III
DANIEL JOSIAH CHASE
Dan was the luckiest kid alive. Today was Turnover Tuesday. He got a sweet turnover. The best sweet turnover. Apple. The outside was basically piecrust and the inside was filled with baked apples, cinnamon, and other spices, or basically an apple pie filling. Plus, there was whipped cream and apple cider left for him. There was never enough to go around. He took a bowl of it with the hot apple cider. He had gotten liver and onion turnovers before. They all tasted good except for the liver and onion. Cook was amazing.
“We promised to go meet Alyssa,” reminded Jason.
“Someone’s in lo-ove,” sang Dan.
“Am not!” flashed back Jason, turning red. Dan laughed. Jason nibbled on a blueberry turnover. They ran into the garden and sat down on the ledge by the fountain, which was frozen solid. Snow crunched under their feet. Dan took a bite of pastry with the whipped cream. Apple, spices, and sweet cream filled his mouth. Heaven. They heard approaching footsteps and Alyssa stepped into view. She sat down by them.
“Hey, ” she said.
“Hi,” said Dan.
“Hi,” said Jason. An awkward silence came, until Dan decided it was time to break the ice.
“So, tonight. These elves should be here. We can talk to them,” he said decisively. “Get some good story info.” Alyssa and Jason stared at him.
“Since when do you make decisions that actually sound reasonable?” asked Jason. Alyssa nodded in agreement.
“Shut up,” groaned Dan.
“Lunch is almost over,” commented Alyssa. “I have to go. There’s this chorus thing I’m accompanying on the guitar. Bye!” Alyssa walked of. Alyssa’s talent was guitar and singing. And Dan’s talent? Well buddy, you better believe it. His talent was the incredibly lame-o photographic memory. Of course, it wasn’t as bad as Jason’s. The poor sap had computer programming. Dan and Jason walked back to the school. Dan walked to his next class – Social Studies. He wasn’t really paying that much attention (okay, fine, he was playing video games under his seat) so when his buddy Kyle nudged him; it was kind of a shock. He saw everyone in the room raising their hands. Their social studies teacher, Mrs. Zuckerman (everyone called her Mrs. Z because she put her students to sleep) was advancing on him.
“Daniel, did you not hear the question?”
“Dan, Mrs. Z,”
“Answer me Daniel.”
“Uh…” Everyone swiveled around to stare at him.
“It seems to me that this is a problem of you not paying attention, yes?”
Behind Dan, Lindsey Parker sung, “Busted!” Mrs. Z advanced.
“Glaring disrespect! I won’t have it.” Mrs. Z’s face was rapidly turning a dark shade of red. Unfortunately, right then Mrs. Z caught sight of the video game. She snatched it up.
“What is this-this abomination! This child’s toy! This-this-“
“Video game?” suggested Kyle Lautner. Mrs. Z swelled up. Her already red face turned purple.
“Out! To the headmasters office now!” Kyle and Dan raced out of the room with Mrs. Z shaking the video game at them and screaming insults, her perfect iron gray hair usually tightly pinned up drifting around her purple face. Kyle and Dan