“Of course I like it! It’s lovely. Can I help you carry it?”
“Why? Are we going somewhere?”
“I promised my friend in the library that we’d meet her for lunch. She has the bigger space, so I said we’d come there.”
“Any friend of yours is a friend of mine.” He reached for the basket. “I’ll carry this.”
They walked to the library in the center of the school.
Erin pulled on the library door handle. This time, it was unlocked.
They were expected.
Erin entered the darkened library and spotted Raya sitting at her desk, facing her computer with her back to the entrance.
Andy followed, hauling the oversized basket.
“Hey, Raya,” said Erin, hoping Raya remembered to refrain from calling Andy “Mr. New Hot Friend.”
Raya turned in her office chair, squinting into the intrusion of the outdoor light. She took off her glasses and polished them on her t-shirt, which read “Don’t Make Me Use My Librarian Voice.”
“Hey, you’re here,” said Raya. “Who’s that with you?”
“This is my friend Andy. He helped me move my classroom this morning.”
“Hi, Andy.” Raya stood up, still polishing her glasses, and approached Erin and Andy.
“I’m sure there’s enough for three,” said Andy, hefting the basket as if he were weighing it.
“I’m starving,” said Raya, sliding her glasses into place. She took one look at Andy and froze.
“Raya? Where should we put this?” asked Erin.
Raya backed up a step. “You’re not—” she stammered.
Andy’s eyes widened as he looked Raya up and down, from her black boots to her blue jeans to her librarian t-shirt, and then up to her bun pinned in place with the gnarled stick. “Wait a minute,” he said. “I can explain!”
Raya pulled the crystal-tipped stick out of her hair, unleashing a puff of frizzy curls. “Like Hell you can.” Her voice shook but her arm was steady as she pointed her hair accessory at Andy.
“Raya, why are you pointing your hair stick at my friend?”
“He’s not your friend,” said Raya.
“Let’s just all stay calm here—” said Andy.
“Put the basket down,” said Raya.
Andy opened the lid. “Look, it’s just sandwiches—”
“I said drop it, demon!”
Erin gasped. How could Raya know?
Andy slowly lowered the basket to the ground. He straightened and held his hands out, palms facing Raya. “Now, let’s not do anything rash—”
“Demon, be gone!” Raya shouted and flicked the stick down and out toward Andy, as if she were cracking a whip.
“Raya, no!” cried Erin. She had only enough time to catch the desperate expression on Andy’s face as he reached for her before he disappeared in a coruscating web of light.
