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Monster Blood Chapter 05

Evan spun around to find a girl standing behind him, staring at him with dark brown eyes. “Why’d you grab my shoulder like that?” he asked, his heart still pounding.

“To scare you,” she said simply.

“Yeah. Well…” Evan shrugged. Trigger gave a hard tug at the leash and nearly pulled him over.

The girl laughed.

She was pretty, he thought. She had short, wavy brown hair, almost black, and flashing brown eyes, and a playful, teasing smile. She was wearing an oversized yellow T-shirt over black spandex leggings, and bright yellow Nikes.

“So who are you?” she demanded again.

She wasn’t the shy type, he decided. “I’m me,” he said, letting Trigger lead him around the tree.

“Did you move into the Winterhalter house?” she asked, following him.

He shook his head. “No. I’m just visiting.”

She frowned in disappointment.

“For a couple of weeks,” Evan added. “I’m staying with my aunt. Actually, she’s my great-aunt.”

“What’s so great about her?” the girl cracked.

“Nothing,” Evan replied without laughing. “For sure.”

Trigger sniffed at a bug on a fat brown leaf.

“Is that your bike?” Evan asked, pointing to the red BMX bike lying on the grass behind her.

“Yeah,” she replied.

“It’s cool,” he said. “I have one like it.”

“I like your dog,” she said, eyeing Trigger. “He looks real stupid. I like stupid dogs.”

“Me, too. I guess.” Evan laughed.

“What’s his name? Does he have a stupid name?” She bent down and tried to pet Trigger’s back, but he moved away.

“His name’s Trigger,” Evan said, and waited for her reaction.

“Yeah. That’s pretty stupid,” she said thoughtfully. “Especially for a cocker spaniel.”

“Thanks,” Evan said uncertainly.

Trigger turned to sniff the girl’s hands, his tail wagging furiously, his tongue hanging down to the ground.

“I have a stupid name, too,” the girl admitted. She waited for Evan to ask.

“What is it?” he said finally.

“Andrea,” she said.

“That’s not a stupid name.”

“I hate it,” she said, pulling a blade of grass off her leggings. “Annndreeea.” She stretched the name out in a deep, cultured voice. “It sounds so stuck up, like I should be wearing a corduroy jumper with a prim, white blouse, walking a toy poodle. So I make everyone call me Andy.”

“Hi, Andy,” Evan said, petting Trigger. “My name is—”

“Don’t tell me!” she interrupted, clamping a hot hand over his mouth.

She certainly isn’t shy, he thought.

“Let me guess,” she said. “Is it a stupid name, too?”

“Yeah,” he nodded. “It’s Evan. Evan Stupid.”

She laughed. “That’s really a stupid name.”

He felt glad that he made her laugh. She was cheering him up, he realized. A lot of the girls back home didn’t appreciate his sense of humor. They thought he was silly.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

“Walking Trigger. You know. Exploring the neighborhood.”

“It’s pretty boring,” she said. “Just a lot of houses. Want to go into town? It’s only a few blocks away.” She pointed down the street.

Evan hesitated. He hadn’t told his aunt he was going into town. But, what the heck, he thought. She wouldn’t care.

Besides, what could possibly happen?