“We meant to throw them onto the patio in the garden down below,” the shorter of the two said.
The taller girl rolled her eyes. “Lame, huh? They bounced off the edge of your railing, which made them drop onto your balcony. Would have been cool if we’d meant to do it. Like a Tim bank shot.”
“Tim?” Nico asked.
“Duncan, dummy.”
“You’re the dummy,” the smaller one said, pushing the taller one. “More like Kareem.”
They must be sisters, Nico thought, smiling.
“You’re the dummy,” the taller one pushed back. “You’re also the shorty.”
The smaller girl stuck her tongue out at the other girl. “It’s not nice to call someone a dummy.”
“Sorry, lady,” the taller one said, looking down at Nico. “I shouldn’t have called you dummy just because you don’t know who Tim Duncan is.”
“I know who Tim Duncan is,” Nico said. “He played for the San Antonio Spurs. One of the greatest power forwards to ever play the game. He had a wicked bank shot and won five NBA championships.” She paused. “Although, I’d take Kareem’s skyhook bank shot over Duncan’s any day. He won six NBA championships.”
The smaller girl extended her spine and appeared to grow a couple of inches taller as she lifted her chin, grinning large at Nico.
The taller girl didn’t seem to object and appeared to be just as pleased.
“You know a lot about basketball,” she said.
“So do you. Look, I was just headed out. I’ll leave these at the front desk, and you and your parents can pick them up whenever you want.”
“Our parents aren’t here,” the shorter one said.
Some adult or family member must be up there with them.
“Well, whoever’s looking after you, then.”
The taller girl scoffed. “I’m seven, and I can look after myself. She’s five, and I can look after her.”
“Nuh-uh. I can look after myself too.”
The taller girl shrugged. “Fine,” she spat. “We can look after ourselves.”
“Why don’t I bring these up to you?”
They both nodded, smiling, eagerly waving their hands for her to come up.
Nico sighed. She was hungry. She needed to eat something. At this point, she’d settle for some cardboard as long as she could smother it in ketchup.
When she got to the room, she’d barely knocked once before the door swung open and the two girls were standing there. She made a move to hand them the toys, but they grabbed her wrists and pulled her inside.
The place was huge—much larger than her suite. To the left she could see what looked like a living or sitting room. To the right was a hallway, which must lead to the bedrooms.
“Um, don’t you have an adult staying with you?” Nico asked, looking around but seeing no one.
“Don’t need one,” the taller one said before clasping her palms to her cheeksHome Alonestyle and screaming.
Nico jumped. Had she seen a mouse?
“Is thatCalvin and Hobbes?” she shrieked, pointing at Nico’s sneakers.
The shorter one jumped up and down, running circles around Nico. “It is. It is. There’s Sally!”
