This Book Is Not Yet Rated by Peter Bognanni

Author:Peter Bognanni
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Young Readers Group
Published: 2019-04-08T16:00:00+00:00

23

Next thing we knew, we were all in the alley, watching a man in a jumpsuit tape off the entrance to the Green Street like he was sealing off a murder scene. Jasper seemed to take great pleasure in his job, slowly unwinding the bright yellow tape and threading it through the door handles. Inside, I could barely make out the silhouette of Ron Marsh, strutting around, blabbing on his phone. Who knew what he was doing. Ordering an airstrike? Making another deal with the devil?

Somewhere, Brando was already huddled in his nest behind the walls, hunkering down for the fight ahead. Once I had wanted him dead. Now I was kinda pulling for him. If Marsh was going to shut us down early, the least he could deal with was an uncatchable rat with an endless appetite for candy. With any luck, Brando would infect him and his cronies with a new version of the bubonic plague.

“So, this is pretty much the worst,” said Lucas.

We all nodded.

I looked around at my staff clustered together. It was like looking at a group of nocturnal animals who had just been flushed from their cave. I’d seen some of them the day of the protest, but on that day they’d had some fire in their bellies. Now they seemed dazed and frightened.

Anjo in particular seemed on shaky ground. I couldn’t remember ever seeing her outside during the day. Not even once. She squinted into the sun, putting a hand over her cat’s-eye glasses in a sad salute. Under her right arm, she held her poster of Steve McQueen, all rolled up into a tube. It was the only possession she had taken with her.

“Anjo,” said Lucas in a hesitant voice, “are you okay?”

She didn’t answer. She just kept watching the building, barely blinking.

“I mean where are you going to go?” Lucas continued. “Weren’t you . . . ?”

“Yes,” she said. “I don’t think there’s any secret about that at this point.”

We were all quiet. A few seconds passed.

“I have some friends I can crash with,” she said, but her tone sounded unsure.

Sweet Lou reached out and touched her shoulder.

“Why don’t you come stay with me, honey. I’ve got a whole house to myself since Alvin passed.”

“I’ve got a futon!” said Lucas. “Griffin spilled bong water on it, but we sprayed it with Febreze. Now it just kind of smells like Febrezy bong water, but it’s soft.”

He paused.

“Actually, it’s not that soft.”

Anjo closed her eyes, and let out a long breath.

“I’m okay,” she said. “Or at least, I’ll be okay. But, thanks, guys.”

Then she abruptly switched her poster to her other arm and started to walk away.

“Wait,” I said. “Anjo. You don’t need to go yet.”

She held up her phone as she headed down the alley.

“You’ve got my number, boss,” she said. “Call me if you need me.”

She dragged her feet slightly as she walked, just a woman in regular clothes, disappearing from sight. She looked so average now that she’d been cast from her kingdom.

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