“Careful now,” Dr. Saft said. “He needs to rest.”
“You know, I . . .” He sighed and shook his head. “I almost named him Toothless,” Landon said, standing next to the table.
Leila stared at him.
That name.
Realization washed over her in waves.
“You know, after How to Train Your Dragon? When I was little my mom would read me those stories, and I was just obsessed. Did you ever read them? Watch the movie?”
Leila shook her head, as Landon nervously kept talking.
“Well. The main character, Hiccup, he has to help this dragon learn to fly again with a prosthetic wing.” Landon reached down and scratched Milford under the chin. The unconscious owl moved its head back slowly, as if in a trance. “I knew the moment I found him that I was going to try to do that, and that name stuck with me for a little bit. But, you know, when it comes to naming owls—”
“They should have old man names.” Leila finished for him.
Landon nodded and turned away from Milford.
“Toothless. You should have told me,” Leila said.
“I didn’t figure it out until later,” Landon said, shaking his head. “I had my suspicions, after the bicycle and all, but thought it was a coincidence. Lots of people ride bikes around the park. But when you posted on the message board about the protest, that’s when it all hit me. And I bailed because I didn’t want you to, like, hate me. I haven’t been the nicest on there, and we’d only recently started actually talking. On the board, that is.”
“I forgive you,” Leila said, grabbing his hand.
They stood there quietly for a beat.
“Oooh-kay,” Dr. Saft said, grinning. “Clearly something is going on here, but I need you two to get out of here before my cover is blown and I get fired or something. I like your owl, but I also like my job.”
Leila and Landon hurried out of the E.R., hand in hand. Sarika sat in the waiting room, staring at her phone, and looked up to glower at the two of them.
“So he told you the deal?” Sarika asked, standing up and shoving her phone in her pocket angrily. “Imagine, our troll, here in real life.”
“How did you figure it all out?” Leila asked.
“Do you have any idea how many times I’ve watched How to Train Your Dragon and cried my eyes out?” Sarika said angrily. “I know the book is different, but that movie. That is my movie, Leila. Hell, it is like, our movie. Our people’s movie. Lonely dragon gets hurt, gets saved, last of his kind, never gets to know his fucking family.”
Sarika’s eyes started welling up and Leila reached out to hug her. Sarika pushed back.
“No. No, no, no,” Sarika muttered, waving her hand about. “Don’t do that thing parents do. I’m not that dragon. You’re not the dragon. Or the owl. Or the, the . . .”
Leila pulled Sarika in for a hug.
“Nooooooo,” Sarika groaned as she squirmed about.
“You know, it was really shitty seeing something that means so much to me used the way you used it, tough guy,” Sarika mumbled into Leila’s shoulder before looking up at Landon. “Seeing your snippy comments and having you talk down to us under that username? It made it even worse.”
“I’m sorry,” Landon said, shaking his head. “It’s not easy being stuck at home with a family who hates what I care about. And lying about what I’m majoring in. And hiding my schedules. And books. And grades. And clearing my browser history every single time I use the computer.”
He shook his head again.
“I just lash out sometimes.” He sighed. “I don’t mean to hurt anyone. I’m just, I dunno. There’s no excuse for it.”
Sarika sniffled.
“Well then.” She pushed away from Leila and brushed at her jacket. “Let’s channel all this rage and all these,” she gritted her teeth and shook her head, “ugh, all these emotions into something a bit more practical, shall we?”
“Like what?” Leila asked.
“What else?” Sarika asked, grinning with a shrug. “Coffee.”
“I fail to see how coffee is going to solve any of our problems,” Leila said, crossing her arms.
“Um, I’m just going to go ahead and ignore that,” Sarika said. “I believe it was Aristotle who said, ‘Coffee solves all problems.’”
Leila stared at Sarika.
“Whatever, I’m tired, okay?” Sarika said. “And hungry. Let’s go to Adam’s for some caffeine and food before I waste away into nothingness and become useless on your mission. And that,” she pointed at the plastic bin containing all the mouse bits, “that can stay in your car, Toothy.”
JON: You two okay? Haven’t heard from you all day, it’s getting late.
JON: I might have logged onto your message board. I saw you gathering facts. Proud of you.
LEILA: We’re okay! Landon the park ranger is with us. Heading to Adam’s to plan next steps.
LEILA: And the message board, Jon? Again? Didn’t we talk about this?
JON: Just be careful. Those unmaintained bits of park can be a little rough.
LEILA: We have proof of the endangered mouse, but it’s dead. Is that okay?
JON: Uh, sure, but try not to kill the endangered animals. What happened? That’s a crime, you know. It was an accident, right?
LEILA: Yes! We found it dead. In an owl. It threw it up at the hospital. It’s in some Tupperware.
JON: . . .
JON: I mean, I feel like I should be concerned at this point.
JON: I’m seeing a lot of red flags here.
JON: Leila? Anything? Feel free to start with the owl, maybe build up to the hospital.
LEILA: It’s a long story. I’ll explain more at home.
ECO-ACTIVISTS MESSAGE BOARD: PERSONAL MESSAGES [USER: WITHOUTTHEY]
FROM
SUBJECT
DATE
TOOTHLESS
STARTING OVER
Can we maybe give that a shot? Hit reset?
8/27
WITHOUTTHEY
RE: STARTING OVER
Are you seriously sending me this while we are at a red light?
Also yes.
8/27
TOOTHLESS
RE: STARTING OVER
Alright, good. ?
8/27
WITHOUTTHEY
RE: STARTING OVER
I feel like we discussed emoticons and what-not, and how they sometimes can mean a little too much. Careful there, Toothy . . .
;-)
8/27
TOOTHLESS
RE: STARTING OVER
;-) Indeed.
8/27
A DASH OF PAPRIKA
STOP IT BEFORE I THROW MYSELF OUT THE CAR See the above subject.
8/27
XXII
“What. The. Hell. Is. This.” Sarika ripped a flier off the wall in Adam’s Café and stormed over towards a table. Leila and Landon trailed behind her. She slammed the paper down on the table, her hand slapping the wood with a loud bang. Leila looked around the room. The café was mostly empty, save for a few kids working at the coffee tables, largely undisturbed by the small ruckus.
“Uh, I’ll get some coffee and muffins or something,” Landon started.
“No, no. This concerns you, too, Toothy,” Sarika said, pushing a seat out for him.
“Can you stop—” Landon started.
“Nope. That’s your name,” Sarika said, sitting down angrily. Landon gave Leila a please-help-me-out look, and Leila smiled, shaking her head. He did this to himself. Sarika held up the flier and looked at them, her eyes hard and angry.
“Listen to this nonsense,” she said, and started reading.
Now Accepting Donations
Coming soon to Fairmount Park, a brand-new amphitheater! Construction is soon to be underway, but you can help build this modern marvel in the middle of the largest urban park in the country.
For more information, contact Jessica De La Costa, president of the Students for a Progressive Fairmount club. Donations can be dropped off at the principal’s office at Belford High School, or sent via PayPal to Jessica De La Costa at BITCHY McBITCHFACE DOT COM—
“Okay, that is not her email address,” Landon said.