Read Online No Safety in Numbers by Dayna Lorentz - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Dayna Lorentz
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medicine, Nani?” Shay asked, kneeling beside her grandmother.
Nani waved a hand at Shay. “Go, my love,” she said. “I am fine here with my puzzle.” She looked at Shay, pressed her palm to Shay’s cheek, then went back to the Sudoku. Even just that quick glance at Nani’s face revealed that Nani was anything but fine.
Preeti stood in the line for the Ferris wheel. She was giggling with some other girls who looked about her age. Shay wanted to scream at them. How could they be laughing when there was a freaking bomb in the basement? But they didn’t know about the bomb.
Thank god
—Shay could not deal with a shrieking mob of panicked fifth-grade girls.
“We are going for a walk,” Shay said, grabbing her sister by the shirtsleeve.
Preeti tugged the fabric from Shay’s fist. “No way,” she said. “We’re going to ride up to the top and then drop popcorn on the boys when they’re at the bottom.” She pointed to a gang of short, scruffy boys near the front of the line.
“No, you’re not,” Shay said, grabbing Preeti’s arm.
“They did it first!” Preeti cried, wriggling out of Shay’s grasp once again.
Shay ran her fingers through her hair. It felt greasy—she must look disgusting. “Fine,” she said, sighing for emphasis. “You can ride one more time, then I need to go to the pharmacy.”
“So go,” Preeti said. “I’ll stay here.”
“Nani told me to take you with me, so you’re coming.” Shay gave Preeti her best
I’m not negotiating any further
glare.
Preeti rolled her eyes. “Fine.”
“I’m going to the bathroom,” Shay said, turning. “When I come out, you’d better be ready.”
After one night, the bathrooms adjoining the food court were an unholy mess. Crumpled paper towels overflowed from the garbage bin, and the dispenser was empty. A woman had her shirt off and was splashing water under her arms, then drying her pits with the air dryer. Another woman stepped gingerly out of a stall.
“There’s no TP,” she said. “And I think that one’s broken.” She pulled a tissue from her pocket and blew her nose loudly.
Shay thanked the woman for the tip and splashed water on her face. Looking up, she realized too late how badan idea it had been to stand in front of a mirror. Her hair hung limp around her face. Her skin looked dull. She dared not smell her breath.
Preeti burst into the bathroom. “We’re on the news!” she squealed, as if this were a good thing. “Not local, national! Fox has a little screen blurb and everything!” She ran back out.
Shay stared at her reflection for a few more seconds, a haggard face in horrific fluorescent lighting, then wiped her skin with her sleeve and prepared for the hysteria that was about to ensue.
But there was no hysteria. People crowded around the TVs in the window of the Silver Screen store calmly viewing their private nightmare like it was happening to someone else. Fox had no new information, not even news of the bomb. The newscaster just restated what the local stations had said last night. “We’ve learned that a security situation has led the authorities to shut down a mall in Westchester County, New York. The exact nature of the security problem has not been released, but we have learned that services have been provided to people in the mall. We will update you as we receive new information.”
The only change was that Fox had a helicopter and it showed live coverage of the mall as it circled. Shay heard the telltale chopping and looked up to see the thing pass overhead. It was surreal to see your own life on TV. To be a news story. Especially when you had more information than the people on the news.
Once the program broke for commercials, people in the food court huddled around their tables—groups had pushed tables together to form little camps—and whispered.Some people began to cry. Most looked around, suddenly suspicious again of everyone else.
Shay grabbed Preeti from where she stood with her
Nani waved a hand at Shay. “Go, my love,” she said. “I am fine here with my puzzle.” She looked at Shay, pressed her palm to Shay’s cheek, then went back to the Sudoku. Even just that quick glance at Nani’s face revealed that Nani was anything but fine.
Preeti stood in the line for the Ferris wheel. She was giggling with some other girls who looked about her age. Shay wanted to scream at them. How could they be laughing when there was a freaking bomb in the basement? But they didn’t know about the bomb.
Thank god
—Shay could not deal with a shrieking mob of panicked fifth-grade girls.
“We are going for a walk,” Shay said, grabbing her sister by the shirtsleeve.
Preeti tugged the fabric from Shay’s fist. “No way,” she said. “We’re going to ride up to the top and then drop popcorn on the boys when they’re at the bottom.” She pointed to a gang of short, scruffy boys near the front of the line.
“No, you’re not,” Shay said, grabbing Preeti’s arm.
“They did it first!” Preeti cried, wriggling out of Shay’s grasp once again.
Shay ran her fingers through her hair. It felt greasy—she must look disgusting. “Fine,” she said, sighing for emphasis. “You can ride one more time, then I need to go to the pharmacy.”
“So go,” Preeti said. “I’ll stay here.”
“Nani told me to take you with me, so you’re coming.” Shay gave Preeti her best
I’m not negotiating any further
glare.
Preeti rolled her eyes. “Fine.”
“I’m going to the bathroom,” Shay said, turning. “When I come out, you’d better be ready.”
After one night, the bathrooms adjoining the food court were an unholy mess. Crumpled paper towels overflowed from the garbage bin, and the dispenser was empty. A woman had her shirt off and was splashing water under her arms, then drying her pits with the air dryer. Another woman stepped gingerly out of a stall.
“There’s no TP,” she said. “And I think that one’s broken.” She pulled a tissue from her pocket and blew her nose loudly.
Shay thanked the woman for the tip and splashed water on her face. Looking up, she realized too late how badan idea it had been to stand in front of a mirror. Her hair hung limp around her face. Her skin looked dull. She dared not smell her breath.
Preeti burst into the bathroom. “We’re on the news!” she squealed, as if this were a good thing. “Not local, national! Fox has a little screen blurb and everything!” She ran back out.
Shay stared at her reflection for a few more seconds, a haggard face in horrific fluorescent lighting, then wiped her skin with her sleeve and prepared for the hysteria that was about to ensue.
But there was no hysteria. People crowded around the TVs in the window of the Silver Screen store calmly viewing their private nightmare like it was happening to someone else. Fox had no new information, not even news of the bomb. The newscaster just restated what the local stations had said last night. “We’ve learned that a security situation has led the authorities to shut down a mall in Westchester County, New York. The exact nature of the security problem has not been released, but we have learned that services have been provided to people in the mall. We will update you as we receive new information.”
The only change was that Fox had a helicopter and it showed live coverage of the mall as it circled. Shay heard the telltale chopping and looked up to see the thing pass overhead. It was surreal to see your own life on TV. To be a news story. Especially when you had more information than the people on the news.
Once the program broke for commercials, people in the food court huddled around their tables—groups had pushed tables together to form little camps—and whispered.Some people began to cry. Most looked around, suddenly suspicious again of everyone else.
Shay grabbed Preeti from where she stood with her
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