“Really?”
Frank said, “How do you know about them?”
“From living around here long
enough, you just find out over time,” she said, “Sooner or later you find out
that all four community centers in town are off limits to people who aren’t
members of their respective clubs.”
“Weird,” Frank said, “There isn’t an
unaffiliated community center?”
“There was,” Bren said, “But it
burned down.”
Frank laughed because he thought
it’d been a joke.
Bren smiled. She was pretty sure a
member of the Grays had burned it down, thinking it was being used by the
Scanners.
“I guess we should go looking later
tonight,” Frank said, “Visit each one and, ha ha, unravel the mystery.” He
waved his fingers in the air, imitating a magician.
“I think that’d be a fine way to get
ourselves killed,” Bren said.
Frank laughed again. He’d only been
threatened once in his life, by a bear in the woods, but he’d been armed with
his father’s shotgun and he’d had the spirit of bloodlust running through his
body. He didn’t understand that there were things that you were supposed to be
afraid of in the world. And he had ulterior motives too.
“I was being serious just now,” Bren
said, “I can tell you where they are but I won’t be coming along with you.”
“How’ll you get back to the
college?” Frank asked.
“A taxi or something,” Bren said.
She could see the look on his face. It was a stubborn look. “Are you really
going to go visit each one now?”
“It sounds like a dare,” Frank said,
“You’re pretty much daring me to do this. It’s like Bloody Mary, right? Except
with community centers.”
“Except Bloody Mary isn’t a real
thing,” Bren said. She was starting to feel guilty, “Look, don’t do it,
alright?” She hated getting guilty consciences about things.
Frank smiled, “Oh I’m definitely
going to do it now. Why will I get killed if I do it?”
“Because they’ll take offense to a
non-member going to each place.” Bren said, “I don’t know. Just they get
suspicious really easy, especially here. There’s like a turf war between them.
The police used to get involved a lot but I think one of the societies bought
them out.”
“They sound like gangs,” Frank said,
“Like organized crime.”
“They kind of are like that,” Bren
said, “Except the only crimes they commit are against each other and stupid
people who tempt fate. I’m serious, Frank, you’ll get killed.”
“If you’re so against it I guess I
won’t do it,” Frank said, “It still sounds like it’d be fun.”
“I really don’t think you believe
me,” Bren said.
“I believe that they’ll notice if we
do it and maybe they’ll even come after us,” Frank said, “But I can handle
myself in a fight. I’ve had people try to mug me like four times and I’ve never
lost a single fight.”
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