We miraculously make it through the rest of the day without another outburst.   All of us have an intense swirl of things to think about:

                The very near escape attempt we failed to send off because of technology’s constant failure. 

                The fact that Brian nearly found himself lodged between two of Julia’s molars. 

                The fact that in around five or six months (if we all made it that far) that Anna was going to deliver a little three quarter-inch long baby into the world. 

                And we all had to look up at Julia’s insane, smiling face and repeat phrases in Spanish back to her with an equally content face on each of us.  It was near torture.  We all just needed to take a rest and talk, but of course we knew that wouldn’t happen until much later tonight.  Anna would probably need some more comforting, so at least Kelly and Gina could give her that after school before dinner, but Brian and I would be busy on whatever project Julia came up with for us.  I honestly was scared to know what it was.  We had gotten off easy last time just having to wipe the mud off of a shoe.  It could be anything this time.

                But at the very least, I could be confident that this whole incident had NOT landed us in suspension.  That truly was something to thank our stars for.  And, even better, it had NOT landed us in the pit of Julia’s stomach.  More stars to thank.

                Julia, after dropping the bus back off at the dollhouse, came back to Brian and I in the classroom.  She sat in the chair, raising a very tan leg up and crossing it over her other knee before brushing the hair out of her face and back over her headband.  She held on to the back of her head to ruffle her hair pensively, and for a moment just looked at us, swinging her navy blue flat-clad foot around just below the desk, stretching her arch around, where it only became visible when swinging up.

                For a moment my eyes are drawn to that foot swinging up and down.  It occurs to me that I have so rarely been on the floor, I have therefore never really been in close proximity to Julia’s feet.  It also occurs to me the terrifying power that both of them carry.  It definitely outdoes anything her hands might be able to do to us, and that in of itself is scary.  A step.  A single step, with us just being under her heel at the wrong time, and it’s over.  No chance of survival.

                And then an even sadder thing occurs to me: I’d rather die under her feet than anywhere else, because I’m pretty sure it would be the quickest and least painful.  It’s awful that I have to even consider such things.  It’s not really something you would need to consider in any other situation of life: which body part you want to be killed by when the time comes.

                My mind flashes back to the present.  Julia twiddles her own ankles, still thinking, and finally speaks up.  “Okay, to make sure today’s detention sticks, I’ve got two things in mind for you.  I’ll have to leave for a while, but for now, you can tidy up the classroom.  Sharpen the pencils, clean the board, straighten the desks.  Can we do that?” she says, looking sternly at us.  We nod silently.  “Good.  Okay, do a good job, I’ll be back in half an hour or so,” she says, uncrossing her leg and leaving the room.  We get to work.

                At first it’s quiet, just straightening the desks for a large portion of the time.

                “Thanks, man.”  I finally hear.  Surprised, I turn to face Brian.

                “What?”

                “I said thanks, okay?”

                “For what?”

                “For trying to get me off of there.”

                I almost want to laugh.  “Well, it didn’t WORK, did it?  She still found us on there.”

                “Yeah, I know, but it’s just… I’m not sure that I was going to, well, I mean, I…”

                “What?”

                “I honestly don’t think I’d be here if you weren’t up there too.”

                “Why?  What are you talking about,” I say.  He’s not making much sense at this point.

                “Well, I’ll be frank.  I don’t think she likes me that much.  Hell, I’m probably her “least favorite” if you want to call it that.  And, well, I mean, I think she WOULD have done it.  You know…” he says, gesturing.  He doesn’t want to say “eaten,” it’s just a little too unthinkable to mention.  I don’t blame him for it.

                “I get it.  But why did it help to have me there.”

                He looks over at me, almost in a ridiculing way.  “Are you really that dumb?” he says finally.

                “What?” I say.

                “Well, I mean, can’t you see?  It’s you.  She’s got a… a…” he swallows oddly, as if the words don’t quite make sense.  “… thing for you.”

                I’m speechless for a second.  “What?!” I get out finally, my throat dry.  He shrugs.

                “It’s true.  I can see it when she holds you, all the time.  She likes you.  And I’m betting that if she… um, you know, to me, well, then she would have had to do it to you too, you know, since we both did the same thing, and I just don’t think she wanted to do that…”

                I can understand now, but I’m not sure I believe him yet.  The thought is terrifying to me.

                “How?” I say, not knowing how to answer.  He shrugs again.

                “Can’t explain this shit, man.  It just happens.  You got a gigantic psycho bitch chick wanting a little somethin’ somethin’ from you.  Just your luck,” he says.  It’s odd to hear him talk like this.  He seems to have gone into a strange, relatively happy-go-lucky mode.  It probably has something to do with the fact that his life was almost ended earlier today.  Anything afterward is just more time.

                “You’re freaking me out a little bit…” I say.

                “I’m sorry, man.  Look, I’m just trying to keep my head above water.  I just don’t even know what I’m going to do…”

                “About Anna?”

                “Yeah.”

                “She’s not going to be able to hide it much longer.”

                “I know.”

                “She’ll see her stomach when we take baths.  Hell, she’ll feel the bump when she picks her up.”

                “I know that too.”

                “Well, then, it seems like there’s only one thing to do,” I say.  He looks up at me, almost irritated.  He knows what I’m about to say already.  I don’t want to say it either, but I’ve come to a conclusion.

                “You’ve got to tell Julia about it.”

                “Are you out of your mind?”

                “No.  Just listen to me.  She’ll find the bump, and what do you think she’ll do?  I don’t want to know.  She’ll say we were keeping things from her.  If we just come out and tell her though we might be able to land somewhere in the middle.  She won’t be happy but we might as well get it over with when we’ve got a chance of making it out in one piece!” I say.  He considers this for a moment.

                “What about if she ever gets…” I start, realizing how bad the next part will sound.  “…mad at Anna, and she just grabs her up… I mean, the baby won’t make it.  She’s going to be very fragile soon.  She probably won’t be able to pick her up like that anymore.  You’ve got to be thinking about both of them.  You’ve got to be thinking about ALL of us, Brian, because in Julia’s mind, we’re all in this together.  If one of us goes, ALL of us go down too,” I finish, giving him a second to take it in.  He breathes deeply.

                “I just don’t know if we can…”

                “Then what are we GOING to do?” I say.

                “We’re going to get out!” he answers.  I roll my eyes.  I really don’t think I can hear more of this right now.  He’s become like the crazy old pirate in the prison with dozens of tally marks lining the walls, screaming he’ll get out some day.  He just doesn’t get it.

                “I just don’t think we’ll get another chance!” I say.  “After today, she’s not going to leave the computer up like that again!  She’s WAY too careful, she’s had her defenses up for TWO FUCKING YEARS and never gotten caught.  You think she’ll not tighten up now?  Today was a fluke, none of us have ever been really sick like that before, she didn’t know what to do and just forgot.  She’s READY now.  What are we supposed to do?” I ask him, moving one of the final desks into place.  He looks like he’s about to speak, but the door handle twists.

                “Later…” he quickly whispers before pushing his last desk into place as well.  Julia strides back over to us and sits back down in the chair and leans forward this time to examine our work.  Instantly, the air becomes rank and putrid.  I realize Julia is wearing exercise clothes and is dripping in sweat from a run.  I try not to show it in my face, but at this size, such smells are even more apparent, and it’s frankly overpowering my nostrils already from this distance.

                “Good job, boys, it looks like you did the first part well.  Now… here’s the second part,” she says grinning ear to ear.  She reaches below the desk for a minute, her shoulders shifting around.  I can’t tell what she’s doing.  Finally, I see her lift her gym shoes off the ground and toss them behind her, where they land on the ground some distance back.  And then THEY come up from below the desk.

                My stomach lurches as my eyes bug out of the sockets.

                God damn it, this can’t be happening.