My Unfair Godmother(3)

“library.” I had to push away my sudden urge to spray paint an extra r in to correct the word. Or to add the comma the sentence needed.

You’re not supposed to edit graffiti.

Bo tapped the can in my hand with his own, clicking them together like he was making a toast. “Write something. It’ll feel good.” I stared at the wall. Hadn’t I wanted to be the rebellious type?

This was it. Rebellion. Danger. And it would feel good to let the mayor know people were upset, to mess up his building like he was messing up my life. I didn’t move though; I just gripped the can.

Steve walked over to us. “Hey, Bo, I bet you can’t hit that upper window.”

Bo leaned down and picked up one of the river rocks lying in the landscaping. “Ten bucks says I can.” 25/356

Breaking windows was worse than spray painting. You couldn’t fix windows by painting over them. “Don’t break it,” I said. “That’s serious.”

My comment caused a wave of laughter to go through the guys. A guy named Brandon, who had earring holes so big you could shoot marbles through them, nudged Bo. “Dude, you’ve gone serious on us.” Steve made kissy noises. “He’s a serious boyfriend.” Bo shrugged away from his friends. He didn’t like their ribbing, didn’t like that I’d spoken up. He shot me an aggravated look. “Loosen up and have some fun.”

Bo sized up the distance to the window, then flung the rock upward. It bounced off the wall and shot back to the ground. Brandon stepped out of the way and swore. “Are you trying to kill us?” Steve rubbed his thumb against his fingers and smirked at Bo.

“You owe me ten, man.”

Bo stretched his shoulders. “Stand back. I get more than one try.” I stepped away from Bo and the rest of them. My palms were sweaty against the spray can, and I couldn’t relax enough to stand in one place. Obviously, I wasn’t cut out to be the rebellious type, because I couldn’t do this. I didn’t know whether to try again to make Bo stop or walk away from the building and find my own way home. How upset would Bo be if I just left? He and his friends were doing this for me. For the libary. Maybe I was ungrateful to get upset with them.

Everything was happening so fast that I couldn’t sort it out in my mind. I needed advice, and the only one I could think to call was Nick.

“I’m going around the back of the building,” I said. None of the guys paid much attention to me since they were watching Bo pick up another rock.

He held it in his palm, testing its weight. “You do that, baby. You write a whole novel back there.”



26/356

I hurried to the back of the building. Another smack sounded against the wall. Bo’s friends snorted with laughter.

Bo said, “Hey, in baseball you get three strikes—that’s only two.” I took out my cell phone and dialed Nick’s phone one slow number at a time. I had just gotten the phone and hadn’t programmed the speed dial yet. I leaned against the wall while the phone rang. An angry crash sounded from the other side of the building. Apparently Bo’s aim wasn’t that bad after all.

“Perfect hit,” Bo said, his voice filled with strut and confidence.

“That was the wrong window,” Steve said. “You still owe me a ten.”

Nick picked up. “Hey, Tansy.”

“Bo and his friends are vandalizing city hall and I don’t know what to do.”

Nick paused. “They’re what?”

“They’re spray painting stuff and they broke a window.” Another crashing noise came from the other side of the building. “Make that two windows.”

Nick’s voice sounded incredulous. “On your date?”

“He’s doing it because he cares about me.”

“Sheesh, couldn’t you find a guy who would just give you flowers?”

I paced along the back side of the wall, not even caring that I could hardly see where I was going. “How do I make them stop?”

“Start walking toward our house and I’ll drive down and get you.”

“If I make a big deal about this, Bo will be angry. What if he breaks up with me?”

“And the downside of that would be?”

“I don’t want to be dumped.” My voice choked. “Bo is the only person in the world who cares about me.” 27/356

“Tansy!” I heard Bo yell, but I didn’t answer him. I didn’t know what to say to him yet.

Nick’s voice came over the line. “You know what Bo is doing is wrong or you wouldn’t have called me. You can’t go along with this.” I let out a whimper, but I knew he was right. I would have to tell the guys to stop.