Take Me To Your Reader: An Otherworld Anthology (17 page)

"
I'll think about it," she said, her voice clipped.

I almost pursued it, but stopped short. Something in my host
's mind said she didn't intend to show and pressing the issue wouldn't change her mind. Human girls didn't simply show up to strange hotel rooms. Or at least, the smart ones didn't. And Becca was smart.

Instead, I gave her my best smile.
"Thank you for all your help. I hope I see you again," I said before following Dieben out.

Dieben was relentless. We sat at a small sidewalk table in front of the coffee shop while he baited me about Becca. First, trying to get me to admit I liked her. Then, when that didn't work, he went on about how hot she was, trying to make me jealous. I gulped coffee and tried to think of a way to shut him up.

"
I can't believe it took coming to Earth to get you to recognize hotness when you see it. Wait'll I tell the guys back home. They're going to—"

"
Do you think it's weird that we don't remember anything at all from last night?" I interrupted.

Dieben shrugged.
"Doesn't that happen to humans? They call it a hangover."

"
It just seems strange that it happened to both of us. I didn't think we consumed that much alcohol. And we broke into a Chinese restaurant? That's really stupid. We're supposed to be keeping a low profile."

Dieben seemed lost in thought and then said,
"My host has been known to do that sort of thing."

Of course he has.
"We need to find out if anything else happened," I said.

"
You think breaking into The Golden Noodle wasn't our only dumb idea?"

"
Bone went home with a human," I said.

"
Good point. I can call that Jane chick whose number I got. I have a feeling that's who got us a cab. I can see what she knows."

I
'd been thinking the same thing during Becca's story. "Yeah, do that."

Dieben pulled a small, black phone from his pocket and punched in the number. His expression lit as someone picked up.
"Hello, Jane? It's Dieben. We met last night …" He rose and wandered down the sidewalk while he talked.

I scanned faces, searching for Bone. The more time passed without him beside me, the more I worried. His hour was almost up. I cast a glance into the front window of The Golden Noodle. Becca stood behind the counter bent over a book of some kind. She seemed deep in concentration, her bottom lip stuck between her teeth. I stared at her mouth, remembering the warm feeling I got in my chest when she
'd smiled.

"
Axel, bro." I looked up at the sound of my name and found a red-haired teen approaching me from the other direction. I rose to meet Bone and he pulled me into a one-armed hug before swinging around to stand beside me. "Marn, this is Axel, my best friend. Axel, Marnie."

"
Nice to meet you." A willowy girl with purple hair and narrow-rimmed glasses wrinkled her brow at me. "So, he's from Panmera too?"

I whipped my head around to gawk at Bone.
"You told her?"

Bone grimaced.
"Yeah, it was an accident. Sorry."

"
An accident? Man, what the hell?"

"
I was drunk and—"

"
Wait, do you remember last night?" I asked.

"
Not much," Bone admitted.

Before Bone could elaborate, Dieben returned, sliding the phone back inside his pocket. Over Marnie
's head, our eyes met. Dieben's brows knitted and his mouth opened to say something. I nodded toward Marnie and then shook my head. Thankfully, he understood. "Bone, you made it back alive," he said, clapping Bone on the back as he rejoined the group.

"
Yeah, sorry we got separated," Bone said, looking mostly at me. I knew he felt bad about deserting me. Dieben, not so much. "Marnie took good care of me, though. Oh, and Becca. She was cool. Gave us a ride home and everything."

"
Yeah, Becca's real cool," Dieben said with a wink at me. I ignored him.

"
Dieben, this is Marnie. She and Becca are roommates," Bone said.

"
Marnie, nice to meet you." Dieben stuck his hand out in a human gesture of hello. A ritual I'd skipped due to my shock.

Marnie shook Dieben
's hand, her mouth open in awe. "I can't believe you guys are—" she paused, casting a quick look over her shoulder before adding, "aliens" in a loud whisper.

My shoulders went rigid as I searched the faces of those passing by, but none of them reacted to her words. Dieben retracted his hand from Marnie
's and then used it to smack Bone in the back of the head. "You told her? Idiot!"

For the second time today, Dieben and I were on the same page.

"Relax," Bone said, stepping to my other side—out of Dieben's reach. "She won't tell anyone. She promised."

"
I'm not going to give away your secret," Marnie assured us. "Pinky swear."

"
Pinky swear?" Dieben repeated, clearly having already worked out the meaning of her words. "That's how you seal your word here? With your smallest appendage? Great." He threw up his hands. "We're dead."

"
We're not dead," Bone insisted.

"
What did Jane say?" I asked.

"
In front of her?" Deiben jerked a thumb at Marnie.

"
Not like it matters now," I said.

"
Right."

Across the road, a police cruiser sped by and pulled to the curb in front of the Golden Nugget. The Asian man I
'd seen earlier—who I could only assume was Mr. Wu—came out, baggy pants now grease stained, and began talking animatedly to the officer as he got out of his car. I watched the pair of them while I listened to Dieben explain.

"
She said she remembers us," Dieben said slowly. There was something off in his tone. Something uncertain and guarded.

"
And?" I prompted.

"
She said we danced for a while. I bought her drinks. At the end of the night, she found out we didn't have a car or a ride home and she called us a cab."

"
That's it?" I asked. "Did she say if we …?" I paused to glance at Marnie. "If we told her anything?"

"
She didn't ask if I was from another planet, no," he said.

I sighed.
"Fine."

I checked on the scene across the street. The policeman had his pen poised just above his clipboard but was now paying close attention to Mr. Wu. A decided change from earlier. At that moment, Mr. Wu squinted across the street, eyes scanning the sidewalk, and pointed in our direction.

"We need to get off the street," I said without taking my eyes off the finger aimed at me. I was hyper-aware of the wrench still in my pocket. I couldn't take it out now but I knew, without a doubt, if I was caught with it, I was finished.

The policeman followed Mr. Wu
's outstretched finger, scanning the sidewalk where we stood. "Now," I added.

The others finally broke off from their conversation.
"Crap," Dieben muttered as he found the object of my attention. He took a step back. "Let's go," he said.

Marnie stared across the street, her expression transforming from blank to alarm.
"Uh, guys, Axel is right. We need to go NOW."

"
Who is that guy?" Bone asked.

"
Mr. Wu. He owns The Golden Noodle and I think he just spotted your friends," Marnie said, tugging him down the sidewalk.

"
The … Is that the place you broke into last night?" Bone's eyes widened. "I remember! You called me from inside. Said you came looking for Becca, but she was gone. Dieben, you said you couldn't remember ever feeling so hungry. So Axel here swiped a wrench and got you inside. You said you ate so many noodles …"

I stopped walking, listening to Bone
's recounting of the event. Maybe his explanation would trigger something and I could remember … but no, nothing. "I thought Jane put us in a cab home," I said, frowning.

Bone shook his head.
"She might've put you in a cab, but you came here. Said something about when you saw Becca, the world stopped, and you had to know her. Said you saw this place on her nametag. I tried to tell you she wasn't here but my battery died before I could. Sorry, dude."

When Bone got to the part about the planet failing to spin properly, Dieben hooted. I did my best to ignore him, more confused than anything else.
"If that's true, how did Dieben get Jane's number written on a scrap of menu from this place?"

Bone shrugged.
"No idea. Maybe she came with you?"

I shook my head.
"Becca said she saw Jane put us in a cab and paid the driver to take us home while she stayed behind."

"
Strange," Bone said.

Very.

Across the street, the cop tossed his clipboard on the hood of his car and started walking in our direction. A car honked. His gaze was drawn to an approaching vehicle and he halted abruptly.

Good. Let him deal with the angry drivers. But instead of darting back out of the way, the officer pulled a shiny metal badge free of its clip on his belt and held it up. The car slammed on its brakes and came to a stop. The policeman hurried across.

"Time to go," I said, motioning for the others to follow.

I picked up the pace, speed walking. Something in my host
's mind cautioned me against a full sprint. It would only draw attention. And maybe even alert pedestrians we should be stopped once they saw a policeman in pursuit. I hurried at the fastest walk this body could produce.

Bone was still oblivious to our pursuer.
"Hey, do you want to bring your food?" He pointed to our table where I'd set the paper bag.

"
No time," Marnie hissed, pulling him along. "Now, come on!"

"
What's the hurry?" he asked, stumbling when she yanked.

"
That," I said, pointing behind us. The uniform was on our side of the street now, eyes intent on the four of us.

"
Well, shit," Bone said, plucking the best word I could think of from his host's vocabulary. "Let's go."

"
Where?" Marnie asked.

"
The hotel. But only if we can lose him," I said, darting left then right again as I slid between pedestrians. Marnie, her hand locked on Bone's wrist, did the same. Up ahead, Dieben disappeared from view.

We were almost running now, weaving in and out of bodies, cutting people off. A few cursed under their breath. One tried to trip me but I managed to hop out of reach.

Somewhere behind us, I heard someone yell. The policeman was getting closer.

Where was Dieben? I couldn
't even see him anymore in the sea of heads bobbling in front of me.

"
We have to run," I said.

"
It will draw more attention," Marnie argued.

"
I know, but he's catching up." I skirted around a stroller and rejoined them.

Bone grabbed me, his eyes wide, his hair wild.
"This is bad, isn't it?" 

"
No, it's going to be—"

"
You there!" I heard from not far behind. "Stop!"

"
Split up," Marnie said, adjusting her grip on Bone's wrist. I opened my mouth to argue but she beat me to it. "Our hair is recognizable a mile out. Bone and I will lead them away. Where are you staying?"

"
The Imperial, but I can't leave him again."

She shook her head.
"I know the city like the back of my hand. Don't worry. Nothing will happen to him."

I hated that she was right. This stranger, this human girl, was our best shot.

"Three hours," I said. "The Imperial. Room Nine-Twenty."

"
Got it." She yanked Bone's hand and they jerked right, disappearing down a side street before I could say another word.

I was alone.

Behind me, the policeman yelled again. I didn't catch what he said and I didn't wait around to hear him repeat it.

I took off at a sprint, scanning for Dieben as I went. Hopefully he
'd already made for the hotel. At a run, he could almost be there by now. I didn't have that luxury. This man was too close. I couldn't lead him there. And I couldn't afford to get caught.

When I reached the intersection, instead of turning right toward my hotel, I ducked left. My shoulder caught on a handful of bags. They were knocked free of the grasp that held them and scattered behind me. A woman yelled. Footsteps pounded.