say 'Suit yourself.'

That's when I saw that he was holding his right arm awkwardly. It hadn't dawned on me that he would still have his injury as a human and I felt guilty for not asking if he was okay. What if he hurt himself even worse trying to fight? Alarmed, I searched for something to use as a sling. The only thing I could come up with was a plastic table cover bearing the words "Ledyard High School Yuletide Ball 2008."

I ripped a good sized amount off of it and tapped Danny on the shoulder. He turned around, and I wrapped his arm as quickly and tightly as I could. He started to ask me what I was doing, but I cut him off and quoted, "I don't want you getting hurt." I heard him chuckle and murmur, "How sweet," as he turned his back towards me. Smiling inwardly, I got a good grip on my bat. There was no possible way that I would let myself be unprepared when these Rat people came.

Ironically, just as I thought that, Danny said, "So, Clara, what's your last name? Mine's Krest, just to clear that up." At first I was startled that he knew my name, but then I remembered that Herriett had said it while he was still an "inanimate" object. "Uh, it's Von Landen," I stammered, unsure of what to think of him. First he'd been nice, then he started snapping, and now he was trying to work up small talk. Mood swings all around.

"How old are you," was his next question. I sighed and blew my hair out of my face. "I'm a junior," I muttered. He stood up straight and with unprecedented pride said, "Yeah? I'm a senior." My mouth fell open. "No way! You're older than I am?!" He chuckled and clarified, "I said I was a senior, not that I was seventeen. I skipped the sixth grade." I blushed and looked away. "I almost flunked out of the sixth grade," I admitted quietly. His back shook with silent laughter and he tried to compose himself by covering