“Well, that doesn’t sound too bad,” Agnes said. She brushed her wild gray hair out of her face. “Sounds like you just had a good time with a little alcohol. Pretty normal for a young woman your age.”
“Oh, it’s gets worse.”
Claire had to cover her face to mask her laughter.
“I started making out with a scarecrow, you know, like one of those Halloween decorations,” Tabby continues. The ice cream shop got very quiet.
“Like a real scarecrow?” Maria asked, trying to hold back laughter.
Tabby nodded slowly. "Is there such a thing as a fake one? Connie Boardman got it on video tape…"
“How did that happen?” Salem said. “You poor girl.”
“Simple answer: alcohol…and the fact that I apparently have a thing for scarecrows."
That did it. No one could hold back their laughter. They all erupted. Sherlock even joined in, tearing himself away from licking the garbage can and the floor long enough to chortle inside of Maria’s head.
“Yeah, yeah, laugh it up. I’m never touching booze again,” Tabby said.
“You should take that story to all the high school health classes around the country. It would be a major deterrent to drinking,” Maria said.
“That’s what I said!” Claire added. “But could you imagine a bunch of high schoolers listening to that? They’d laugh harder than we did.”
Maria nodded. “Yeah, maybe scratch that idea, Tab. But seriously, we need to get you to a hospital.”
“Can’t you just magic my pain away?” she asked.
Salem chuckled. “I might have some Percocet back in the office from when I got my hip surgery.”
“Drugs, Salem,” Agnes said. “Drugs.”
“Right.”
“I’ll be fine. It’s not too bad,” Tabby said, rubbing the wound. “I’ll just tell my mom I fell or something.”
Yeah, like she’ll believe that,” Claire said. “Your mom’s never believed anything. Come on, I’m driving you to the hospital,” Claire put her foot down and then placed her hands on her hips. There was no denying Claire when she was like that.
“Fine,” Tabby finally said, sighing. “But don’t mention anything about the huge spiders. I don’t want to end up in the psych ward like my cousin in New Mexico.”
“You have a cousin in the psych ward?” Maria asked.
“Long story,” Tabby replied.
Maria nodded. “I see. Right, let’s go to the hospital.”
“Uh-uh, girlfriend,” Claire said. “You got worlds to save. Go find that Gnome and make him spill the beans.”
Did someone say ‘beans’? Sherlock asked, his head up and eyes wide.
“No beans for you, Sherlock,” Maria said.
Aww.
“We’ll be fine,” Claire continued. “If we get into any trouble, I always have my Kia to run things over with.”
This got a laugh from the crowd at Salem’s. Maria found herself wondering where the Muffler twins were.
Just as Claire and Tabby were heading out the door, Maria looked up and saw someone walking down the sidewalk, on the shop’s side. Her heart skipped a beat. Who would be walking down the street at this ungodly hour? It could only be an undesirable, she knew that for sure. Maybe a servant of the Arachnids somehow notified by the ones that got away in Oriceran? She rested her hand on the hilt of her sword, preparing for another fight.
Gramps saw her, then saw where she was looking through the now-fixed show window, and shook his head. She saw it, and let her hand drop away from the sword. Why? she was about to ask, but then the figure walked under a streetlamp, and that tall, muscular body was unmistakable.
“Joe?” Maria said, her voice breaking. This is crazy. How did he know I would be here? I’m not supposed to be here. I’m supposed to be in Oriceran, finding a Gnome and uncovering the secrets to the world in between so I can save the lost villagers—the lost villagers that are, in some way, my family.
Joe saw her through the plate-glass window. He was holding something in his hand, but Maria couldn’t make it out. Now everyone turned to see what Maria was looking at.
“Oh, no,” Salem sighed. “Gonna have to tell the poor chap that we’re closed. Doesn’t he know what time it is?”
“That’s not a customer,” Claire said, “though he is looking for something sweet.” She winked in Maria’s direction. Maria did her best to ignore it.
She ran out the front door, causing the bell to chime above her.
“Joe!” she said.
“There you are! I looked everywhere for you. I was…kind of worried. I know, I know, that sounds creepy; I stopped by your house because you forgot this at the mall and I figured you wouldn’t be coming back, with what happened with Ted and all…”
He pulled a change purse from his pocket. It had an Aztec design on it. Yep, that’s mine, all right. Joe was right, too—she would’ve never gone back to the Popcorn Palace to get it, mostly because it was just a change purse, and it only had about fifty-eight cents in it.
“Thank you,” Maria said, taking the purse back. “I suppose a tip is in order?” Her tone was playful enough, but Joe hadn’t caught it. He looked at her confusedly.
“Just joking,” Maria said. She shook the purse. The coins jingled. “Not much in there for a tip.” She gave him a weak smile. God, I’m ruining it. He’s obviously just looking for an excuse to see me,
