Starstruck

Chapter 24b: Apparent magnitude (part 2)

"My life, too," he reminded me. "Get some sleep, M. You've earned it. I'm gonna hit the sack, too." He'd earned it far more than I had, between the football game and saving all of us from what could have been a horrible death. He had to be exhausted, though he didn't sound it.

"I'll call you tomorrow," he said then. "I've talked my folks into letting me take you someplace special before the dance. Sweet dreams."

"Good night, Rigel." I wanted to say more. I wanted to tell him I loved him. I was still trying to gather up the nerve to do it when I realized he'd hung up already.

Just as well. It's not like he'd ever said it to me. Maybe he wasn't ready to hear it. And even if he was, on the phone didn't seem like the right way to say it for the first time.

Realizing I was mentally babbling, I rolled over and fell asleep, more relaxed than I'd been in weeks.

When I came down to breakfast the next morning, Uncle Louie was on the phone. He hung up as I was pouring my cereal.

"Gary says the car's fine. His best theory is that the fuel injector was jammed but he doesn't think it'll happen again. He's going to pick me up for work and I'll drive it home."

Aunt Theresa turned from the sink with a frown. "Well I won't be riding in that car again until you take it to a proper mechanic. Or, better yet, trade it for a newer car."

"What's wrong with Gary?" Uncle Louie asked, but I tuned them out.

I was in a great mood and I wasn't going to let one of their arguments ruin it. The Homecoming dance was tonight, and Bri had suggested Deb and I come to her place ahead of time so we could all do our hair and makeup together. And Rigel wanted to take me someplace special!

It turned out I didn't even need to mow the lawn--I checked it after breakfast and it had barely grown at all since last weekend. Not surprising since it was October now, but it still felt like a gift. Just like the Martian bad guys being history.

I briefly debated the wisdom of walking to taekwondo class like usual, but no one had suggested I shouldn't. Besides, if I asked for a ride or skipped it, Aunt Theresa would want to know why and I couldn't very well plead sickness if I wanted to go to the dance tonight.

So I headed out like always, reminding myself that the danger was over. Still, I couldn't help being just the tiniest bit nervous during the stretch along Opal, between Garnet and Diamond, when nobody was around.

I got to class without incident, though, and it turned out to be a really good session. Master Parker taught me the rest of my green belt form, Taeguk Sam Jang, and explained that the knife-hand strikes in it would be good for self defense, like most of the stuff in our forms. Then we spent some time sparring and doing back kicks on the bags, and I got complimented on my performance in both.

Walking home an hour later, I was really glad I'd gone. On top of the little high I always got from vigorous exercise, I was sure I'd burned enough calories to make up for whatever I might eat at the fancy dinner Rigel had hinted about. I didn't want to be one of those girls who turns up her nose at the dessert cart--was there any place in Jewel with a dessert cart?--because she's worried about her weight.

I neared the corner where I'd turn off Diamond onto Opal, just past Quilt World and Belinda's Books. Visions of slow dancing with Rigel filled my mind until I noticed a weird, homeless-looking guy heading my way. We didn't really have a homeless problem in Jewel, not like in Indy, but every now and then vagrants came through town looking for handouts.

I averted my gaze the way Aunt Theresa had always told me to, not wanting to draw the man's attention, but he came right toward me anyway, muttering something I couldn't understand. I slowed down, then moved off to the side, glancing around at the thin crowd of Saturday shoppers who all appeared far more affluent than I did.

Though the guy wasn't looking right at me, he kept stumbling in my direction, even when my direction changed. This was starting to feel not-random. I started walking faster, edging as far from him as I could, even stepping off the curb into the street, since no cars were coming at the moment, hoping to pass him quickly. As soon as I turned the corner, I was going to run, I decided.

But at the last second, he moved into the street too, blocking my path. I tried to dodge around him, but he reached for my arm, brushing my sleeve as I jerked away. I got a definite Martian vibe from him.

"Hey!" I exclaimed, fairly loudly. I didn't care now if I drew attention, and a few people stopped to see what was going on. "Leave me alone." Surely, if he was one of the bad Martians, he wouldn't want a crowd watching.

He didn't seem to care, though. He swung his hand up again--the same hand--and this time I noticed a silver glint in his palm. What the hell? This time, I managed to block him with my gym bag just before he contacted me, but he followed up quickly, not nearly as clumsy now. Clearly, that had been an act.

The man sidestepped my gym bag and came at me again, much more aggressively this time, that same arm outstretched. I felt a sudden certainty that if I let him touch me with whatever he had in his hand, it would be very bad. Remembering the defense move from my new form, I countered with a strong knife-hand block to his wrist, and saw the silver thing go flying from his hand to land with a tinkle in the gutter.

"No!" he shouted, glancing wildly into the gutter. Then, without warning, he lunged toward me, both hands aiming for my throat, his face distorted with insane fury.

If I hadn't just spent the last fifteen minutes of taekwondo practicing my back kick against the bags, I might never have thought to do what I did next. Taking a quick fix on my target, I turned away like I was going to run, then delivered a solid back kick right to the middle of his stomach. As I'd hoped, it caught him completely off guard and he went sprawling with a satisfying "oof."

Then I really did run, for all I was worth, completely ignoring the shouts and offers of help from the people who'd gathered to watch the bizarre spectacle. My only thought was to get well away and then call Rigel. As I sped around the corner, I risked a glance over my shoulder and saw the man just starting to struggle to his feet, a weird smile spreading across his scruffy face.

"Won't do you any good to run, Princess!" he shouted after me. "We're just going to keep coming!"

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