Free Crusader by Edward Bloor Page B

Navarro. He's the occupant of Slots #2 and 3, Florida Dermatology. It's one of three medical offices that he owns. Nina comes in whenever she feels like it to help him with the computerized billing. Tonight she didn't feel like helping, so she was hanging out at Arcane.
    Uncle Frank never gives her a hard time for hanging out, like he does Hawg and Ironman. Uncle Frank thinks Nina is some kind of super-good, role-model girl. Maybe it's because she wears crosses around her neck. Or because she goes to Lourdes Academy. Or because her father is rich. Anyway, he's very much in favor of Kristin hanging out with her.
    Whenever Nina is there, she and Kristin stand at the register and crack on guys mercilessly. They'll smile at a guy when he comes up to pay. Then they'll mutter "loser" and "scumbag" and stuff like that as soon as he turns around. It's pretty funny, if you're not the guy.
    Hardly any guys came in tonight, so Nina turned her attention to the shampooing project. Nina asked Kristin, "What's the fat one's name again?"
    "Hawg."
    "Why do you call him that?"
    "Why don't you ask him?"
    "Maybe I will." Nina called over the whirring of the shampooer, "Hey, Hawg!"
    Hawg stopped dragging the Galactic Defender unit and turned to her. "What?"
    "How come they call you that name?"
    Hawg looked suspicious. He knew she was putting him on. "What name?"
    "That nickname of yours."
    "You mean Hawg?"
    "Yeah. Other than the fact that, no offense, you kind of look like a pig. Why do they call you that?"
    I don't think Hawg took offense. He answered seriously, "You ever hear of the Arkansas Razorbacks? The Razorback Hawgs?"
    "No. Never did. What's that, a football team?"
    "Yeah. I come from west Georgia, but that's my team. Always has been."
    I think Nina would have been satisfied if the explanation had ended there, but it didn't. "A lot of Georgia boys root for the Bulldogs, from the University of Georgia in Athens, but not me."
    Nina turned away and looked out into the mall, signaling that the conversation was over. But Hawg wasn't finished. He redirected his attention to Ironman and continued, "I ain't rootin' for no University of Georgia Bulldogs, and I ain't goin' there, either. I'm goin' to Fayetteville, Arkansas, home of the Arkansas Razorbacks."
    Kristin actually seemed interested. She asked him, "So what are you doing down here?"
    Hawg didn't like that question, even though it was Kristin who had asked it. He didn't look back at her. He looked at Ironman and said, "But first I gotta whomp on some of these sissy Florida boys and make a big name for myself. Then I can get me a football scholarship back up to Fayetteville."
    Nina rolled her head and shoulders at Kristin, indicating they should take a walk in the mall. Kristin asked me, "Roberta, will you watch the register?"
    I said, "Okay."
    They headed out and immediately started to laugh about something, probably Hawg, as he went back to dragging furniture out of the way.
    I took my dinner break at eight o'clock. I spotted Betty the Goth's black hair at the Chili Dog, so I cut over to Burger 'n' Fries. An old Greek couple owns the place. They don't speak very good English, but they're really nice. Most of the words that we say to each other are from their menu. I got the cheeseburger basket with a Mountain Dew and carried it to the nearest table without trash on it. But it turned out to be sticky. I checked the other tables around me; they weren't any better.
    I sat and watched Leo work on the fountain until Verna the security guard turned into the food court. She saw me and came right over.
    "Hello, Roberta. Can I interrupt you for one minute?"
    Verna sat across from me. She started to place her hands on the table, thought better of it, and folded them across her chest. "Do you mind if I ask you a question?"
    "No."
    "That tall boy at Arcane is your cousin, right?"
    "Right. My cousin Karl."
    "Okay. Now, is there something wrong with Karl?"
    I took a bite of my cheeseburger. Then I