I’d never heard Jeremy so animated and articulate. He seemed very passionate about the topic. Meanwhile, I felt like I was going to throw up, thinking about the breeders and how they were afterme.
“What I found, is extraordinarily similar to the readings I got last night from you, Kit.” He pinned me with a glare, before dropping his eyes to the floor where they usuallyrested.
I started to squirm in my seat. I didn’t want to be similar to the breeders. I didn’t want to beanythinglikethem.
“Now I need to confirm some events with you, see what was happening. At exactly 7:05 p.m., before Damien and everyone came in, what where youdoing?”
That was about the time I was robbing the vending machines and kicking that breeder’sass.
“Well…,” I started. “That was probably around the time I was fighting the breeder. She gave me a massive headache and I… made her nose bleed, and then we flewoff.”
Jeremy cocked his head to the side, and started scribbling notes feverishly on a yellow legal pad. I flicked my eyes sideways, and saw that Master Aki was wearing a rare grin. It made me feel a bitbetter.
“How did you make her nose bleed?” Jeremy askedme.
I tried to think back to that moment. I didn’t really remember how I did it, just sort of thought of pain and then lashed out. “I’m not sure.” I squirmedagain.
He nodded. “Well, we will be doing some more tests to confirm my hypothesis.” He waved a hand myway.
My eyes bugged out. “Actually, Jeremy, I was hoping for a break from the hat.” I motioned to the thing lying on the floor next to me, with all the wires poking out ofit.
His eyes flicked up over the top of his legal pad. “You made a promise.” He went right for the kill, big puppy dog eyes andeverything.
“Yeah, about that.” Damien ran a hand through his hair. “Did you really promise him that he could have ice cream forbreakfast?”
I squirmed some more. It felt like I was beinginterrogated.
“Yes, she did,” Jeremy said, withpride.
I cringed. “I promised, but only for thirty days because of… medicalreasons.”
Jeremy scowled. “What kinds of medicalreasons?”
He was a smart kid, smarter than me. If I said something stupid, he would totally call me on it. “Diabetes runs in your family. Right, Damien?”Please, God, let it run in your family. It runs in every family in North America,right?
Damien picked the lie up effortlessly. “Absolutely, and I will agree to thirty days of ice cream and no more. Carry on with your experiment.” He tried like a ninja to change the subjectquickly.
Jeremy stared at his paper for a moment. “Okay. Just don’t forget about the lizard,” he remindedme.
My eyes widened farther. I hadtotallyforgotten about thelizard.
I just nodded. If Ronnie got a kitten, she would be able to help me get a lizard…right?
“Shower, dry your hair, and then put the cap back on,” Jeremy ordered me, and thenleft.
“Yes, sir,” I mumbled after he was gone. I guess I was stuck with the hat for a whilenow.
Before running up to shower, I frantically pulled out my phone and textedRonnie.
Kit:You need to find me a pet lizard for Jeremy. NOW!Please.
Ronnie:A lizard! Ugh. You oweme.
Whew. Crisisaverted.
Well, at least one of the dozen crises I currentlyhad.
Fifteen
