pizza over the fire until the cheese melts.

“You know him, Aggi. Well, you know of him. Your friend Henry Beacon’s grandfather.

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