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Kaye thought about what Dave had said when they were in New York, about having some fun before he died. She felt awful. He wasn't thinking about getting an education.
"Go to school for what?" Corny asked.
Luis sighed. "It's going to sound dumb. I thought about being a librarian—like my ma—or a doctor.”
"I want to stop at my house," Kaye said loudly, interrupting them. "If you turn here, we're really close.”
"What?" Corny turned around in his seat. "You can't. We have to stick together.”
"I want to make sure my grandmother's okay and get some clothes.”
"That's stupid." Corny turned around farther in his seat to look back at her. "Besides, you're handcuffed to our prisoner.”
"I have the key. You can cuff her to yourself. Look, I'll meet you at your house after I get my stuff." She paused, fishing around in her pocket. "I need to feed my rats. They've been alone for days and I bet their water bottle is getting low.”
"You'll never feed them again if you get carried off by faeries!”
"And I don't wish to be left alone with two mortal boys," Ethine said softly. "If you won't let me free, then you are charged with my comfort.”
"Oh, please," Kaye said. "Corny's gay. You don't have to worry about—" She stopped as Corny glowered at her, and she sucked in her breath. He liked Luis. That was what all the glaring about the mozzarella sticks and the germs had been about.
"Sorry," she mouthed, but it only made him glare more. "Turn here," she said finally, and Luis turned.
"You misunderstand my concern," said Ethine, but Kaye ignored her.
"I know you want to check on your grandma and your mother." Corny's voice was low. "But even if your grandmother knows something about what's going on with your mom—which is a long shot—I really doubt you are going to like what you hear.”
"Look," Kaye said, and her voice was as soft as his, "I don't know what happens next. I don't know how we fix things. But I can't just disappear forever without saying good-bye.”
"Fine." He pointed for Luis. "Stop there." He looked at Kaye. "Be quick.”
They pulled up in front of Kaye's grandmother's house. She uncuffed her wrist, handed the key to Corny, and got out.
Luis cranked down the window. "We should wait for you.”
She shook her head. "I'll meet you guys at the trailer.”>Kaye slid into the booth, letting the familiar smell of brewed coffee wash over her. She didn't care that it stank of iron. This was the world she knew. It almost made her feel safe.
A cute Latino boy handed them their laminated menus and poured their water.
Luis drank it gratefully. "I'm starving. I pretty much finished all my protein bars yesterday.”
"Do you really have more power over us if we eat your food?" Corny asked Ethine.
"We do," Ethine said.
Luis gave her a dark look.
"So I—," Corny started, but then he opened his menu, hid his face, and didn't finish.
"It fades," Ethine said. "Eat something else. That helps.”
"I have to make a call," Kaye told Corny.
Corny leaned down to plug the cord into an outlet sitting underneath a painting of happy trees and a moose. He sat back up and handed the slim phone to Kaye. "As long as you don't jerk it out of the wall, you can use it while it's charging.”
She dialed her mother's number, but the phone just rang and rang. No voice mail. No answering machine. Ellen didn't believe in recorded messages that she would forget to check.
"Mom's not home," Kaye said. "We need a plan.”
