The Glass Wall (Return of the Ancients Book 1) Read Free Page B

to watch Glee and not knowing what else to do, I went to my room.

 
    Chapter Two - A Weird Coincidence or Two
     
     
    I woke up with the sun in my eyes and squinted at the clock.
    It was almost noon.
    Surprised that Betty let me sleep in so late, I hurriedly fed Jerry and got ready. Before I left, I kissed him on the nose and promised that I’d take him outside to get some fresh air later.
    “Good afternoon!” Betty called out cheerfully as I entered the living room. “Sleep well? Help yourself to some cereal before we go shopping. School starts tomorrow for you, you know.”
    I knew that. It was already several months into the school year.
    I helped myself to some cereal and looked through the kitchen window.
    Grace and Al were waxing the truck again, so I leaned forward to peer across the street. As I expected, Rafael was in his front yard. He was speaking to the little old lady next door, who was standing amidst her collection of lawn ornaments.
    Something cold touched my knee and I yelped, almost dropping my breakfast.
    It was Tigger’s wet nose.
    The hound dog stared at my generic cornflakes with his droopy eyes.
    “Don’t feed him, honey,” Betty said, coming into the kitchen. “He has a heart condition. He’s on a diet.”
    Looking at the rolls of fat on his stomach, I felt like telling her it wasn’t working, but decided against it. I wasn’t sure she’d appreciate the comment.
    It wasn’t long before Betty grabbed her purse and escorted me outside.
    Rafael had disappeared and Al was across the street speaking to the Lawn Ornament Lady. She was wearing a purple housecoat and her eyeglasses looked like coke bottles. Spying us, he wrapped up his conversation with her and walked back to our house as she waved and disappeared into hers.
    “Mrs. Patton says they’re from Norway,” he told us as he marched up the driveway, “or maybe South Africa.”
    “Ah, that makes sense,” Betty nodded.
    I frowned. It made no sense at all. “You girls have fun,” Al said as he opened the truck door for his wife. “I’ve got to get the equipment ready.”
    Grace decided to stay home, leaving me alone with Betty. I supposed this meant I’d hear the “Rules Of The House” speech and settled back in the truck seat, waiting for it to start.
    Instead, Betty flipped on the radio.
    A song by my new favorite singer Jareth began to play.
    “Ah, you like Jareth?” Betty smiled, somehow sensing my interest.
    I nodded.
    “Grace likes him too. He’s coming to Seattle next March,” she said. “I’ll see if we can get tickets.”
    In spite of myself, I smiled a little, but I didn’t get too excited. I’d heard many promises in my life. Few had ever materialized.
    To my surprise, Betty didn’t give me any speeches the entire day. Instead, she drove me to a big department store and bought me a pile of jeans, sweaters, socks, and underwear. I even got a new pair of shoes and a basket of school supplies.
    When her back was turned, I shoplifted some hamster food for Jerry and stuffed it into my bag. I was tempted to take one of the hamster wheels as well, but it was too big and I didn’t want to risk getting caught.
    I experienced the usual twinge of conscience, but I brushed it away.
    After all, the universe owed me and if the universe didn’t owe me, the government certainly did. I wasn’t quite sure how, but I figured it tied in there somehow. Besides, big companies expect to lose a certain percentage of their merchandise to theft. I read that they even write it off their taxes, so they don’t really lose out. I never took anything from the smaller stores, from the places struggling to survive.
    “Sydney?” Betty’s voice broke into my thoughts.
    I jerked, a little guiltily.
    “Are you alright, honey?”
    “Yeah, I’m fine,” I snapped. I sent her a dark glare as a warning not to pry further.
    She just smiled.
    I clutched the hamster food in my bag tightly.
    We were driving along another lake, ringed by