Just So We’re Clear

Carmen was the exact opposite of Jeanne Galletta, except for one thing: I didn’t have the first clue about how to act normal around her either.

Did this mean she liked me? Did I like her? Did it even matter what I thought?

When I saw Sergeant Pittman coming back through the woods, I waved over at Carmen to give her a heads-up. I didn’t want her to get in trouble—and more important, I didn’t want me to get in trouble either. But I couldn’t even look at her when she came over from where Veronica was quietly collecting some twigs. I just kept peeling birch bark like it was the most important job in the world. Eyes on the job at hand.

“Is that all you two have gotten done?” Pittman said. “You’re going to have to do better than that. Come on, double-time it.”

“Sure thing, Sarge,” Carmen said cheerily. “We’re on it.”

When I looked around again, I noticed that my pile of bark was about half the size it had been before. And Carmen’s was a lot bigger. My bark was sitting right next to the snake girl like it had been there all along. She even took the big half.

After Pittman went over to check on Veronica and Arnie, Carmen gave me another one of those smiles. “Thanks for not saying anything,” she said. “I’ll get you back the next time.”

“No problem,” I said. “But you probably shouldn’t go off like that again. I don’t want either one of us to get in trouble.”

Carmen looked over her shoulder to check on Pittman. Then she took a big step my way. She was close now—really close. That snake tattoo was practically hissing at me.

When she leaned in even farther, I got goose bumps on my goose bumps.

“Just so we’re clear,” Carmen said in this little whisper. “You may be cute, but I could put you in the hospital if I wanted to, and we both know it. So don’t ever tell me what to do again.”

Huh. Before she said all that, I actually thought Carmen was about to kiss me. Yes, I’m that dumb.

I mean, I’ve never kissed anyone. Not like that, anyway.

Honestly, I didn’t know if I wanted her to do it or not, but it wasn’t really up to me anyway. The only kiss I got that day was the kind you get from a snake.

And that’s the kiss of death.