Starstruck

Chapter 25a: Absolute magnitude (part 1)

CHAPTER 25

Absolute magnitude (part 1)

My heart in my throat, I kept running and didn't stop until I was in front of the house next door to ours. Then, glancing back again to make sure he hadn't followed, I forced myself to a walk, taking deep breaths and doing my best to slow my racing heart. I did not want to have to explain to Aunt Theresa why I was so out of breath.

I could definitely explain to Rigel, though. Pulling his phone out of my pocket, I went around to the side of our house--the side away from the kitchen--and pushed the button for his dad's number, like he'd told me to do yesterday. To my relief, Rigel answered instead of his dad.

"M? What's up?" He sounded more curious than worried.

"Hey. I, um, don't think the bad guys are, ah, quite taken care of after all." I was still panting a little.

He picked up on that immediately. "What happened?" he demanded. "Are you okay? I'm coming to get you. Let me--"

"Rigel, wait! Listen first." I quickly told him what had just happened, including the fact that my attacker had something silver--a needle or device?--that he'd tried to hit me with. I finished with the words he'd yelled after me. "So . . . it doesn't sound like we're quite out of the woods yet," I added unnecessarily.

"No, it doesn't," he agreed grimly. "Are you at home?"

"Yeah. I ran."

"Okay, stay put. We'll be there as soon as we can."

"Um, do I have time to take a shower? I kind of need one." It had been a vigorous class, not to mention the run home.

I could hear him talking to someone else, presumably his parents or Shim. Then, to me, "If it's a quick one."

"Thanks. Oh, and hey, can you maybe call on the regular phone before you come, so I can make up something to tell my aunt for why you're picking me up?"

There was another brief conference I couldn't quite hear. "My mom will call and talk to her. You go ahead and get your shower. See you soon."

When I went inside a moment later, I was no longer panting. "I'm home--taking a shower," I called out, heading straight for the stairs.

But my aunt intercepted me, coming out of the kitchen with a vegetable peeler in her hand. "Louise Batten just called. She said you got into some kind of scuffle with a vagrant outside her shop?"

Louise Batten owned and ran Quilt World. Unfortunately, she was also one of Jewel's premier gossips.

"Um, not a scuffle, exactly, but he did try to grab me. I kicked at him and ran, though, and he didn't come after me. He was probably drunk or high or something."

"That's what Louise thought, so she called the police. But by the time they arrived, he'd run off."

I swallowed, glad that Rigel was coming to get me. "No one saw which way he went?"

"Louise didn't. I don't know what any other witnesses might have told the police. But if he doesn't cause any more trouble, I doubt they'll pursue it. You weren't hurt?" She actually looked mildly concerned.

"No, he didn't . . . didn't really touch me, just grabbed at my sleeve. I'm fine."

Her concern turned to disapproval. "Well, you keep your distance from strangers in the future. A girl can't be too careful."