hiding in the deep rain forests, on mountains, or in underground burrows? The dinosaurs ruled the world for more than a hundred million years before we came along. Maybe there’s something out there that will knock us humans off our perch as king of the food chain.”
Zoe set down the shark tooth and picked up one Mr. Danvers had said was from a lion. It was bigger than her thumb and curved like a dagger. “I don’t like the sound of that,” she said.
“Don’t worry,” said Mr. Danvers. “We’ve got another million years or so before we have to worry about poodles and tabbies taking over.”
Zoe smiled. “Want to help me put these away?” Mr. Danvers asked, reaching for the jar he kept the teeth in. He put the empty jar in the middle of the table and began dropping handfuls of teeth inside.
Suddenly the plan Zoe had been thinking about evaporated. She didn’t want to steal from him after all. “Shouldn’t we be separating these by species or something?” she asked.
Mr. Danvers shrugged. “I like a little chaos. When things get all mixed together, sometimes you see things you would never have seen otherwise.”
Zoe nodded, wondering how she could ever have thought about ripping off someone as genuinely okay as Mr. Danvers. She dropped handfuls of animal teeth into the jar, mentally kissing her baby teeth good-bye.
A teacher Zoe didn’t recognize, an older woman wearing lipstick just a little too bright for her prim dress, came into the room. “Mr. Danvers,” she said. “The vice principal would like to see you.”
“Thank you, Ms. Messina,” he said. The woman nodded, giving Zoe a quick, inquiring glance before she left.
Mr. Danvers got up and took a sport coat that Zoe had never once seen him wear off a peg on the far side of the shelves. “Would you mind putting away the teeth for me? Just set the jar back on the shelf.”
“Sure,” said Zoe.
“Thanks,” said Mr. Danvers, and he left, giving her a quick smile before closing the door behind him. Zoe continued dropping teeth into the jar, but her mind was racing.
This is a sign, she thought. The universe wants me to take it.
Still, she dropped teeth into the jar. If she hadn’t already decided to be a good girl, to not steal and just give Emmett her own damned teeth like she’d promised, this wouldn’t be a problem.
What the hell does he want my tooth for, anyway? she wondered. The idea was bothering her more and more.
Zoe dropped the last of the teeth into the jar, hesitated, and then screwed the lid shut. Another second of hesitation, then she took the jar and set it on the shelf with Mr. Danvers’s other science specimens.
As she picked up her books, Zoe was again hit by the image of Emmett sitting quietly in his dark shop all night, waiting for her to bring him her tooth. She set down her books and took the jar from the shelf, going down on her knees behind the lab table. She twisted the lid, but it wouldn’t move.
She heard the door open. A voice filled the room. “Jim?” It was an adult. Another teacher’s voice. Whoever it was took a couple of more steps into the room. “Jim?” There was a pause. Zoe didn’t move. She held her breath, and from her crouched position, it felt like her heart was going to beat right out of her chest. A moment later, though, she heard an annoyed exhalation of breath and the teacher leave the room, closing the door behind.
Zoe let out her breath and sucked in air. Her hands were shaking. She tried the lid again, but it still wouldn’t move. She tapped the top of the jar on the floor a couple of times and tried again. This time the lid twisted off easily. She dumped the teeth on the floor and sifted through them quickly. In the jumbled mess she couldn’t find the one she wanted. Then she wondered how long she’d been looking and when Mr. Danvers would get back. Panicked, she started scooping teeth back into the jar. When she picked up the last handful, there it was: one perfect human-looking chimp tooth. She pocketed it, screwed the lid back on the jar, and left the room as quickly and quietly as she could.
Absynthe was coming down the hallway, hiding an unlit cigarette cupped in her hand. She looked surprised, then put her hand over her mouth, her eyes widening in amusement. “Outside,” she said. Caught off guard by the order, Zoe followed her.
Absynthe led Zoe around a corner of the school and into a cul-de-sac under a set of rusted, cobweb-covered emergency stairs that looked like they couldn’t support even one of the skinny fashionista girls, much less a bunch of panicked students.
Absynthe held out the pack and offered Zoe a cigarette. Zoe shook her head. “No thanks. I quit,” she said. She had to cut herself off. She almost said,
Absynthe put her hand on Zoe’s shoulder. “Please tell me the guy you’re sneaking off to see isn’t Mr. Danvers.”
Zoe stared at her for a second. “What? No!”
Absynthe gave her an appraising look. “So, what were you doing in there? Checking your grades?”
“Yeah.”
“Liar,” Absynthe said, more amused than accusing.
Zoe leaned back against the wall. “The guy I’m going to see. It isn’t what you think. It’s more complicated. I don’t know exactly how to explain it.”
Absynthe lit the cigarette and nodded. “I get it. An older guy, right? Yeah, I’ve been there. Watch your back. Those college boys can turn weird on you.”
Zoe almost laughed. An older guy. You’re right about that, she thought. But if you only knew the rest.
“I’m a little mixed up about some of what’s going on right now,” she said. “When I work this out, maybe I’ll tell you all about it. Okay?” She looked up at Absynthe and the girl’s face was more serious than Zoe had expected. “I’m going to have to tell someone and my mom is totally out of the question.”
Absynthe nodded. “Moms are like that. First they kill you with kindness, and then they ground your ass.” She nodded to the nearby exit. “Run off to your secret rendezvous that’s not what I think. But remember that when you’re done you owe me a story.”
“Deal,” said Zoe.
Absynthe gave Zoe the appraising look again. “You know,” she said, “you’re cuter than I think you want to be. I was considering luring you out here and kissing you, but it seems like maybe you have enough going on right now.”
Zoe blinked at the girl a couple of times. “Oh. Yeah. I think I do.”
Absynthe smiled. “Don’t worry. You’re safe. For now.”
“Uh. Okay,” Zoe said, trying not to look as surprised and confused as she felt.
“Go see your sugar daddy,” said Absynthe, waving her hand toward the street.
Zoe started back along the cul-de-sac. Halfway down she spun on her heels. Absynthe was puffing away on her cigarette and looking at her. “Wait a minute,” Zoe said. “Older guys turn weird? And now you want to kiss me? I think you owe me a story, too.”
Absynthe laughed. “Deal.”
Five
The day was hot and bright. Zoe walked to Emmett’s on autopilot, not paying attention to where she was going, knowing her feet would find the way. Her mouth was dry and her pulse pounded in her temples.
Then, as always-as if the store found her instead of her finding the store-she was there. She pushed her way inside, welcoming the sensation of being swallowed by the cool darkness.
When her eyes adjusted to the light, she spotted Emmett near the back of the store. He had piles of LPs stacked on top of the record bins and was sorting them into their proper slots.
“You came back,” he said conversationally, not looking up from his work.
“Sure. Why wouldn’t I?”
Emmett pulled one of the white record dividers toward him, then hefted a pile of battered old Johnny Cash
