-------------
Chapter 29
-------------

Judy’s mom pulled up a seat with what strength she could. Judy watched, ready to jump up and help her mom if needed.

“I had no idea,” said Judy’s mom. “I mean, I knew you and the League were doing so many things together, often big things, but never this big, or this dangerous. Not even those aliens compare.”

Her feeble hands reached out to Judy.

“Stone, and the Arachne Regime? Are you sure?”

“Yes,” said Judy. “How do you know about Harvey Stone?”

“Oh, honey, my baby girl. You can’t be doing this. You already knocked on Death’s door one too many times already.”

“It’s not like I plan to play Ding Dong Ditch with the Grim Reaper, Mom. I just keep ending up in the right place at the wrong time. Being a hero never changed that.”

“I know. But, I’m your mother; I have every right to be concerned. I wish you wouldn’t get involved with anything concerning Arachne agents or Harvey Stone.”

“You still haven’t told me how you know about him. Everyone who was there at Siren’s that day was sworn to secrecy, and we can’t find the most of those people. Certainly not Swan Diva since she’s retired from being a hero. Then again, I often suspect she’s really Doctor Terrell.”

Color returned to her mother’s face by now. She yelped out a laugh, but it was drowned out by her tears.

“People don’t just appear out of the blue, Judy,” said her mom. “Stone existed before that day, and did his share of terrible things beforehand. Of that, you can be sure. It happened shortly after we moved here, that day you spoke of. It was a terrible day made bizarre by one man and his words. Hardly anyone could do more than listen. Hardly anyone could do more than watch.”

Judy said, “I saw him once, during the mass invasion a couple weeks ago. Just seeing him stand there was imposing.”

“You resisted his compulsion?”

“I’m not sure if I could have. Everything happened so fast. There was an explosion from the cannon he had his men fire, it knocked me back, and then he was gone.”

“Oh, no. Judy, if he’s really back in the world, then we need to leave. A man like him will be too dangerous for us to stay here.”

“I can’t just leave here, not now. I have friends, school, and a hero’s life. If we left, I’d have to commute just to do hero things. Given, I can probably make a round trip to Japan and back in a minute or less if I wanted to, but that’s not the point.”

“Please see things from my perspective. You’ve experienced the man yourself, and I can’t even begin to describe how dangerous he is, or what he might do. No sane person has ever been able to tell what he’ll do next.”

Judy put a hand on her mother’s.

“Then tell me. What do I need to know? How do we bring him down?”

“I-I can’t.” Judy’s mom flung herself at Judy and wept around her. “I hate running from things. I hate it. And I hate hiding.”

“We’re not going anywhere, Mom.”

[“Don’t give up on leaving here. I don’t ever want to lose you.”]

[“I’m not going anywhere, Mom. You don’t need to worry.”]

The next day, at school, was oddly refreshing.

In the main Art classroom, there was a substitute teacher wearing a classic Viking helmet. Judy knew him as one of the old guard heroes. The class quickly learned him to be a man who knew the lesson plan and how to teach it, but not how to draw or color anything to save his life. Either way, he was fun to watch, and Judy wanted to ditch her first period to be there with her best friend.

Science was livelier than usual because the teacher continuously made jokes and potshots at the idea of rodents predicting the weather. Barely anyone laughed along, but it was definitely a welcome change of pace.

The P.E. coaches announced dancing instructions for the month, each preferring a different style. However, Denise sneaked into the class with Judy rather than sticking with her own coach, and she called dibs on making Judy her dance partner before any of the boys could ask either girl.

Truth be told, Judy was not at all surprised or affected by this. So she went with it.

History and Math were no different from how they usually played out, so Judy acquiesced the role of that smart student with the missing homework answers. By now, however, she’d learned to hand over a copy of the paper showing only the work and not the answers, while her real math homework remained in her notebook until the teacher asked for it. She did not like having to copy her own work, but it was effective.

In English, the teacher announced that they were not reading the usual recommended play regarded as the best romance of all time, because he was of the opinion that it really, really wasn’t that great. So, instead, he told everyone to find a novel they hadn’t read that had a central theme of romance in it, even the “cheesy romance books” at the Library, and bring it to class by Thursday. Then the class could all read and do individual reports over the next couple weeks.

Note to self: don’t ask Denise for ideas.

While Judy and Denise walked to the parking lot, there was little chatter. There was nothing wrong, but nothing that needed to be said that moment.

Then a car honked, or rather a truck.

“Hey, kiddo!” called Patrick, waving to her.

“I wonder why he’s here?” said Denise.

“I don’t know,” Judy said. “If I’m not back in a minute, call a lawyer, and ask your folks the best way to dispose of a body. Be right back.”

She walked to her father, who was hanging out the side of his truck door. The plates were right for Paragon, but the back window had a sticker from North Carolina.

“Hello, Patrick,” said Judy. “What are you doing here?”

Patrick said, “Still not ready to call me Dad, yet, huh? Very well, I guess I’ll grant you that. Listen, your mom needed to see a doctor at the last minute. She told me it wasn’t anything too serious but she was going to be held up for the afternoon, and asked me to drive you if you needed a lift. Though, I see your friend there.”

He waved at Denise and her folks.

“She trusts you with our current address?” Judy asked.

“Barely. I’ve still got a long way to go before I can be trusted with a lot of things. That’s on me; I’ll admit it. So what do you say?”

“If I say yes, could you give me a ride to the Paragon Public Library? I need to get something for class.”

“That sounds fair.” He did look mildly disappointed.

“Let me go tell my friends what’s up then.”

Throughout much of the ride, Judy just looked out one window or another, maybe a little surprised that her father knew the way to the Library after being in Paragon for only a few months. She watched and saw, for the first leg of the journey, that Patrick was making the right turns. For a time, they were both silent, and Judy thought the silence might last the whole way.

But then Patrick said, “Do you follow sports at all?”

“Sorry, what?” said Judy.

“Sports, particularly basketball, do you follow them?”

“Not really. I don’t mind them, but they haven’t really been my thing.”

“Oh, I see. I always wanted a son I could talk to about all the big games, but I guess I missed that one.”

“Patrick . . .”

“No, now hold your horses. I have good reason to ask. See, I managed to get two tickets to a game on Friday. I know it’s short notice, but how would you feel about at least going to see it?”

“I don’t know.”

“Well, think about it. I actually used to take your mother to a few games before she was pregnant with you. But she’s already made it clear that she wasn’t ready to go to any more of them. I was hoping that maybe I could talk you into joining me for one.”

“I will think about it.” Really, she didn’t want to be rude by turning him down.

“Great. OK, we’re here.”

The truck pulled into the parking lot’s drop-off lane, and stopped. Judy grabbed her things and pulled the handle on a door that she swore was at least as old as she was.

“Have fun at the Library,” said Patrick.

Judy said, “Thanks, but I’m really only here to find a book for English class.”

“Right on. Valentine’s Day is coming up. Maybe you should pick up Romeo and Juliet. That’s always a good teen romance.”

“I’ve heard lately that it isn’t, but thanks.”

“What? Back in my day, that was a masterpiece.”

Judy closed the door and waved goodbye to her father before he could go on any sort of rant. Patrick lifted a hand and drove off.

She walked halfway up the short flight of stone steps leading to one of the Library’s entrances when she was greeted by a discomfort she hadn’t felt in some time. She actually forgot when or why the sensation had last come.

Luckily, there was an ice cream cart open outside the entrance, and they had chocolate covered bananas. Judy bought one, and sank her teeth into it.

Once again, all was right in the world.