Page 94 of Run Away Home: Tempered

“That’s his hat!”

“Why is he beaming people with laser vision?”

“It’s a modern take on the Battle of Gettysburg! Don’t you have any imagination?”

“I guess not. Is your teacher going to be okay with this?”

“He appreciates true art.”

“Okay. Sure.”

“History is kinda cool. Lincoln was a bad ass.”

“Well, I’m glad you’re enjoying something at school.”

Hayley walks down the hallway with headphones in her ears. She plops down on the couch, opens a magazine, and starts playing the drums on her lap. I wonder what song she’s listening to. I can’t tell by her drumming because she has crappy rhythm.

“Danny, go put your diorama in your room,” Peter says.

“I want to show it to Hayley.”

“What? Why? No. Go put it in your room.”

“Because she said that my diorama was going to look like a big freaking turd no matter what crafting supplies I had. I want to show her how good it is.” I pick it back up.

“It doesn’t look like a turd. Let’s go.” He pushes me down the hall.

“What’s the rush?”

We walk into my room together. I put the diorama on my bed. He closes the door behind us.

“If you see Tristian—you know, Nintendo tattoos? If you see him while I am at workever again, you text me right away. No, you call me right away! As soon as you see him, you dial my number.”

“Or I could just beat the crap out of him and call it a day.”

“NO! DON’T EVEN JOKE ABOUT THAT! Do not go near him. Do not sayanything to him. Go directly to your room. Lock the door. Call me ASAP. Do you hear me?”

“All right, all right! I’ll go into my room and call you.” I flop backward on my bed and put my diorama on my chest. I shake it and watch Lincoln fly around like a crazy guy.

“Good. I have to go to work, and I’m scared out of my mind.”

“Why?” I look away from Lincoln.

“I need you to be safe. I need to know that he’s not here, but if he does come, I need to know that you’ll do exactly what I tell you. I don’t know him very well, but I do know he’s not a good person.”

“Stop worrying. I’ll do exactly what you said. Okay?” I go back to rocking Lincoln’s world.

“Thank you.” He takes a deep breath. “Have a good night. Do your homework. Dinner is in the fridge. Just stick the entire tray in the oven at three seventy-five for thirty-five minutes. No projects due tomorrow that I need to know about, right?”

“No, just some dumb essay on some dumb book that I’m almost done with.”

“You actually started your essay ahead of time? That’s great!”

“What? I meant I’m almost done with the book. I haven’t started the essay yet.”

He doesn’t say anything to me. He just walks out of my room. I guess Hayley has to drive him to work now.

Chapter Sixteen

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