gawking

Are you going to dance with me tonight?" I ask."Hell, yeah.""Colin never wanted to dance with me.""I'm not Colin, querida, and never will be.""Good. I've got you, Alex. I realize it's all I need and I'm ready to share it with the world."Inside the club, Alex immediately heads for the dance floor with me. I ignore the gawking stares from Fairfield students from my side of town as I pull Alex close to me and we move as one to the beat.We move together as if we've been a couple forever, every movement in sync with each other. For the first time I'm not afraid of what people think of me and Alex together. Next year, in college, it won't matter who came from what side of town.

As Sam came to a panting stop, a jet of orange flame burst from a high window.Several dozen kids were standing, watching. A crowd that struck Sam as very strange, until he realized why it was strange: there were no adults, just kids.__s anyone in there?_ Astrid called out. No one answered.__t could spread,_ Sam said.__here__ no 911,_ someone pointed out.__f it spreads, it could burn down half the town.___ou see a fireman anywhere?_ A helpless shrug.The day care shared a wall with the hardware store, and both were only a narrow alley away from the burning building. Sam figured they had time to get the kids out of the day care if they acted fast, but the hardware store was something they could not afford to lose.There had to be forty kids just standing there gawking. No one seemed about to start doing anything.__reat,_ Sam said. He grabbed two kids he sort of knew. __ou guys, go to the day care. Tell them to get the littles out of there.__he kids stared at him without moving.__ow. Go. Do it!_ he said, and they took off running.Sam pointed at two other kids. __ou and you. Go into the hardware store, get the longest hose you can find. Get a spray nozzle, too. I think there__ a spigot in that alley. Start spraying water on the side of the hardware store and up on the roof.__hese two also stared blankly. __udes: Not tomorrow. Now. Now. Go! Quinn? You better go with them. We want to wet down the hardware__hat__ where the wind will take the fire next.__uinn hesitated.People were not getting this. How could they not see that they had to do something, not just stand around?Sam pushed to the front of the crowd and in a loud voice said, __ey, listen up, this isn__ the Disney Channel. We can__ just watch this happen. There are no adults. There__ no fire department. We are the fire department.__dilio was there. He said, __am__ right. What do you need, Sam? I__ with you.___kay. Quinn? The hoses from the hardware store. Edilio? Let__ get the big hoses from the fire station, hook __m up to the hydrant.___hey__l be heavy. I__l need some strong guys.___ou, you, you, you._ Sam grabbed each person__ shoulder, shaking each one, pushing them into motion. __ome on. You. You. Let__ go!