The Key to the Golden Firebird by Maureen Johnson Page B

you?”
    â€œNo.”
    â€œOh,” Nell said casually. “Too bad. Why don’t you give me his number?”
    May cocked her head, unable to accept what she’d just heard. Nell carefully pulled one of the napkins from the dispenser, produced a pen from her pocket, and pushed them over to May. May stared at them.
    â€œYou just said there’s nothing between you guys,” Nell said. “Right?”
    May could only nod.
    â€œDoes he have a girlfriend?”
    This was something May had not asked Pete, but it seemed very clear that he didn’t. She shook her head.
    â€œSo…” Nell tapped the napkin.
    It was true. There was no reason May could give for not handing over the number—at least, not one that made sense. She couldn’t really say, “No, if you and Pete come together in any kind of romantic or sexual way, nature will rebel and the entire fabric of the universe will collapse. All will perish.”
    Nell was looking May right in the eye now. As calmly as possible, May wrote out a number she had known all her life. The first phone number she had ever learned, in fact, after her own.
    She pushed it over to Nell.
    Â 
    As May was wheeling the Brown Hornet across the front lawn a half hour later, a car came up directly behind her. It pulled up so quickly that May actually shrieked and put her hand up to her chest, damsel-in-distress style.
    â€œSorry,” Pete said, stepping out of his car. He was dressed all in black—black T-shirt, black jeans, black sneakers.
    â€œWere you at a ninja club meeting tonight?” she asked.
    â€œI ran the lights at a show. We have to wear all black.”
    â€œOh.”
    â€œI got home early. You should have called. I could have driven you home.”
    May almost cringed. If Pete had taken her home tonight, she would have been able to witness Nell asking him for hisnumber in person. That might have caused her to have a seizure.
    â€œI don’t mind riding,” May said. “It’s the only exercise I get.”
    â€œExercise is good.”
    The black outfit made Pete look thinner and taller than normal. They’d always been the same height when they were younger, then suddenly one day he was six feet tall (even taller with the hair) and she was half a foot down. It was weird to have to look up at him all the time.
    â€œMy mom asked me to bring something over, and I saw you go past on your bike a minute ago, so…”
    May eyed him skeptically as he went back to his car and pulled a shrink-wrapped case of dozens of ramen noodle packets out of the backseat.
    â€œThat’s a lot of ramen,” she said.
    â€œI know,” he said, looking at the package critically.
    â€œLet me just put my bike inside and I’ll take it.”
    May reached into her bag and pushed the remote control for the garage door. It squawked hideously as it rolled up on its track.
    â€œI think that thing needs a little oil,” Pete said, watching it rise. “Want me to do it?”
    â€œYou’re not our servant.”
    May ducked under and wheeled the bike into the darkness. Pete followed with the noodles.
    â€œYour friend called me,” he said.
    â€œDo you mean Nell?” May replied, trying to sound casual. “What did she say?”
    â€œShe kind of asked me out.”
    â€œKind of?”
    â€œWell, she did. She asked if I wanted to do something with her sometime.”
    â€œOh,” May said.
    â€œI wanted to see if you were okay with it.”
    â€œIf I’m okay with it? What does this have to do with me?”
    â€œWell, you know her.”
    â€œI work with her,” May clarified quickly.
    â€œI was just wondering what you thought. You don’t really seem to like her.”
    â€œDoes that matter?” May asked.
    â€œNo, but…”
    â€œWell, what did you say when she asked you?”
    â€œI said okay.”
    May shrugged, indicating that the matter