The Legend Thief (18 page)

That is quite the worst tuba playing I have ever heard," said Mr. Dibble.

Discordant noise wafted through the band room like acid in vapor, slowly eating away at Sky's ears; the fact that he was causing it didn't make it any less acidic. Mr. Dibble stood at Sky's shoulder, watching him strangle his tuba. But no matter how much Sky tightened his fingers, he couldn't seem to kill it. Ignoring Mr. Dibble's criticism, Sky continued pumping his fingers and blowing into the mouthpiece, his eyes fixed on the clock.

Once he'd committed, he couldn't think of a good excuse to back out.

"It sounds like an angry ostrich searching for its babies," Mr. Dibble continued. "What are we going to do with you, Sky?"

The bell rang and Sky sighed in relief as he began putting away his tuba.

"Sorry, Mr. Dibble," said Sky. ''I'll practice more. I've just been sort of busy lately."

"You're
always
busy," said Mr. Dibble. "How am I supposed to give you first seat at the homecoming game if you keep playing like that?"

"I don't know," said Sky.
"Maybe because I'm the only tuba player in Exile?
To be honest, I don't really care."

"Don't settle for mediocrity," Mr. Dibble retorted.

"I don't settle for it," said Sky. "It settles for me."

Mr. Dibble snorted and then gave Sky a disappointed shake of the head.

Sky put his tuba away with the other instruments. He had to get out of there. Fast. He'd wasted enough time. He needed to find Alexander's blade, not to mention that he had a riddle from a bird to solve.

"The janitor will transport the instruments to the field later," said Mr. Dibble. "Assuming, of course, the fool can remember where it is. Hopefully, we won't get a repeat of last year when he lost Eugene's trumpet and the school had to pay to replace it."

Sky stopped what he was doing. He felt a sudden surge of anger. "His name's Nikola," he growled, "and he's not a fool."

"Whose name is what?" Mr. Dibble asked, seemingly distracted as he sorted through a stack of sheet music.

"The janitor," Sky snapped. "His name is Nikola-don't make fun of him."

Mr. Dibble stopped what he was doing and examined Sky, a curious expression on his face. Then his lip curled in the slightest hint of a smirk.
"My apologies.
I didn't realize the two of you were on a first-name basis."

Sky snatched his backpack. "We are." He headed for the door. ''I'll be back this afternoon."

"Why? We're not meeting here-we're meeting on the field this evening before the game," said Mr. Dibble, looking confused.

Sky paused at the door. "Nikola
will need
help moving the instruments." And then he walked out, leaving behind a baffled Mr. Dibble. Sky knew it was stupid. Amidst all the horrible things happening around him, helping Nikola move a bunch of instruments was not the brightest idea. But once upon a time, when Sky was a baby and couldn't protect
himself ,
Nikola had guarded him, and lost everything as a result. Now it was time for Sky to return the favor, even if the best he could do was tell off a snarky teacher and move a few instruments. And if Bedlam's army showed up, or Morton finally decided the time was right to kill Sky, then so be it. Nikola had put his life on the line for Sky; how could Sky do any less?

Up ahead, Sky spotted Hannah talking to Derek by his locker.

"Have you seen T-Bone or Hands around?" Sky asked when he reached them. It was only after he asked that he noticed Hannah was frowning.

"Do I look like a member of the T-Bone and Hands fan club?" Hannah retorted.

"They have a fan club?" Sky asked.
"Always the last to know."

Derek stared at Sky, brows creased.

"Hey, Derek," said Sky.

"Sorry, do I know you?" said Derek.

Sky started to laugh, and then he realized that Derek was serious.

"
Oh ,
er
... that's not good," Sky opined. "No. It's not," said Hannah tartly.

"What are you two talking about?" Derek asked, looking
flustered .
"Do I have something in my eyebrows?"

Derek began weeding his thick blond eyebrows like a monkey looking for bugs.

"There's nothing in your eyebrows Derek," said Hannah. "They're as gorgeous as ever." She sighed.

"That's-that's good to know," Derek stumbled, sounding confused. "Sometimes, with the chlorine buildup in the
pool ,
and the cockroach problem ... little buggers can swim fast ... like ... like an arrow ..." Derek shook his head, lost in thought. "Well, I'd best be running along," he said cheerfully, .1s if he hadn't just rambled on about having cockroaches in his eyebrows.

Derek shut his locker, gave Hannah a winning smile, ignored Sky completely, and walked off down the hall.

"Why does he have to have such gorgeous eyebrows?" Hannah muttered, watching Derek leave, not looking at his eyebrows at all, as far as Sky could tell.

" Cockroach
eyebrows, in case you weren't listening. And they are quite large," said Sky. "Almost
too
large ... Are you certain he's human?"

"He doesn't even remember we were dating," Hannah muttered. She spun around and began walking in the opposite direction. Sky followed.

"He had the nerve to ask me out all over again. Can you believe that?" Hannah said, sounding affronted.

"Shocking," said Sky with feigned sympathy. "Of course, you did wipe his memory."

"I know," said Hannah wistfully. "He's forgotten last night and everything he ever knew about anyone at our house. He's forgotten our first kiss.
And our second one.
And the one under the bleachers-"

"I get the idea," Sky cut in. ''The fish-lipped cockroach boy has forgotten you."

"This is all
your fault,
you know," said Hannah accusingly. "If you hadn't dragged that corpse in ..."

"She's not a corpse," said Sky, "she's just life challenged. And I don't see how this is any fault. I couldn't just leave her there."

"You shouldn't have been there in the first place! What kind of person wanders a graveyard dragging corpses around on their birthday? Tell me!" Hannah exclaimed.

A few passing students glanced their way.

"Maybe we should talk about this at home," said Sky.

"My life used to be so
normal,"
said Hannah, hanging her head.
"Cheerleading practice.
Boys chasing me.
Now I've got creatures of the night chasing me, and none of them is the least bit attractive."

"Normal.
Right.
Well, maybe not all of us have that luxury," said Sky darkly.

"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Hannah, apparently catching his tone.

"Nothing," said Sky, regretting he'd said anything. Now wasn't the time for a heart-to-heart about his abnormality. "Just forget it. So have you seen T-Bone and Hands or not?"

"In the commons, talking to their
bros,
no doubt," said Hannah. "But the bell's about to ring-they'll be on their way to class by now."

"Since when do football players go to class?" Sky asked. "Good point," Hannah replied. "Of course, since when do you?"

"Touché.
Maybe I should try out for the football team." Hannah laughed. "Now
that
would be a disaster. It would be like Tick trying out for cheerleading, which, unlike football, is actually hard. Just try doubling down from a chin-chin at full extension. I'm
sorry-quarterback?
Honestly, how hard can it be? No offense."

"No offense? It's
all
offense when you're quarterback." Sky quipped.

Hannah gave a well-deserved groan. "Sorry, Sky-didn't mean to put you two rungs below a cheerleader in the pecking order. But that pun more than makes up for my insult. Is he still following us?"

"What? Who?" said Sky, looking around, suddenly
nervous.

"Tick," said Hannah.

Sky looked over his shoulder and spotted Tick skulking some distance behind them.

"T-BONE AND HANDS WENT TO THE LIBRARY!"
Tick yelled, drawing looks.
"THEY WANTED ME TO TELL YOU TO MEET THEM I N SPECIAL COLLECTIONS!"

"
Er
. Thanks!" Sky called back.

"I NEVER GO THERE!" Tick continued, yelling far louder than he needed to.
"TOO DARK!
AND I THINK THERE ARE SPIDERS! OR MAYBE DUST BUNNIES WITH LEGS! ARE THOSE DANGEROUS AT ALL,
DO
YOU THINK?"

"He's been following us since that last intersection," said Hannah, not bothering to keep her voice down. "He's always t1ying to carry my books and walk me to class! HE DOESN'T REALIZE HOW ANNOYING THAT IS!" she added loudly.

"I CAN'T
NOT
WALK YOU TO CLASS!"
Tick yelled back. "WE HAVE THE SAME CLASS AND THIS IS THE ONLY HALLWAY TO IT!”

Sky felt distinctly uncomfortable. Everyone was watching Tick and Hannah and whispering behind their notebooks. Sky wanted to bury his head. When presented with a choice between facing monsters or Hannah's social life, he'd take monsters any day.

"
Hmpf
," Hannah harrumphed.
"Likely story."

"Uh, I think this is where I take my leave," said Sky. "Oh. All right, then," said Hannah, sounding surprised. Sky fled up the hallway, speed walking.

"Let me know if you need a ride home later!" Hannah called after him.

"Lovely day, think I'll walk!" Sky yelled back, fearing her driving as much as her social life.

"But it's raining outside!" Hannah replied.

"Like the rain!
Cleans the pores!"
Sky retorted, quickening his pace.

"When it rains,
it
pours-it doesn't clean your pores!"

Hannah corrected.

"Good to know! Keep that in mind when I get dirty pores!" Sky yelled, finally turning the corner.

He glanced out a window as he shuffled past. Rain fell in sheets thick as curtains ... or maybe curtains thick as sheets. Either way, it was a lot of rain, and he'd just committed to helping Nikola move instruments later that afternoon.

"Perfect," he muttered.