Allie looked to Milos, but he just shrugged. "This is as far west as I've ever been."
"Great," grumbled Mikey. "Another problem."
"It's not a problem," said Allie. "It's just wind."
But the looks on the Nashville kids' faces said otherwise.
* * * While Moose and Squirrel bargained with the Nashville Afterlights, hoping to provide various skinjacking services, Milos invited Allie for another lesson.
"Enough talk of winds and worries," Milos said. "Tonight we have fun."
"If it's an evening of fun, then we should invite Mikey," she said, more of a reprimand than a suggestion--a little jab to remind him that their lessons were serious business.
Milos shrugged. "Of course, of course," he said, sounding a little like Squirrel, "but even if Mikey could skinjack, somehow I do not think he is one to appreciate country music."
Allie studied him, trying to read the mildly mischievous look on Milos's face. "What does country music have to do with skinjacking?"
But Milos only smiled.
Allie went to look for Mikey among the Nashville Afterlights, but he was nowhere to be found.
"Lasht time I shaw him," Moose said, "he wuz leaving the factory by himshelf."
Lately Mikey had been spending more and more time alone. It troubled Allie, but only slightly. Mikey was very good at taking care of himself.
That night, Milos took Allie to Nashville's Grand Ole Opry, where Travis Dix was in concert. There was some country music that Allie loved, and some that she hated--but whether you were a fan of country music or not, everybody loved Travis Dix. Allie's only problem with it was that this felt like a date, and that made her uncomfortable. Alive, she had always been too busy with sports, student government, and the yearbook to date. Besides, the boys she liked were always out of reach, and the ones who did give her attention always lacked a certain something--such as common sense, or deodorant.
She always assumed there would come a time for her to make boys a priority ... but death had put a damper on that. Well, she hadn't dated in life, and she wasn't about to start now. She had Mikey as an afterlife companion, and that was enough for her.
"So why are we here?" Allie asked Milos as they passed through the front entrance and into the crowded lobby of the ornate theater. "I hope it's not just to see a concert."
"This way," said Milos. "Come."
She followed him from the lobby into the theater, where, in a few minutes, the show would be starting. Then he led her right up onto the stage. Even though Allie knew that no one could see her, she still felt uncomfortable on a stage, facing an audience of thousands.
"You have practiced soul-surfing, and have gotten better at it," said Milos, "but now, with so many people packed into one place, you can really use it!"
Milos turned to face the audience, and looked up to the highest seats way up in the back of the balcony. The nosebleed seats, Allie always called them.
"Tell me," said Milos, "how fast can you surf from here to the balcony and back?"
Allie smiled. "Faster than you!" Although she knew it probably wasn't true.
"Then you can try to beat me." Milos squinted up at the balcony, then pointed. "Do you see the usher at very back?"
Allie looked up to the center aisle between the highest seats. The soft focus and muted colors of the living world made it difficult to see, but she did pick out an usher guiding people to their seats up there. "So he's our target?"
"Yes. The first one to surf all the way up there, tap the usher on the shoulder, and come back to the stage, wins."
"And no cheating!" said Allie.
"How could I cheat?"
"You're not allowed to jump from the orchestra up to the mezzanine--we both have to go out the back of the theater, into the lobby, and surf our way up the stairs."
"Fair enough," said Milos. "Are you ready?"
"Are you?"