Esri and Ada stood in the upstairs hallway of the high school waiting outside of Luka's last class of the day. City funding cuts meant that their local library branch closed down, so when the three had no after school activities, they usually went to Clea's for an hour or so to study around her large kitchen table. Esri and Ada held Luka to the same strict regimen that they had at the library: "we're here to study, not talk."  

Esri looked out the window at the students milling around outside the school. She gasped. Could it be? The Tall Man from the donut shop and the Reference Library? Talking to a couple of students? A Disruptor? What was he doing?

"What's the matter?" said Ada.

"That guy there. Do you know him? I've seen him around some. He's so creepy."

"The tall man talking to Brad the loudmouth in my English class? No, I don't know him, but so what? I don't think he's that creepy looking. Maybe he's Brad's dad or something," Ada sighed. "Brad is such a jerk. It wouldn't surprise me if his dad was a jerk."

"Does Brad bother you?"

"Sometimes, but I ignore him."

"Hey lovely, luminous ladies! You here to carry me off to the study torture chamber?" Luka came bursting out of the classroom.

Esri laughed, "Right, some torture chamber. Homemade muffins, cozy kitchen, garden view, cute cat."

Though it made her nervous, Esri wanted to verify if the man talking to Brad was indeed a Disruptor and hurried Luka and Ada along.

By the time they got downstairs and outside the school, the man was gone, but Brad and his friends were still standing around.

"Esri, don't go over there. I don't want to walk by Brad," said Ada.

"You and Luka go that way, I want to check something out. I'll catch up with you," said Esri.

"Why?"

"Just go. It'll only take me a sec."

Luka and Ada circled away from Brad and his friends and didn't question Esri any further. Over the last year or so, Esri sometimes did odd things, with little explanation.

Esri walked right in front of Brad. He said, "You almost smacked me with your pack. Watch where you're going." Esri kept walking. It was faint, but whiffs of the dead mouse smell still hung in the air. She looked around. The Tall Man was nowhere in sight. She ran and caught up with Luka and Ada.

At least neither Brad nor any of the kids around him were Disruptors. The dead mouse smell would have been stronger. Esri wanted to ask Brad what the Tall Man said but knew that would go nowhere. It made her uneasy.

When they opened Clea's front door, they were greeted by the smell of fresh-baked banana-bread.

"Clea, I want to marry you and we'll live happily ever after," Luka called out. He usually proposed marriage as soon as they walked in the door. Clea laughed. She enjoyed having the three friends and the excuse to do some baking. She made extra for them to take home. Once they were settled in, she and Thomas left them alone and sat in the living room reading, talking, and listening to music.

As the three friends were leaving Clea's, Esri said, "Go on ahead . . ."

Luka cut in, "I know. You'll catch up in a sec – you always have these little secrets to tell Clea. Someday Ada and I will stay and listen."

When Ada and Luka were out of earshot, Esri said, "Clea, I saw the Tall Man, the Disruptor from the Reference Library, outside the school today talking to some kids."

"Oh, that can't be good. Stay alert to anything unusual going on. Make note of everything. We'll talk it through when you come on Saturday. What about Flat Rocks?"

"Well, that's it. Those Shell Bead People, I don't trust them at all and now Riga's gone off to live with them. She acts all superior, but something's not right."

"We need to be very careful. All these signs are troubling."

* * *

Next day, Esri had a soccer game. She was still only a sub. She played most games, usually coming in sometime in the middle of the second half. She realized that her status would likely not change this season unless someone was injured. The starting line-up had gelled and they were winning most of their games. No reason to change things.

Joe kept a close eye on the game schedule to ensure that he had time alone with Esri after every game to talk over what happened and how she was feeling. The debriefs with Joe helped Esri regain some confidence. During games and practices, she kept her emotions in check and tried to stay positive about the other team members, even those who regularly snubbed her. She had to admit, in a tiny way, it seemed to be working. At least she wasn't dreading going to practices like after that first disastrous game of the season.

Esri loved her Dad for the support he gave her around the soccer team but as his relationship with Randi intensified so too did Esri's feeling of alienation from her family. Joe now stayed with Randi several nights a week, mostly weekend nights but occasionally even during the week. Randi often joined them for supper, usually bringing take-out from the bar she managed. On Sunday afternoons Joe and Randi took Jilly out. Esri begged off as much as she could. If Randi was around, Esri would go to her room saying she had to study or she went to Clea's.

Since today Esri had a soccer game, Randi wouldn't be around this evening, and once Jilly was in bed, Esri would have her Dad's undivided attention.

"Hey, Dad, Jills," said Esri as she walked in the door.

"Good game, kiddo?" said Jilly. "That's what Dad always says, so I thought I'd say it first."

Esri laughed. "Yeah, it was not too bad. I played for a good chunk of the second half and had a few good plays. Even Miss Stuck-up captain said, 'Good play, Esri.' That was new."

Joe said, "I'm anxious to hear all about it Es, but you better call Ada or go see her. She called a little while ago and sounded pretty upset."

"Oh? Really? That's weird. She was fine when I saw her at lunch. I hope it's not something wrong with someone in her family," said Esri.

Esri called Ada. "Hey, Ada, Dad said you called. What's up?"

"I'm so glad you're home. Can I come down? Is there someplace we can talk?"

"Sure. We can go to my room, at least until Jilly goes to bed."

Joe agreed to keep Jilly occupied until bedtime. "But you let me know if there is anything I can do, and encourage her to talk to her parents about whatever it is."

Ada arrived a few minutes later, and she and Esri went to the bedroom, "Ada, what is it?"

Ada started to cry. "I'm so angry. That jerk, Brad, started going on about how people like my parents and their families are murdering people."

"What? That's stupid. Why is he saying that?"

"It's all that stuff in the news about where we came from. They're finding mass graves and fire-bombing people's homes. It's why my parents left. And now, the latest killings are happening by people supposedly of our religion, but they're not. They're some kind of sick fanatics."

"Of course, Ada. No one would think otherwise."

"Yesterday Brad and some of his friends started calling me and my family 'murderers' and 'baby-killers' and, I can't even say it all . . ." she started to cry.

"But that's so ridiculous. Didn't your teacher say anything?"

"They made sure the teacher didn't hear. It happened between classes. I said I was going to the principal and they laughed and said they'd start going after my little brothers. A lot of other kids overheard them and no one took my side. They just looked at me like I was something nasty."

"Did you tell your parents?"

"No, they're so upset about what's going on. We have cousins who are still there. My parents have been trying to get in touch with them but can't. The last thing my parents need is more stuff to worry about. It's not like Brad and his friends are going to kill me or anything. But if they get kids to taunt my little brothers . . . it's so unfair. I don't want to go to school."

"Ada, you should go talk to the principal. I'll come with you. You can't let it go on."

"Maybe. I'll see what happens tomorrow. Maybe Brad will move onto something else. Even for him, this is extreme. I don't know. I'm worried if I go to the principal it will stir Brad up even more."

"Ok, see what happens but, at the very least, Ada, let's make sure you're not having to deal with Brad and his friends alone. For the classes we don't have together, Luka or I will meet up with you between classes and find you so you're never alone. We'll work out a schedule for the next few days. I'll make up some excuse to leave my classes a little early if I need to. I'll talk to Luka and we'll figure something out. "

Esri and Luka made sure that one or the other, or both of them were always with Ada unless she was in a classroom with a teacher. Ada's English class with Brad met every other day, and up until the class met again, Ada managed to avoid Brad. Both Esri and Luka planned on meeting up with Ada after her English class, but neither was in a class nearby. Ten minutes before Esri's class was scheduled to end. She told the teacher that she had a stomach ache, implying it was diarrhea and urgent.

Esri flew down the hallway. Unfortunately, Ada's class got out a few minutes early. When Esri reached Ada, Brad and another boy had cornered her in the nearby stairwell. They were smirking and making lewd and suggestive remarks and gestures at Ada, Brad was whispering in Ada's ear.

"What's going on here?" said Esri.

"Hey, look at this, friend of the baby-killer," said Brad.

"Stop it," said Esri.

"What are you goin' to do?" said Brad.

"I'm going to tell you to shut your mouth," it was Luka. He grabbed Brad's arm and spun him around. Brad raised his fist but before he could connect, Luka hit him in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him.

Brad's friend, a large boy nearly twice the size of Ada, pushed her against the wall with one large hand and started grabbing one of her breasts with the other. "I'll teach you baby-killer."

Esri was enraged, seeing him assault good, gentle Ada, like a sister to her. Esri had her hand in the pocket of her jacket and felt the leather-wrapped flint she had carried around like a talisman since her presentation last year in Mr. Romero's class. She dug out the flint and scraped it across the boy's arm that was pressed against Ada. The boy howled and pulled back from Ada. Blood dripped from the gash in his arm.