Forty-Seven Uses for a Paperclip (Completed)

Chapter Twenty-Four: Sergeant

Chapter Twenty-Four

Sergeant

"She's divorced and lives with her cat named Socks. She's actually really nice." I finish my story and turn on my blinker, checking around for incoming traffic.

"See," Colton says happily, grinning at me. "I told you she wouldn't be so bad!"

"Yeah, yeah," I wave my hand, dismissing this.

Last night Amanda came over for dinner with Dad and I. It was slightly awkward, but better than I expected. She's not a tramp, at least. And I can tell Dad really likes her.

"You're just mad I'm right." Colton says smugly.

I bite my lip to hide my smile. "No, I'm not."

Colton leans back in the passenger seat of my car. "I really feel like you are."

"And I feel like you're just trying to start an argument." I glance at him from the corner of my eye.

Colton releases a contented sigh. "Maybe."

I roll my eyes.

"Why is Mr. Emerson always late?" I ask when we finally pull up to his grandma's house.

Colton shrugs. "Who knows? He's probably busy murdering people with paperclips."

"Or he's hiding the bodies he killed yesterday before they start to decay." I add.

We haven't seen Mr. Emerson in two days -since he found out that his beloved baseball card was a fake. Yesterday he cancelled our cleaning due to "personal problems" but promised to be here bright and early today.

Yet here we are.

"Well." Colton surveys and gets out of the car. "We might as well see if it's unlocked." He says, opening my door for me.

I follow his long-legged strides up the front steps and onto the porch. He jiggles the handle of the front door and it swings open. I shake my head at Mr. Emerson's stupidity.

We've only just stepped through the doorway when Colton turns to me, a playful glint in his bright green eyes. "Hey, Cassidy, guess what?"

I watch him wearily. "What?"

"Dippy is a real word! It means mad or foolish." Colton grins, pleased with himself. "And know what this means?"

"What?" I ask resignedly.

"I won! I was right about something and you were wrong!" He bounces slightly, wiggling his pointer fingers up and down as he does so in a weird sort of dance.

I cross my arms. "Did you even know what it meant two days ago?"

Colton stops bouncing and stares at me, obviously trying to think fast. "Look! Santa Claus!" He points behind me.

Unable to help myself, I quickly look over my shoulder at the empty street and then back at Colton. "Wha-"

Just like two days before at his house, he grabs me by the waist and tilts me back, kissing me.

"Oi! Thresholds are for being carried over, not kissing!"

Colton and I slowly draw apart and look to the speaker. Mr. Emerson is leisurely making his way through the front grass, arms laden with bags, and -strangely -a dog following at his heels. Colton and I move aside to let the strange brigade through.

"Now wasn't that just dippy?" Colton murmurs in my ear, snaking an arm around my middle.

I gently whack him on the chest. "Lips to yourself." Smirking, I wander off to find Mr. Emerson.