The Bermudez Triangle by Maureen Johnson Page B
Authors: Maureen Johnson
host stand. He didn’t notice her at first because he was trying to assemble a little tower out of match-books and had already gotten up to the fifth level.
“Welcome to P.J. Mortimer’s, where our Irish eyes are always smiling!” he said, his head jerking up as Nina approached. He was a tall guy with a young, smooth face—he looked like he onlyhad to shave once or twice a week. Though his eyes were small and dark brown, they shone brightly.
“Can I talk with Mel and Avery?” she asked.
“Um … sure.” He looked around, as if checking to see if he could leave his post.
“I don’t want to bother you….”
“No,” he said, holding up his hand. “Hold on.”
He opened up a cabinet behind him, hit a button, then quickly closed it and spun around. There was a strange winding noise, like the cranking of an oversized jack-in-the-box, then a heavy, pounding drumbeat. After a minute, somewhere in the depths of the restaurant, a piano started playing some kind of Irish tune. Then there was a ripple of sound, like someone running their finger down the keys, and the music stopped.
“I know who you are,” he said, yelling slightly over the noise. “You’re on the council, right? You’re Nina.”
Nina didn’t want to yell, so she nodded back.
After a moment Avery came striding over. She wore a similar outfit, except her suspenders were laden with small pins, which Nina guessed were for various bands.
“What the hell?” Avery said angrily. “Nobody has a birthday.”
He smiled innocently and knotted his hands together in a prayerlike fashion, setting them primly on the host stand.
“I hit it by accident,” he said, straight-faced. “I was trying to get to the CD player. I thought it was skipping.”
“Liar. I
will
get you, Park.”
He nodded toward Nina. Avery turned around in surprise.
“Hey,” Avery said, “we were going to call….”
“We’re going out,” Nina said with enthusiasm. “My treat. You still off at nine?”
Normally the words
going out
and
my treat
practically caused Avery to break out in applause. Now she just pulled on her suspenders and gave a half smile.
“Yep. Only twenty minutes left,” she said.
“Can you tell Mel?” Nina asked. “I can wait here until you’re done.”
“Sure.”
Avery disappeared into the back, and the guy leaned over the stand.
“You’ve got very cool friends,” he said.
Nina couldn’t help but smile at that. It was true.
Mel came around a moment later and greeted Nina with a huge hug.
“This is Parker,” Mel said, indicating the guy at the stand. Parker nodded and waved, then seemed to notice something going on back where the tables were. He disappeared into the restaurant.
“Can we bring him?” Mel asked quietly.
“Who? That guy?”
“He’s off in a few minutes too,” Mel said, nodding.
Nina was about to say that this was their night and that she wanted to spend time with her best friends, but there was an eagerness in Mel’s eyes that told her there had to be a good reason for her to ask.
“Sure,” she replied. “Great. Bring him.”
Nina decided to wait outside for Mel, Avery, and Parker. Avery escaped first. She yanked off her green shirt to reveal a Ramones T-shirt underneath and pulled a pack of cigarettes from her apron pocket.
“I was hoping you’d quit,” Nina said, stepping back. “I thought smoking was just an experiment.”
“Those public service announcements don’t lie,” Avery said, lighting up. “It really is addictive. Don’t start.”
Nina looked through the front door to make sure the coast was clear, then she stepped a bit closer to Avery, trying to stay downwind of the smoke.
“What’s going on?” she asked.
“With what?”
“With Mel and that guy? Or is it you? I thought you said there was nothing.”
“Who, Parker?”
“Why did she ask him to come?”
“Oh …” Avery turned around and stared at the front door. “I didn’t know she asked him.”
“He’s
“Welcome to P.J. Mortimer’s, where our Irish eyes are always smiling!” he said, his head jerking up as Nina approached. He was a tall guy with a young, smooth face—he looked like he onlyhad to shave once or twice a week. Though his eyes were small and dark brown, they shone brightly.
“Can I talk with Mel and Avery?” she asked.
“Um … sure.” He looked around, as if checking to see if he could leave his post.
“I don’t want to bother you….”
“No,” he said, holding up his hand. “Hold on.”
He opened up a cabinet behind him, hit a button, then quickly closed it and spun around. There was a strange winding noise, like the cranking of an oversized jack-in-the-box, then a heavy, pounding drumbeat. After a minute, somewhere in the depths of the restaurant, a piano started playing some kind of Irish tune. Then there was a ripple of sound, like someone running their finger down the keys, and the music stopped.
“I know who you are,” he said, yelling slightly over the noise. “You’re on the council, right? You’re Nina.”
Nina didn’t want to yell, so she nodded back.
After a moment Avery came striding over. She wore a similar outfit, except her suspenders were laden with small pins, which Nina guessed were for various bands.
“What the hell?” Avery said angrily. “Nobody has a birthday.”
He smiled innocently and knotted his hands together in a prayerlike fashion, setting them primly on the host stand.
“I hit it by accident,” he said, straight-faced. “I was trying to get to the CD player. I thought it was skipping.”
“Liar. I
will
get you, Park.”
He nodded toward Nina. Avery turned around in surprise.
“Hey,” Avery said, “we were going to call….”
“We’re going out,” Nina said with enthusiasm. “My treat. You still off at nine?”
Normally the words
going out
and
my treat
practically caused Avery to break out in applause. Now she just pulled on her suspenders and gave a half smile.
“Yep. Only twenty minutes left,” she said.
“Can you tell Mel?” Nina asked. “I can wait here until you’re done.”
“Sure.”
Avery disappeared into the back, and the guy leaned over the stand.
“You’ve got very cool friends,” he said.
Nina couldn’t help but smile at that. It was true.
Mel came around a moment later and greeted Nina with a huge hug.
“This is Parker,” Mel said, indicating the guy at the stand. Parker nodded and waved, then seemed to notice something going on back where the tables were. He disappeared into the restaurant.
“Can we bring him?” Mel asked quietly.
“Who? That guy?”
“He’s off in a few minutes too,” Mel said, nodding.
Nina was about to say that this was their night and that she wanted to spend time with her best friends, but there was an eagerness in Mel’s eyes that told her there had to be a good reason for her to ask.
“Sure,” she replied. “Great. Bring him.”
Nina decided to wait outside for Mel, Avery, and Parker. Avery escaped first. She yanked off her green shirt to reveal a Ramones T-shirt underneath and pulled a pack of cigarettes from her apron pocket.
“I was hoping you’d quit,” Nina said, stepping back. “I thought smoking was just an experiment.”
“Those public service announcements don’t lie,” Avery said, lighting up. “It really is addictive. Don’t start.”
Nina looked through the front door to make sure the coast was clear, then she stepped a bit closer to Avery, trying to stay downwind of the smoke.
“What’s going on?” she asked.
“With what?”
“With Mel and that guy? Or is it you? I thought you said there was nothing.”
“Who, Parker?”
“Why did she ask him to come?”
“Oh …” Avery turned around and stared at the front door. “I didn’t know she asked him.”
“He’s