Fallout (Crank 3)

I wanted to hold that close. Thank God

I still had the “you don’t want to come

in the bathroom now” excuse going on.

Eventually she tired of shadowing me.

Stuck her nose in a book, kept it there.

I HAD MY CELL

With me, set on vibrate,

so no one but me would

know when it rang. I hid

out in the bathroom for

more than an hour, expecting

the buzz against my thigh.

I had almost given up by

the time it came. When

it finally did, it made me

jump. Good thing I was

only pretending to need

the toilet. I spoke in a low

whisper, hoping Simone

had, indeed, vacated the

hallway outside the door.

“Where are you?” It came

out a serpentlike hiss.

He was down the block.

Luckily, Walter was at

his day job. Tanya and

the sisters were crashing

around in the kitchen,

baking cookies. Leaving

was a piece of cake.