The Bucket List

Chapter 9: Four robots

With silence.

I tried not to let out a long, very colorful string of curses at this man I had barely known for a couple minutes.

"I'm ready," I said, my voice not wavering at all.

He looked at me in surprise, and Kaleb gripped my arm tighter. "Alright. Kaleb, bring her next door in ten minutes. I'll be in my usual spot." After Arnold left (yes, his new name is Arnold), Kaleb grabbed my arm and pulled me into his bedroom.

Or would it be our bedroom? Huh, I'll have to ask him sometime.

"Jess! That was really dangerous! Do you know what that guy can do? He's super powerful. Like, seriously." He continued to rant about Arnold, but I blocked him out.

What can a short guy do to hurt me? It's not like he can punch me and it'll hurt.

"-his punches hurt like hell."

Well, he probably can't kick with those short and stocky legs of his.

"-and damn, his kicks will leave bruises if he hits the right place. I couldn't walk for days." I snickered. I couldn't imagine Arnold kicking Kaleb in his "man area".

It's not like he can force me into doing something for him.

"-he's the one that forced us to do this to you!"

Does this kid have, like, super powers? How in the world can he tell what I'm thinking?

"Okay, Kaleb. By the way, do you have super powers?"

He looked at me as if I was crazy. Which I was. And am. And always will be. And - ah, who am I kidding? I'm just plain loco.

"Super powers? Why would you think I had super powers?" He sounded genuinely confused, but there was also a hint of amusement in his eyes.

"Well, every time I would think something about Arnold, you'd answer it in your next sentence! Like, say what?" I said, trying to act really girly at the end.

He lifted a hand and put it on my forehead. Now it was my turn to be confused. "Uh, Kaleb? Are you okay?"

"I think I should be asking you that. I think you might be high from these crazy assumptions you have."

"Can you blame me? It was seriously creepy!"

He rolled his eyes. "You have some serious problems."

"Like a platypus spewing fire and farting rainbows then jumping off a cliff into the ocean?" I asked, going into deep thought about platypi. Why are they blue? Or are they green? Maybe both? Why are they part duck? And part beaver?

I need to make a trip to the library.

All of a sudden, the front door opened again. In walked Matt and Mr. Kidnapper'sdaddy.

Matt looked somewhat panicked. "Did he take her? We saw him walking down the street!"

He visibly relaxed when he saw me. "Oh, thank God."

Kaleb became serious. "He wants her there in," he paused, looking at his black, kidnappery watch. That's not even a word, but oh well. "six minutes." He finished.

Matt started panicking again. "Crap, we have to tell her so much! But then we'd get in trouble. But she'd be safe! But we all could get hurt." He continued, having an argument with himself.

I stifled a laugh, but stopped when I saw how serious Kaleb was being.

"Matt! Stop pacing around like a baboon looking for it's butt!" Kaleb said, even winking at me in the end. Geez, one joke of calling him a baboon's butt, huh?