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“You should drive more carefully,” Sazuki scolds him in a voice that sounds like death come alive.
“It’s not his fault,” I mutter. “It’s mine. I should have kept a better eye on Niko.”
Sazuki’s gaze returns to me and tightens in alarm.
Niko looks equally shaken. “You’re bleeding,” she signs.
“It’s okay.” I shake my head. The skin on my thigh is burning. It serves me right for wearing a mini skirt while pretending to be Superman. “I’m okay.”
“No, you’re not,” Yaya signs.
“I’ll take her to the hospital,” Sazuki says to my sister.
“No need. Really, Sazuki.”
He gives me a scolding look. “You’re hurt.”
His tone would rub me the wrong way if I didn’t hear the worry running right beneath it.
Yaya chews on her bottom lip. She signs, “You could have died.”
The driver’s eyes bug. He starts backing away. “Y-you heard her. It was her fault the kid went darting into the street. Not mine!”
After saying his piece, he jumps into the car and takes off.
Sazuki’s eyes zip to the license plate before he returns the weight of his intensity to me. “Let’s get out of the middle of the road before another car comes.”
“Good idea,” I whisper.
Yaya guides my arm around her shoulder and leads me to the sidewalk.
The moment Sazuki sets Niko down, she flings herself at me. Tears sail down her tawny brown cheeks.
“It’s okay.” I soothe her arm. “I’m fine. Really. I’m just a little banged up.”
Niko is still shaking and looking guilty.
I grin over at her and whisper, “You know what would make me feel better?”
With her face upturned and her eyes full of hope, she’s wringing out my heart like my mother would twist a dish rag.
“If we could all go for ice cream.”
“Ice cream?” Sazuki hisses. “You need to go to a hospital, Dejonae.”
I frown at the bossy tone. “I told you. I’m fine.”
“Your knees are bleeding.”
I fight back a hiss of pain and start dusting off my knees. Yaya sees what I’m doing, dives into her purse and hands me a wet wipe. I clean off quickly and show Sazuki my legs.
“See, doctor? No need for surgery.” Using my hands this time, I sign, “Can we please get ice cream now?”
He scowls at me.
I drag Niko by my side and look up at him, batting my eyelashes. Together, Niko and I push out our bottom lips and give our best ‘puppy dog’ faces. Yaya smirks when she sees what I’m doing and joins us.
Sazuki gives in reluctantly. Niko celebrates by hopping up and down. I smile at her, glad to see the smile return to her face.
