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Dad is putting on his light raincoat. He’s told us he’s going to ride with three officers who are trying to nab some of the “professional” shoplifters who have been invading CVS and Walgreens.
“But, Nana,” Dad says. “Ali can do the dishes. The boy has unlimited amounts of energy. Just hand him the sponge.”
“Jannie also has unlimited energy. Tell her to lend a hand,” I say. My sweet patience and understanding for my sister was short-lived.
Dad leaves. And I—champion debater, hero, Wonder Boy—I plunge my hands into the hot greasy dishwater.
I’M UPSTAIRS INmy bedroom. And I guess I’m pretty calm. And I guess I’m pretty happy. But I’ve got to say that it’s a nervous calm, a nervous happy. I’m still buzzing from the debate.
(Duh. You think so, Ali?)
I know I could just pass out in a few minutes because I’m so tired, or I might still be so buzzed from the overwhelming day that I’ll still be awake to see the sunrise over our next-door neighbor’s garage.
I can’t really concentrate on homework. So I do just the stuff that absolutely must be turned in tomorrow. Then I spend about five minutes on my laptop with a video game. (Blasters of the Universe.I don’t recommend it.) Then, a really tiny chore: I’m not a real good clothes-folder, but I do my best folding job just to get those stupid khaki pants out of my sight.
Then… I’m asleep.
I don’t remember falling asleep. But when my cell phone rings and I open my eyes, I realize that I’m still wearing my jeans and T-shirt from earlier. The phone tells me the time: 1:25 a.m. I hear Gabe’s very excited voice.
“Hey, dude. There’s heavy police action just around the corner from you. 1411 U Street. I got the info.”
“Wait a minute, Gabe. Last night, you promised you were going to shut down the app after…”
“I did. I did. And I shut it down. Honest. But then I messed around and figured out a way to bring it back online without getting caught,” he says.
“What is wrong with you, dude? We could…”
“Not ‘we.’ Just me. I didn’t install it on your phone. So don’t worry. But it’s working great. That’s how I got this news about the scene on U Street.”
I do know exactly where that is. Incredible, really. And yes, it is just around the block from our house. I also know exactly why the address is so familiar. It’s where Bree and Dad’s friends, DeeDee and Randy Pearson, live.
“Listen, Ali. Here goes,” Gabe says. And before I can even stop him, he rattles off the details on his screen.
domestic violence.
male possibly armed.
proceed with caution.
Now I’m not as upset about Gabe’s bringing back the intercept system. I’m more worried about the fact that this report is about our friends the Pearsons.
I mean, get out of here. This can’t be true at all. Talk about nice folks, upstanding citizens. Mrs. P is a school nurse up near Georgetown. Mr. P is a physician’s assistant at Walter Reed hospital. No. Nothing wrong with the Pearsons. It’s got to be some folks visiting the Pearsons. Or maybe worse. Intruders. Burglars. Robbers. Something like that.
I gotta go. And anyway, I didn’t get the news onmyphone. Gabe called me. And he said the new system had been perfected. And these are our friends. And it’s around the corner. And I’ll get Gabe to kill the system right after this one time. And… and… and I know I’m grounded. But I’m on it.
Since I’m already dressed, I’m set to go, an expert at sneaking out of my house.
Nana’s door is closed. She must be sleeping. Dad and Bree’s door is closed, and I don’t think he’s even home from his shoplifting investigation.
It turns out there is one mouse stirring: Jannie. I pass her at the kitchen table, most likely working on her overdue psych paper.
“Where are you sneaking off to?” she says as I head for the door.
I’m pushing my feet into my sneaks.
“Shush,” I say. “I’ve got business.”
“I’m sure.”
