Free Snap by Ellie Rollins Page A

it, but maybe Pia was right. Maybe there was always time to be a hero . . . at least in the name of love?
    Sancho came up behind her and nudged her elbow with his wet nose. Danya glanced down and saw that he had Kevin’s bag of rose petals clenched between his front teeth.
    â€œSancho, that’s sweet, but I don’t think I can,” she muttered, glancing out at the audience. No way would she go onstage in front of all those people!
    Sancho whickered and pushed the rose petals into her hands again. Then Danya’s eyes fell on the old, industrial-size fan just behind the main curtain. Maybe she could help the moment feel special without going onstage after all. . . .
    Darting behind the fan, she flipped a switch she could only hope would power it up. Sure enough, the fan’s blades began to whir.
    Grinning, Danya grabbed a handful of flower petals from the bag and tossed them in the path of the spinning blades. The petals whirred and twirled onto the stage around Kevin and Lola like a colorful tornado. Sancho moved his weight from hoof to hoof to hoof, almost like he was dancing. Out on the center of the stage, Kevin lifted Lola off her feet. They kissed long and deep as petals floated around them.
    Danya grabbed another handful of petals and leaned forward to toss them into the wind. Then the backstage door slammed open, and she jumped, turning so fast she scattered petals everywhere, coating all the equipment and props stacked behind the stage curtain with a layer of pink.
    A police officer with a bushy mustache and a shiny, star-shaped badge affixed to his black uniform walked through the open door. He glared at Danya with beady eyes, and her heart climbed into her throat.
    â€œYou!” The cop’s mustache twitched as he spoke, and he pointed a thick, calloused finger right at Danya. “I’ve been looking for you.”

CHAPTER SEVEN
    The Golden Girls Adventure Club Takes the Mississippi
    D anya froze, letting the bag of petals drop to the floor next to her feet. Her parents really did call the cops. Maybe they
could
triangulate her location using the signal from her walkie-talkie! Next to her, Sancho sneezed, sending the petals covering his nose fluttering into the air.
    â€œWhat’s the meaning of this?” Kevin hissed under his breath, quickly leaving the stage. Lola started singing another song to distract the audience from the commotion, but every few seconds her eyes shifted over to where they were arguing.
    â€œWe’re in the middle of a show!” Kevin said. The man with the mustache and badge puffed up his chest.
    â€œThis girl is a trespasser,” he said. “The security camera caught her sneaking in through the side door. And she brought a live animal backstage. She needs to be removed from the property immediately!”
    The man with the mustache fumbled with his badge, and for the first time Danya read what was written across it: SECURITY GUARD .
    Pia scurried down from the catwalk, and her eyes narrowed on him. “Think we should make a run for it?” she whispered to Danya. Danya swallowed, her eyes darting to the hall that led to the exit. Could they make it?
    â€œThese girls are here as my special guests,” Kevin explained before either girl could move. “I’ll take care of them from here.”
    The security guard bristled and muttered something about checking with his manager before storming out the back door. Shaking his head, Kevin ushered Pia, Danya, and Sancho away, finding them a spot backstage where they could watch the rest of the show. While Danya and Pia perched on a few stools backstage, Sancho plopped onto the concrete floor and immediately began gnawing on a plastic prop apple that had rolled under the edge of the curtain. There were still a few flower petals caught in his mane.
    â€œAre you ladies hungry?” Kevin asked.
    â€œUm, sure,” Danya said. She
was
hungry, actually—very