Free The Princes of Tangleforest by Dorlana Vann Page B

Tanner glanced at Darla, he didn’t think her mouth would be able to get much wider. 
    “Zachary!” she screeched. “Are you going to let her talk to me like that?”
     “Chill out ladies, there is enough of The Zach to go around.”
    “I’m watching you,” Darla said to Julia through her teeth.
     Tanner had lost his appetite. He tried to ask Julia with his facial expressions: What the hell do you think you’re doing?
    She ignored him.
    “Everyone,” Zachary said in an announcement voice. “I think I’ll move the meeting up to tonight. We have a new recruit and an about-time returning one. He put his arm around Julia.
    Tanner winced.
    “As planned,” Zachary continued, “it’ll be at my house in the red media room. Jules, give Tanner directions later.”
    “Sure, sweetie,” she said as she smiled at Darla.
    Zachary looked at Tanner.  “Bring your nerve. That’s all I’m saying.”
     
    Wednesday Afternoon: Tanner waited for Julia outside the front doors of the school. When she walked out, he grabbed her by the arm. “What are you doing?”
    “What?” she said. “Oh, the directions… sure.” She nodded her head to the right and walked. He followed. They went to the end of the sidewalk next to the street.
    “What are you doing?” he whispered. “This isn’t a game to me. If I can’t find—”
    “Relax,” she said and took a piece of paper out of her bag. “Look,” she whispered. “I’m tired of just watching them get away with this. I want to relearn what to do so I can maybe start converting these kids back one by one. If you’re willing to die for one person, perhaps I should stop sulking about my feelings being hurt and give these kids back their lives, and their own minds, even if they do have the minds of three-year-olds. So I’m in. Got it?”
    He stared at her for a moment, her bright green eyes glistened with intensity, and he noticed her face was dotted with cute little freckles; he figured the reason he hadn’t noticed them before was because they had been hidden under makeup.
    She said, “I know how to handle myself.”
    “And Zachary, it seems.”
    She smiled. “Yeah well, it was the only way I was going to get back in. I had to tell him how sorry I was.” Her hair blew softly in the wind. “And beg his forgiveness. And flirt just a little… it didn’t take much. Anyway, I’m in.”
    “Fine,” he said. “Where does The Zack live?”
    “Before I give you this,” she flapped the paper in his face, “I want to warn you that I think he’s planning something dangerous.”
    “Dangerous? What? Two video games at once?”
    “No, seriously. They like to test their limits. You know, on second thought maybe I should go on my own and refresh, and that way you won’t have to get mixed up in the whole mess.”
    “No, I’m going.” He snatched the paper out of her hands. “Maybe you shouldn’t get involved again.”
    “Right. Look, just don’t do anything stupid tonight. You don’t have to do anything they say.” She stared at him for a second longer before walking to where the bikes were parked.
    Tanner exhaled and put his face up to the sky feeling the hot sun on his face. “Dangerous geeksters. Hmmm. This ought to be one interesting night.”

Chapter 15
     
    Located in one of the newer parts of the neighborhood, Zachary’s house was almost identical to the two houses on either side of it; all three were large two story brick homes with tiny front lawns. The yard consisted of only grass and concrete, except for one lone garden gnome that had been painted completely red.
    As he thought about it, Tanner actually seemed to like the idea of a tight-knit community. He just wished the one he lived in wasn’t so dang weird. He didn’t dwell on the strangeness for too long. He knew that if he slowed down and analyzed why he stood on that sidewalk at that particular house, he might decide to run in the opposite direction instead of walking up the