Ryan stared at the large man nervously.
"That man is staring me down," said Ryan anxiously.
"Which one?" asked Sloan.
"He's behind you."
Sloan turned around. "He's coming toward us."
"Let's go to the restroom," said Ryan.
Young men occupied all four stalls in the restroom and one flushed the toilet. The door opened and Chase limped out in a violet shirt and gray pants wearing one, black shoe with the cast on the other foot. He looked at Ryan and Sloan in surprise.
"Why are you guys at this lame dance?" he asked peevishly.
"Ah . . . something to do," said Sloan.
"Whatever. My cousin goes here. He's eating a cheap bag of pretzels somewhere."
"Where's Troy?" asked Ryan.
"Home. We're friends, but his grandfather won't give me rides for the fight and crap."
"You got along at the party," said Ryan.
"Yeah, but I don't want to push it. So, you went to Shantel's. How was it?"
"Fine. Stop reading me," said Ryan.
"I'm not. Troy told me."
"Troy? Look, there's a big guy on the stairs right now and - "
The burly man opened the restroom door with an impish smile. A young man flushed the toilet and left the last stall, washing his hands.
Chase fixed a gaze at the large man and he stopped, but Chase didn't flinch.
"You want something, young man?" he asked, but Chase didn't answer and he went into the last stall with a shrug.
Another young man left a different stall fast.
"I have to tell you something in the corridor," said Chase.
Ryan and Sloan huddled with Chase and his cousin, Cameron in the corridor. Cameron crunched pretzels in the bag hungrily.
"That man just drugged some guy at a bar," said Chase.
"What?" said Ryan.
"He poured white powder in his drink."
"Did he do anything else?" asked Ryan.
"No."
"What happened to him?" asked Ryan.
"He passed out and he carried him out the door."
"Was he dead?" asked Ryan.
"No," said Chase.
"What does he want with Ryan?" asked Sloan.
"I don't know," said Chase.
"I'm glad we have cans and bottles here," said Cameron.
"Can you describe the guy he drugged?" asked Ryan.
"He was young with spiked, pink bangs. He had a T-shirt on with the words 'Pivot Pinks' on it," said Chase.
"That's a Rock band," said Sloan. "Their lead singer has pink hair. His name is Tommy Blackmore."
"Then that's him," said Chase.
"Tommy's a drunk and he gets into fights a lot," said Sloan.
"Maybe he's keeping him out of trouble," said Chase.
"Yeah, but that's really controlling," said Ryan.
The burly man passed the card table and glanced at Ryan. Dolores looked up at him briefly, changing a trash bag and he headed out the double doors.
"Dolores," said Ryan. "Do you know the man that just walked by?"
"No, but he asked me if Fortune Five played at the dance yet," she said.
"Did they?"
"Yes," she said. "They left a little while ago."
"That sucks," said Sloan. "I thought they played after the DJ."
"They didn't, dear," said Dolores. "I got 'a get back to the table."
"They left after seven songs," said Chase. "They were good though."
"Maybe he's a manager," said Sloan. "But his name might be private."
"Did you see the name of the bar?" asked Ryan.
"No," said Chase.
Sloan whispered something to Ryan.
Ryan took Chase aside. "The ripgrot's not attached to you anymore - just the snirver," he said. Did you get rid of it?"
"No," said Chase.
"Did someone sing an Alternative Rock song to you?"
"I don't know. Maybe Fortune Five - "
"No, they sing Pop Rock music," said Ryan.
"Oh. Yeah, I saw someone else sing."
"Who?" asked Ryan.
"I can't tell you."
"Okay," said Ryan disappointedly.
---
Mr. Olsen picked up Sloan and Ryan and drove on the freeway. He slowed down. Two police cars blocked the traffic. Several officers led drivers off the freeway and the cars rolled in gridlock.
"Sloan, call your mother. Tell her we're running late and I'm nowhere near Ryan's house."
Sloan called her and she suggested Ryan stay over for the night, promising to call Miss Aldridge with the white lie that Ryan wanted to watch another movie. Ryan didn't expect her to agree, but she did and called Mr. Olsen back.
When Sloan and Ryan walked in the bedroom, Mrs. Olsen vacuumed the blue rug.
"How was the dance, boys?" she asked.
"Okay," said Sloan.
"It was fun," said Ryan.
She placed two sleeping bags on the rug and folded a gray comforter on top.
"Let me know if you get cold, Ryan," she said. "I'll put the heat up."
"Okay, thanks."
Sloan slipped on a pair of plaid pajamas and hopped into a twin bed with a light-blue comforter. Ryan put on a pair of dark-blue pajamas.
"They're tight, but I like them," said Ryan.
Sloan typed on his mom's smartphone. "I don't know why that big man was staring at you," he said. "Something about him didn't feel right. Pivot Pinks doesn't have their manager's name listed anywhere."
"Something's been bothering me, but I don't know if I should tell you."
"You helped me with Eljorian and got me a job. I'm not going to stab you in the back."
"I'm adopted," said Ryan. "My mom is my aunt. I snooped in her room and found the adoption form."
"Who's your dad?"
"I don't know. I can't find my birth certificate anywhere."
"Maybe she hid it."
"She doesn't want me to know who he is for some reason."
"Maybe it's better you don't."
Sloan fell asleep, snoring and Ryan turned over, finding a comfortable spot.
The figure in the gray robe with the troll-like face appeared in the room and Ryan tried to ignore it.
"Shantel's probably with Troy right now," it whispered.
Ryan sighed. The banelor came back.
---
The next morning, Mr. Olsen drove to the drive-thru at Sippers. He ordered a two for two, breakfast, quesadilla special and two small coffees for Sloan and Ryan.
"Sorry you boys have to eat on the run," he said. "Sloan and I are late for work."
"Where do you work?" asked Ryan.
"Foodcart. We get a lot of produce on Saturday morning," said Mr. Olsen.
"What does Sloan do?"
"He helps me find the bruised stuff."
---
Ryan knocked at Eleven Maple Road and Grace opened the door.
"You're back in one piece - good."
"Grace, I need a favor bad."
"Now what?"
"Can I talk to you in your room?"
"No."
"Why?"
"It's messy."
Ryan peeked in the hallway and Shawn Woods hurried out of the bathroom, wearing a towel and slipped in her room.
"I saw you at the dance last night," said Ryan.
"You're not allowed to go to a dance in Chicago without Dad."
"You're not allowed to have Shawn here for a sleepover."
"Keep your voice down. Mom's asleep."
"Okay. Can you dance again?"
"What?"
"You got rid of that thing that talks to me. You're an angelkin. Take the questionnaire."
She smiled. "So, I can dance off a proprietary?"
"Yes. But it came back again."
"Hmm. I'll talk to you later."
---
Mr. Ross blew the horn loudly and Ryan jumped in his car.
"Hey, Rye. Bean Gene's . . . sounds scrumptious."
He handed Ryan some money and Ryan counted it.
"Dad, this is only enough for me. What about Shantel?"
"No man splurges on the first date. Get something small. You don't have to tip there."
He pulled into a parking lot downtown and Ryan followed him into a large, coffee shop around the corner.
"Okay, Rye," he said. "I'm getting a pumpkin cookie and sitting at the window. Find Shantel."
A variety of cookies, pastries and muffins filled the front counter protected by a plastic enclosure. Sigourney put cans of sparkling, fruit drinks and fruit cups in ice buckets on the next counter.
Soft booths and small, square tables with chairs filled the cafe and cozy chairs surrounded a coffee table.
"Hi, Sigourney," said Ryan. "Is Shantel here?"
"Yes," said Sigourney. "She's sitting at a table near the coffee island."
Sitting alone, Shantel wore a pink, leather jacket and blue jeans, writing in a notebook. Mr. Ross poured honey in a cup of coffee at the coffee island, swiping a handful of napkins.
"Hi," said Ryan, sitting down. Shantel closed her notebook. "How's the poetry going?"
"They're songs, Ryan."
"Oh, that's cool. Do you sing?"
"Yes."
"Can you sing something?"
"No."
"Why?"
"No reason."
"Oh. Okay. Did you take the angelkin questionnaire?"
"Not yet."
"I have some money," said Ryan. "Do you want 'a eat something?"
"Sure. Sigourney gives me the employee discount so I'll order. What do you like?"
"My dad only gave me so much money and - "
"Just give me what you have."
Shantel took the bills curiously and counted them.
"Do you like pasta bowls?" she asked.
"Yeah."
"And what do you drink?"
"Soda."
"Good," she said.
Shantel talked to Sigourney at the register.
"She only wants your money," said a disembodied voice and Ryan saw the banelor behind him. It vanished and he sighed.
Shantel sat at the table with a mozzarella and tomato, pasta bowl and gave Ryan one with provolone and mushrooms.
"My sister gives me drinks for free. Here's your cup. The fountain's in the back."
Ryan filled the cup with lime soda.
Shantel ate the pasta bowl like she ate already.
"A lucifedor sent you the hemjow," said Ryan. "Any idea who it is?"
"I'm not sure," said Shantel.
"Have you been hurt?"
"Sort of," she said.
"Are you alright?" he asked.
"Yeah."
"Can I visit you tonight?"
"No," said Shantel.
"Any reason?"
"Yeah, I have plans tonight."
"What about Sunday?"
"No."
"Oh," said Ryan disappointedly.
"Thanks for lunch. You don't have to go yet."
"Do you want 'a go for a walk?"
"No."
"Okay. My dad can give you a ride to my house if you want."
"No, thank you."
"Alright," said Ryan. "I'll visit you on Monday."
Shantel smiled politely and Ryan saw a vision in color in his mind of her dodging a flying magazine in her living room.
"Are you sure you don't want me to come over tonight?" he asked.
"I'm sure."
Troy walked into Bean Gene's Cafe with a woman with short, blonde hair wearing sunglasses and a long, purple coat. She gave him some money and sat down at a table across from Shantel. Then she turned her smartphone off and smiled at Ryan.
"Hi, Shantel. How are things?" she asked.
"Fine, thanks."
"Nice to see you," said the woman.
"Nice to see you too." She whispered, "Troy's here and that's his mom."
"I should go. I punched him in the face," whispered Ryan.
"She brought him here last Saturday and he sat with me."
"Okay. I'm going now. I'll see you later."
"Bye."
Ryan headed to the restroom in the back.
Troy stopped at Shantel's table and watched Ryan irritably. He gave his mom a blueberry smoothie and sat with Shantel, holding two strawberry smoothies under his forearm. Shantel took one.
Ryan sighed.
He saw a small poster on a door with a tinted window in the back hallway.
Ladies Night Saturday
At The Lounge 8 pm
Featuring Fortune Five
All ladies get in half-price
First five ladies no charge
Must be twenty-one or over
ID required
Door closes at 9 pm
No re-entry
Party at 10 with DJ Shawnster
Ryan found Mr. Ross.
---
He sat in the car and sulked.
"Did you have a nice time?"
"Kind of."
"See, the money stretched," said Mr. Ross.
"Troy's sitting with Shantel right now."
"Ah, let it ride. Troy's got nothing on you, Rye."
---
Grace sneaked into Ryan's room and brought her smartphone.
"I need to face you when I dance," she said.
"Okay, thanks." Ryan sat on his bed.
She played "Full Rum" by Rhyme Sign on her phone and danced energetically.
Ryan smiled slightly as she danced. With a final breath, he exhaled completely.
"You did it again. I hope it lasts. Do I owe you?"
"Yes. Distract Mom when I sneak Shawn out 'a here."
"Where is he now?"
"Taking a nap."
"Where's his car?"
"On Cedar Street - one over."
"Are you going with him to the Fortune Five show at Bean Gene's Lounge tonight?"
"Why?"
"I have to tell you something."