Page 198 of As The Shifter World Turns

“No, Dad. Mr. Tyler, my teacher, does this. He doesn’t want to decide what we’re doing so he does heads or tails and one of us calls it. The thing is, if you get picked no matter what you choose, someone is mad at you. I chose free reading over free drawing and Piper wouldn’t talk to me for a week the last time I had to do it.”

“Want me to take the burden?” Neil offered. “I’m cool with people being mad at me if it means we get pizza.”

I appreciated him taking the attention off of Toby and would be talking to my son about what happened at school. It sucked when kids are mean because they don’t get their own way.

“Heads or tails?” Daire asked Neil this time.

“Tails.”

We did end up ordering pizza and about twenty minutes later Neil, Daire, Archer, and I went back through the building to wait for it. We ordered far more than was necessary plus drinks and needed the extra hands. Toby stayed to play with Patch who finally woke up from his nap. The courtyard was great, but it also made it impossible to see the driveway.

“What was that?” Neil asked halfway down the hallway.

“What was—” I stopped in my tracks as something too big to be a mouse scurried by.

“Please tell me that was not a rat.” Neil came to my side. “I don’t like rats.”

“No one does.” Daire agreed. “But it was too large.” He followed the direction it had gone and we were only a few steps behind him.

“He’s behind this cabinet, I think. Help me move it.”

It took all four of us to budge the thing and as we got it loose, we saw why. It was glued panelling.

“Probably wanted to even out the wall.” Daire ducked down and looked at the missing piece, half of it still on the cabinet. “Safe to say it didn’t go back here.”

The critter, which we now could see was a squirrel, ran past again, Archer grabbed my shoulder, Neil jumped into my arms, and Daire went after the animal.

“Don’t piss off a squirrel,” I hollered to him.

“Just making sure he has a way out.” Or at least I thought that’s what he said, his voice traveling further and further away from us.

“Huh.” Neil kneeled down and picked up an envelope, an old one. “This was behind there.” He set it on the counter.

“Open it. It could be silver notes,” Toby said as he and Ryder appeared.

“We thought maybe you needed more help, but we assumed with pizza, not demolition.” Ryder teased.

“There was a squirrel.” Neil explained while explaining nothing at all.

“I read a book where they found silver notes. Open it.” Toby crossed the room.

“Huh.” He pulled a paper out. “It’s a map.”

“A map hidden in a wall?” Neil asked. “Who does that?”

“Pirates. It’s a treasure map. I knew I’d need my swords.”

“Probably just the kids of the previous owner.” Ryder took the map to look at it.

That wasn’t left by a kid. It was too well sealed. Interesting.

85

NOT EVERY CLOUD HAS A SILVER LINING

Neil

“You in here, Neil?”

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