Warped

Chapter 5

"A falafel a day is a falafel a day" is the fifth—no sixth— dumbest thing Izzy ever said aloud. She hadn't meant to ask Joe the code phrase so soon, especially with Sam and Fred around; she'd wanted to ask him if she could use The Book to find her father. If it had the history of other people's lives, then it must be able to tell her where her dad was and maybe even why he left.

But before she could ask, Izzy remembered her dad's instructions to not go looking for him. She was torn. She wanted to know he was okay but didn't want to disobey him.

Joe, Sam, Fred, and Izzy took a bus to Joralemon and found the bright green and gold dome-shaped falafel stand easily. Phil's Fantastic Falafel sat next to a small, empty park away from the street. A few round tables sat around the stand, the large green parasols closed since there was no need to hide from the sun on such a chilly day.

A familiar looking Asian girl with long black hair in a high ponytail stood in front ordering from the smiling man. Izzy made a good first impression by bumping into her, too busy talking to the boys about a superhero movie to stop in time.

"I'm sor—"

The girl whipped her head at Izzy and sneered at her.

All the color drain out of Izzy. "—reeeeeeee?"

The girl cocked her head and said in a raspy voice, "Excuse me?"

"I-I said I was sorry."

Another second of leering before the girl made a sound of disgust and turned away, grabbed her order, and tipped the cashier. When she spun back around, the annoyed look still in her eyes, Izzy leapt back, bumping into Joe behind her.

"What was that about?" the girl asked.

"I'm giving you your space."

"That 'sposed to be sarcasm or something?"

"I can't sarcasm on purpose."

The girl raised an eyebrow and stared down at Izzy like she was trying to figure her out.

Izzy gulped. "Every time I've been sarcastic it's been on accident or when I'm mad, I can't control it, I swear."

The girl shook her head. "Tch. Space cadet."

Fred stepped forward so he was indirectly between them and fixed the girl a hard look. "Hey, lay off her."

The girl paid no attention to Fred. She strolled past them, shouldering Izzy as she headed down the sidewalk and eating her falafel.

"I swear I saw her eat the foil," Sam muttered when she was far enough.

Izzy ran a hand over her hair. "Why do I anger the people I mildly inconvenience?"

"It could've been worse," Joe said. "With what I heard about her."

"You know her?"

"Everyone does," Fred said. "Rin goes to our school. That chick breaks femurs for kicks. Like, she literally kicks them to break them."

Izzy blanched. "What?!"

"That was just a rumor. All she did was..." Sam winced as if he were remembering something horribly unpleasant, "snapped a kid's collarbone."

"Why did she do that?"

Joe shrugged. "Why would you snap someone's collarbone?"

"I wouldn't snap anyone's collar bone!"

Izzy stared in the direction Rin went, her dark hair disappearing into the crowd, and a wave of anxiety wash over her. Going to a new school was hard enough (even if she didn't leave any friends behind or even teachers she liked), she didn't want to deal with someone already hating her for something so small.