Katani wondered if Maeve knew the meaning of the word "hurry." "Oh, I"m hurrying," Katani said sarcastically.
"Now, do I have everything?" Maeve looked around doubtfully for a minute. She swung her pink jacket over her shoulder, but a worried look still plagued her face.
"I"m sure you"re all set," Katani said dismissively. She had waited for Maeve long enough, and now she was done. She turned and marched out the door with Maeve scuttling behind her.
Once they got out of the apartment, Katani a.s.sumed it would be relatively easy to ride the elevator down to the lobby and catch a cab. But she hadn"t accounted for Maeve"s enormous pocketbook. It was a retro carpet bag that was about size of a small child. Maeve loved it-and started complaining about it as soon as they got into the elevator.
"This is soooo heavy," Maeve groaned.
"Then leave it in the apartment!" Katani snapped. She could feel her patience slipping away and feared it was coming across in her voice.
Maeve looked hurt. "I can"t! I"ve got all kinds of important stuff in here. Besides, if I go back, it"ll make us late."
Late? Katani wanted to yell at her. We were late half an hour ago-now we might as well be Rip van Winkle!
But she bit her lip. When the elevator doors jerkily slid open on the ground floor Katani was through them in the wink of an eye. Maeve followed, shifting the heavy bag from one shoulder to the other for comfort.
Katani spotted a man in a dark red uniform standing outside as soon as she came through the doors. "Excuse me, are you Andrew?" she asked.
He smiled. "You must be Mich.e.l.le"s cousin," he said. And as Maeve huffed and puffed out the door behind her, he added, "And friend."
"That"s right," Katani agreed, grinning back at him. She began to feel more cheerful now that she had this jolly doorman looking after her. Outside it was sunny and bright, which further lifted her spirits. "Mich.e.l.le said you could help us get a cab?"
Andrew looked as if she had just asked the unthinkable. "Now? Oh, honey, you won"t get a cab now. You can"t catch a cab in this neighborhood until rush hour is over. I recommend you walk up two blocks to the subway."
Maeve looked utterly beside herself at the idea of lugging her barge of a bag up and down subway station stairs. "Is that really the only option?" she asked dejectedly. "There has to be another way..."
"I"m afraid not," Andrew said sympathetically. "But cheer up, little lady. It"s real easy." He pointed in the right direction. "See over there? That"s the station. You catch the number one train, the Seventh Avenue local. It stops in Times Square." Katani listened carefully while Maeve scanned the street, unwilling to give up the idea that an empty cab might pa.s.s by.
"I"ve got it," Katani said finally. "Thanks, Andrew," she called over her shoulder as they walked away.
"Are you sure we can"t take a cab?"
"You heard Andrew. It"s too late. There were cabs here an hour ago, but now we have to take the subway."
"But subways can be dangerous!" Maeve turned pale.
Katani rolled her eyes, exasperated. "Come on, Maeve, even Mich.e.l.le said that we might have to take the subway, and she told me it was fine. It"ll be full of people, and it"s broad daylight. Lots of kids our age take the subway every single day, and they don"t have a problem."
"But what if we get lost?" Maeve looked genuinely nervous at the thought.
"We won"t. I have a great sense of direction." Katani was now getting seriously annoyed. She felt like she was the only one who cared about being grown up and responsible! But then she caught a glimpse of Maeve"s big, scared eyes, and she remembered this was her very good friend who"d gone to bat for her and made sure she could even be there right now. "Wait!" Katani said. She took the piece of paper that had the Teen Beat address on it. She double-checked once more and then shoved it into Maeve"s pocket. "Now you have the address too, so no matter what happens we"ll be just fine."
"Okay," Maeve said, sounding a little more cheerful. "If you really think it"ll be all right." They made their way up the streets to the subway. Katani led the way swinging a tiny black purse of her own design, while Maeve lagged behind, struggling to keep the heavy tapestry bag on her shoulder. What exactly did she have in there? Katani wondered.
They caught the uptown train at the Sheridan Square station. Katani felt a definite sense of accomplishment that they were at last headed in the right direction and with some speed! It was extremely crowded on the train, and there were no vacant seats when they boarded. So they stood, holding on as best they could, with Maeve still shifting the bag every few minutes.
"Ow, this thing hurts," she complained once the train started moving. Katani said nothing. She knew if she opened her mouth she"d probably point out the foolishness of bringing a bag that size in the first place.
When Katani didn"t respond, Maeve persisted. "Did you notice the view from Mich.e.l.le"s study? When I looked out this morning, it was so beautiful. It looks right over the square, you know? Did you see that last night, or was it too dark to see?"
"I don"t know," Katani said briefly. "I wasn"t paying attention." All she wanted to think about was working with Mich.e.l.le on the fashion show. She"d had enough of Maeve"s jabbering yesterday in the car, and it looked like Maeve was determined to do more of the same today. Katani didn"t know if she would be able to stand it.
"Hey, check out the artists," Maeve said, nodding to a pair of tall guys in colorful ponchos and weird hats. They looked like the kind you saw in old photos of Western cowboys. "They must be painters, don"t you think, or photographers? Their outfits are so wild! I love it!"
Katani didn"t reply. At the next stop, a group of young men and women came on, most wearing backpacks and sporting NYU sweatshirts. "College students," Maeve whispered.
Would she ever stop? Katani wondered. Did Maeve have to comment on everything? It didn"t occur to Katani that Maeve was talking more than usual, partly because Katani was so quiet.
"Oh, look at the cute baby!" Maeve cooed, nudging Katani and pointing at a young woman seated several rows back. They could see the baby, folded into a soft blanket in the woman"s lap, its face peaceful in sleep, its little fists clenched.
Katani"s face softened. The baby was cute. And Maeve did notice an awful lot about people. She could see little slices of life and wonderful details that Katani herself would never stop to observe. Maybe, she thought a little guiltily, she sees how impatient I am right now to get to Teen Beat and she"s just trying to make me feel better-in her own Maeve-ish way.
"Isn"t it cute?" Maeve asked again.
"Whoa-this is our stop!" Katani said, catching a glimpse of the Times Square station sign. "Come on!"
They poured out onto the platform along with at least thirty other people. "This way," Katani said, after glancing left and right. She led the way toward the exit stairs, weaving neatly in and out of the various groups of pedestrians in front of her. After so long, Katani couldn"t believe that she was finally so close to her destination. She could hardly wait!
"Ouch, hang on. This bag is killing me! I think there"s a pin sticking out or something," Maeve called once she was safely on the platform and clear of the train. She heaved a sigh of relief as she placed it on the ground. Maeve felt silly. Earlier, she"d thought that a brush, some makeup, a mirror, and pictures of famous models and actors who could be at the show were all really important things to have with her at all times in New York. Now she realized that Charlotte had been absolutely right. Traveling light was essential, especially when she was on her feet so much.
Charlotte wouldn"t have approved of her footwear, either, Maeve thought, awkwardly looking down at her flashy pink boots. She"d packed the comfortable shoes Charlotte picked out but left them at Mich.e.l.le"s. She thought she would be so embarra.s.sed in front of these well-dressed New Yorkers if she was caught wearing sneakers all over town! Unfortunately, her feet were already starting to ache. And every well-dressed New Yorker who pa.s.sed was wearing comfortable shoes.
She managed to swing her bag onto her shoulder in a momentarily comfortable position. "Okay, let"s go!" she said, but when she looked up, Katani was far ahead of her.
"Hey, Kgirl! Wait up!"
Katani did not turn around, and the crowds seemed to get thicker and thicker as Maeve got closer to the stairs. She made a beeline for the staircase in the center, where she had seen Katani go. She clung to the st.u.r.dy metal railing as she tottered up the stone steps in her high-heeled boots. The bag was miraculously in the right position for once, and she found the pin that was sticking in to her shoulder and closed it. But now she could feel the blisters on her feet growing with each step. Tonight, she promised herself grimly, I"ll put away these dumb boots and wear my sneakers for the rest of the weekend!
As she approached the top of the steps, Maeve saw the young woman from the train carrying the baby she"d noticed. It looked so sweet, with its head lying on its mother"s shoulder, its little fists still clenched, looking completely relaxed and trusting. Maeve smiled as the young woman went swiftly past her.
And then as she looked to the top of the stairs again, she thought her heart would stop.
Katani was no longer in sight.
She"d been right there a second ago! Right at the top of the stairs-Maeve had been watching! Suddenly, there was no sign of her!
Panicked, Maeve pounded up the last few steps and emerged into the heart of Times Square. There had to be a million people around her. Her chance of finding Katani was about as good as finding a needle in a haystack.
Maeve looked around in horror. Everyone in New York moved so fast! They all seemed to know exactly where they were going and wasted no time in getting there. Maeve had never seen anyone, other than Olympic athletes, move faster! She was completely overwhelmed.
She looked in all directions as quickly as she could. It was almost impossible to spot any one person because the crowds were so dense. And she felt paralyzed. This is like one of those nightmares where you want to move but can"t, she thought to herself. With her heavy bag and pinching boots Maeve slowly tromped on, craning her neck for any sign of Katani.
Then it dawned on her: she was actually in Times Square. For years she had imagined standing in the middle of Times Square as a famous actress, waving graciously to crowds, completely confident in the spotlight, relishing the long theatrical history of Broadway...The Great White Way.
Now she was not so confident. Across the street there was a man with a boa constrictor writhing around his body. Next to him a lady wearing a cardboard sign was trying to talk to anyone who pa.s.sed by. "Toto, it looks like we"re not in Kansas anymore," Maeve said to herself. What would she do if she couldn"t find Katani? With no directions, Maeve didn"t think she could find the Teen Beat offices if her life depended on it. She was ready to burst into tears.
Then a glint of gold caught her eye. It was Katani"s hand-painted golden scarf. And above the scarf, thank goodness, was the back of Katani"s head. Katani was just stepping onto a curb across the street.
Oh, what a relief! Maeve didn"t even feel her feet aching or the strap of her bag cutting into her shoulder. She ran frantically across the street keeping her eyes glued to Katani. "BEEEP!" Suddenly Maeve heard the screech of tires and the shriek of car horns. She looked to her left. Yellow cabs all around were jerking to a halt, and the drivers were leaning out the windows, their faces snarling. At her.
"What the heck are you doing?" shouted one guy. "Are ya tryin" to cause an accident...or get yerself killed?!"
Maeve, horrified, just gaped at him. She couldn"t think what to say.
"Hey, doofus! Get outta the street already!" shouted another angry cab driver.
A third was rolling down the driver"s-side window. Maeve noticed that this one was a tough-looking woman, but she hoped the woman understood how terrified she was. Maybe she"d even stick up for her and tell those guys to stop mouthing off.
Not exactly. The woman rolled down the window and shouted, "Move it or lose it, kid, I ain"t got all day!"
Maeve"s heart, which had been pounding hard before, now felt like it was going to explode. She thought she was going to collapse right in the middle of Times Square. Maeve took a deep breath and called, "Sorry. I"m sorry!" to the cabbies as she ran across the street.
She was furious at Katani and wondered what she would say when she reached her. How could she have left me alone like that? Maeve asked herself.
She followed Katani"s distinctive duffle coat up one more block and then finally caught up. Maeve grabbed her shoulder and cried, "Hey! Why did you ditch me, Katani?"
"Excuse me?" The girl in the duffle coat turned around. "Do I know you?" She was at least ten years older than Maeve and Katani.
The puzzled girl stared at Maeve, who shrank back, frightened. She didn"t know what New Yorkers did to strange young girls who yanked them by the shoulder-even if it was an honest mistake.
"I"m so sorry," Maeve mumbled. "I thought you were my friend."
The girl nodded and her face stopped looking so grim. "You lost?"
"Yes," Maeve choked back.
"You need help?" the girl asked.
Maeve wasn"t sure how her father would feel about her getting help from a stranger. She shook her head and walked away, leaving the girl looking confused behind her. Maeve thought she really would die right there. How could she find this place if she couldn"t ask strangers for help? This was a terrible, terrible moment. Maeve felt her eyes begin to fill up.
She knew that in an instant the dab of mascara she had put on would be in two long streaks down her face. Maeve reached in her pocket to grab a tissue and something incredible happened. There was no tissue! The only thing in her pocket was the slip of paper Katani had given her with Teen Beat"s office address and phone number written on it. Hallelujah! This would save her. Now at least she knew where she was supposed to go.
Then Maeve remembered that her father had given her his cell phone last night. She could call her mom and ask her to look up directions on the Internet. That would help. It couldn"t be far, since Katani had made them get off the subway in Times Square. It"s probably not more than a block or two away, Maeve told herself. Like Mich.e.l.le"s apartment last night. Everything in New York is sort of compressed. I"ll just call Mom and find out. Maybe Katani"s even there by now.
She opened her enormous tapestry bag to get the phone and then froze. She knew she forgot something in the apartment that morning, but Katani had rushed her out so quickly! The cell phone was still on the charger in the study, exactly where she"d left it last night. Big help.
CHAPTER.
12.
The Artful Dodger
Hey, Izzy has been gone a while," Avery noticed, looking around the Mummy Room. She"d gotten so absorbed in the sarcophaguses and mummies and reading about the embalming process that she"d completely forgotten about Isabel and her mummy-phobia.
"Where did she go?" Charlotte looked around, puzzled. "I could have sworn she was right back there sketching."
"Me too." Avery inspected the gallery. "Hey, Char, check it out!" Behind a large column, at the other end of the room, stuck out a snippet of a red shirt. They crept over to find Isabel hunched over her sketchpad, looking like she wished she could disappear.
Charlotte and Avery looked at each other. "What is she doing?" Avery asked. "Hey, Izzy! Rejoin the living, will you?"
Isabel, startled, quickly put a finger on her lips to shush Avery, but it was too late. Danny"s head spun around at the mention of Isabel"s name. Isabel knew it was only a matter of time before he"d corner her with more mind-numbing Egyptian trivia, speckled with Spanish phrases. Maybe he really liked her, or maybe he just wanted to be her friend, but one more minute with Danny and she was sure she would scream. Crouched behind the column, she tilted her head to warn Charlotte and Avery of Danny"s impending approach.
"Uh-oh," Avery said, turning around. "Trouble."
Charlotte saw it too.
Isabel motioned for the girls to lean in closer and whispered, "It"s been like this all day!" Isabel looked like she didn"t know if she was going to burst out laughing or crying. She whispered a little louder. "Danny won"t leave me alone. It"s like he can"t wait to tell me everything he knows about everything." Isabel beckoned them to circle in front of her. "You can be my shield."
Avery glanced at Charlotte and grinned. "Looks like it"s time for Operation BSG Rescue," she whispered. "Follow me!"
Avery did a 180-degree jump and landed directly between Isabel and Danny. "Oh, hi, Danny," she said, trying to sound casual. "How are you liking the museum?"
Danny looked fl.u.s.tered as he tried to catch a glimpse over Avery"s shoulder. "Umm, it"s good...," he stuttered.
In a minute, Charlotte was crowding in next to Avery so Danny was completely blocked off from his favorite person in the world. Isabel gave her friends her most grateful smile.
"Okay, well, have a nice day!" Avery told him, then exclaimed, "Hey, Isabel! What a surprise!" She grabbed Isabel"s arm. "I"ve been looking all over for you! I really, really need to um, go to the ladies" room, don"t you?"
"Oh, totally!" Isabel managed. "Excellent idea!" She stuffed her sketchbook in her bag. Before Danny was able to say more than, "Hey Isabel, did you know that...?" the girls were off. In a minute, they had made it to the ladies" room at the end of the hall and piled in.
"This isn"t far enough," Isabel said. "I bet you anything he"ll come after me!" She opened the door of the ladies" room a crack and moaned. "Oh, no. He"s already there waiting for us!"
The other girls looked out too. Sure enough, Danny was sauntering down the hall at a casual but deliberate pace about a hundred yards away. He pretended to be looking at the pictures but the girls could see him stealing glances at the ladies" room door.
"He"d make an excellent bodyguard!" Avery giggled.
"I think we should keep going," Isabel said in a low voice. "Past those gla.s.s cabinets. Quick!" The girls slinked out of the bathroom one by one, and-pressed to the wall Mission Impossible style-shuffled past some old-looking gla.s.s cabinets called "vitrines."
"There!" Charlotte pointed. They rounded the corner and found themselves in a nice long hallway with doors on either side. Isabel breathed a sigh of relief. It was soothingly quiet in the empty hallway.
Charlotte peered out around the corner. "Hey guys, I think we lost him. He must think we"re still in the ladies" room."