Quid Pro Quo by Vicki Grant Read Free Book Online

know, manner, I guess. The guy didn’t have any money or any job or any big fat title, but he still walked around like he owned the place. Like he was in charge. It was kind of creepy. Like, what was this? Mind control or something? What did he have over everybody? Why wasn’t everybody just telling him to get lost? Why wasn’t anybody ?
    The Consuela thing was weird too. I didn’t know her—like I said, I’d only seen her that one time—but she sure didn’t look like your typical criminal. She seemed so sweet and nice and kind of scared of everything. Maybe that was just some big act, but I have to tell you, she had me convinced.
    I started to think that maybe Byron was blackmailing both of them. About what, I didn’t know. All I knew was that Byron was beginning to look more like an evil genius and less like just some dirty bum who kicked me out of my bedroom.
    I needed some time to pull myself together. I found this playground nobody I know goes to and sat on a swing until I got cold and some little kid started hassling me about hogging it. Then I hung out at Toulany’s for a couple of hours until the guy behind the counter pointed at the “No loitering” sign and told me to buy something or get going. I bought one red licorice. He rolled his eyes, and I left. It was almost six o’clock by that time, and I knew that if I didn’t get home soon, Andy would be suspicious. I’d just say I stayed late for science club or some other dorky thing.
    I tried to come into the apartment the same way I always do. I threw the door open so it banged against the wall. I dumped my knapsack right in the middle of the floor so Andy would have to kick it out of her way when she walked in. And then I got all ready not to answer when Byron did his “How was school?” thing.
    Only problem was, Byron didn’t do anything. Didn’t say anything either. The apartment was dead quiet.
    I went to the bathroom as if I needed to pee. I went to the kitchen as if I was hoping there might be some leftover pizza. I stuck my head in my old room as if I was looking for my Discman.
    Byron wasn’t anywhere.
    That’s okay, I thought. He knows I’ll be back from school by now. He’ll have an excuse all ready for why a homebody like him would be out on the town. I even figured out what I was going to say when he walked in: “Hey, I thought vampires weren’t allowed out in daylight.” It was a little lame, but it was good enough.
    I could see there was a message on the phone, and I realized that Mrs. Payzant probably called to find out why I wasn’t in school. I figured Andy had her on the payroll. Mrs. Payzant was always really nice to my face, but as soon as I came in three minutes late or got less than 99.4 percent on a test, she’d be calling Andy to discuss her “concerns.” Between the two of them, they’d pretty much killed any chance I had to be normal.
    I was right. Mrs. Payzant had called. I just had to hope it was after Byron left. I erased her message and listened to the next one. It had come in at 3:38. It was from Andy.
    â€œHello, honey,” she said. “It’s just me, Mama. I’m going to be home a little late for dinner, but I made you something and put it in the freezer. If you want to get yourself some of those donuts you like—you know, the ones with the special filling—there’s some money in the Player’s Tobacco tin by the stove. I’ll be back as soon as I can. Oh, and if you need to reach me, call me at…”
    The line went dead, but I had heard enough to know what had happened.
    An alien had taken over my mother’s mouth.

chapter
sixteen

Dismissal
    Termination of employment
The firing of an employee
    H oney?!?”
    â€œMama?!?”
    â€œI made you something?!?”
    What was going on? What happened to “Hey, kid, it’s me.
    â€œI made you