Someone is here, and when a different possibility occurs to me, my heart leaps to my throat in fright.
What if there’s an intruder?
Anactualvillain.
Not that he’s any less of a villain, but still. What if there’s some guy here, a thug, a thief. What if they’ve come to steal something from the Blue Madonna?
Oh heck no.
I’m never letting that happen. Never ever.
This is my favorite place in the world and I already feel guilty for breaking and entering. I already feel guilty for takingadvantage of the fact that my ex-teacher doesn’t have an updated alarm system and is super bad with security and technology.
I’m not going to let any harm befall this place.
So I fist my hands at my sides and widen my stance as I look around, glare around actually.
“Hello? Is anyone there?”
Seriously, Callie?
Such a stupid question.
Of course someone’s there. I heard a sound, and if someone is wanting to do me or this place any harm, he’s not going to tell me.
So stepping closer to the door, I try a different approach. “Okay, don’t tell me. It’s fine. I’m not an idiot. I know you’re there. I heard you.”
I narrow my eyes as I keep searching the darkness for the intruder but come up with nothing.
“Yeah, that’s very mature and scary. Not talking.” I shake my head and take another step closer to the door. “But the thing is, you made a mistake. You picked the wrong girl to mess with. I don’t scare easily. Oh, and I know how to punch.” I nod as I keep looking around and moving closer to the door. “Yeah, I can do some real damage if I want to, buddy. And maybe right now you’re thinking,hey, this girl is tiny. She can’t hurt me.But know this, I have four brothers.Four. And they’re all tall and burly and muscular. They’re all athletes, actually. Ever heard of the Thorne brothers? Yeah? I’m their sister.”
I’m super-duper close to the door now as I continue, “So if you think you can overpower me, remember that my brothers will come after you. I will make sure that they come after you. I will make sure that they hunt you down and make you pay, you got that? So either show yourself or leave. Right now!”
I sort of flinch at the end but whatever.
That should get the message across that I’m not to be messed with.
Also, I’m one step away from the door and getting inside so if there ever was a time to dare him, this is it. So I wait for like three seconds before I jump inside and close the door with a bang.
And then I’m packing up.
I’m getting out of here.
The next bus should be here any minute so I change into my dress and close up. I run out through the front door and as soon as I cross the street to get to the bus stop, the bus is pulling in.
When we take off, I look out the window.
I look at the studio, the dark road that still stands empty.
I look at it and look at it, even as it grows smaller and smaller, and my breaths somehow both quicken and slow down. And my body is filled with both relief and a strange disappointment.
But then I see something.
A flash of white.
Bright as the moon.
Sparkling as a neon sign.
