Ninja Girl (Book 1: The 9 Wiles)

Chapters 8, 9, and 10

CHAPTER 8

The cuffs of Mule's jeans were wet from the grass, and his damp t-shirt clung to his broad shoulders. "Hey, Ash. Who was that?"

Ash tried to clear her head of Elsbeth's haunting words. "That was my aunt."

Mule grunted approvingly. "The stranger who came to town... she's kind of hot."

"Spare me." Ash checked her watch. She had time before her first class. She could answer a question that had been nagging at her since last night. "Want to come to the library with me? I want to look something up."

"Oh," Mule said. "Research. Ol' Mr. Cavanaugh's history report?"

"No. Guinness Book of World Records."

"Cool."

"Hey, you're a sporty guy. Maybe you know. What's the record for a standing long jump?"

Mule laughed, a deep and powerful sound. "Are you giving up ballet for track?"

"No, not exactly." Not track, anyway, she thought.

Mule shrugged. "Beats me. I'm not much of a jumper. I tend to go through stuff, rather than over it."

"Let's go look, then."

They crossed the field to the buildings, and weaved between the clumps of students that congregated by the lockers and at the lunch tables. Mule's heavy brow looked troubled.

"What is it?" Ash asked, as they pushed through the library's outer doors.

"Huh? Nothing."

"Sure? You're thinking about something." They passed through the detectors and under the banner that proclaimed Closing Soon – Return Your Books Now.

"I am a man of deep thoughts."

Ash giggled. Mule paused by the book return slot. "I guess I was just wondering."

Ash lowered her tone so she wouldn't draw the librarian's attention. "What?"

Mule didn't answer.

Her eyes wandered over the tables and the stacks – the page was here, somewhere. And it had rested here for years, under everyone's nose. During all those hours of tutoring Mule, the page had been here, maybe just a few feet away.

"Well..." Mule examined the ancient carpet.

Where could it be? Ash wondered. The librarian's desk? The trophy case? Hidden inside one of the books? In the reference section, maybe, where the books couldn't be checked out?

And what was Mule's problem? Ash folded her arms, waiting.

"So..." Mule muttered, library-level. "How did your date with the principal's son go?"

Ash groaned. Had that only been last night? So much had happened since then. Mule had just ripped off a scab she'd forgotten about, and Ash took a second to deal with the pain.

"That bad, huh?" Mule asked. He looked hopeful.

Ash forced the words out. "He didn't even show up."

Mule smiled. "That's lame. What a turd."

Ash glared at Mule suspiciously... and noticed, over his shoulder, one of the new security video cameras bolted to the ceiling, watching the library entrance where they stood.

Recording them.

Let me know if you notice anyone watching you.

Every muscle in Ash's body went into a holding pattern, freezing her. She didn't dare move – any move she made would be seen, caught, stored forever. The cameras! All over the school!