“Please?”I clasped my hands. He sighed and turned,motioning for me to get on.“Yay!”I ran and hopped up, wrapping my arms around his neck while he caught my legs. He lifted them for a better grip and started walking.“Thank you,”I said, leaning against his back.“You’re the best bind ever. My feet don’t even hurt.”
“I know. I can tell when you’re lying. Even when I can’t hear you.”
“You can’t hear me again?”I lifted my head, then smiled when he confirmed.“So, how can you tell when I’m lying?”
“I’m not telling you.”
“Why not?”
“Because if I do, you’ll change it. And then I won’t be able to tell anymore.”
“Exactly. That’s why you should tell me.” Irested my chest on his back again.
“No,”he disagreed,“I don’t think I should.”
“Is it because I sound different?”
“Kinda,”hesaid.
“Is it some fancy body language reading thing?”
“Kinda.”
I lifted my head to look at him.“Are you saying kinda to annoyme?”
“Kinda.”
“You suck.”I tried to hit him, then cried out when he dropped my legs.“Dennis!” Iclambered to stay up as he started laughing.
“What?”He caught me before I could fall.“I was working on your reflexes. Practice is good.”
“You’ll tell me, eventually.I’m gonna convince you.”I wrapped my arms tighter as he started up the stairs to their condo.
“Good luck with that.”
“Thanks,”I said, taking his sarcasm as real encouragement. I swung my legs as we neared the pool, not sure what to do with all my extra energy.
“I swear you’re the sameage as Mikaila,”hemuttered. He pushed the door open and flicked on a light as we walked inside.
“It’s not my fault I’m really happy.” Isquealed when he dumped me on the couch. I rolled off the edge onto the floor, then turned on my side and propped my head up while he shut the door.
“What is wrong with you?”
“Too much awesome,”I said sadly.“Sometimes I think it’s gonna overflow and I’ll spontaneously combust. Or implode, or something.”He shook his head and grabbed a book off the table before moving to the couch. He sat near the middle while I unlaced my boots and kicked them off.“Ari’s sleeping in Sean’s room tonight?”
“How can you tell?”
“That’s where her heartbeat’s coming from.”I gestured toward the only room I still haven’t been in.
“Look at you. Finally becoming a little useful.”He opened the book and started reading.
“Ha ha, you’reso funny.” I rolled my eyes and sat beside him. I looked toward Mateo’s shut door, trying to figure out what was going on in there. He and Sean were both yelling.“What are they doing?”
Dennis glanced up before saying,“Oh, that. They must be playing cards.” He went back to reading like it happened every day.
“Is it always this loud and aggressive?”
“All the time.”
