A Parthan Summer by Julie Steimle (best books for 8th graders TXT) 📖

they now had to pretend that he was just a guy Al had just bumped into in St. Louis and brought home, then maybe he could hide out somewhere and Zormna could still be safe in Pennington under their watch—though in his gut that felt wrong.

Lowering his eyes again, he whispered, “You do know that your gymnastics intern is an agent too, don’t you?”

Zormna paused and peeked up the hill at where Maya was sitting under an umbrella, reading. “I figured it out the third day. Maya was pretty good at hiding it. That is, until she packed up Friday. I saw a handgun, or at least what looked like that sort of lump in her jacket.”

Jeff glanced at Zormna sideways, his insides tensing up. “A gun?”

Zormna nodded, smiling with feigned innocence. “I’m dangerous.”

He rolled his eyes. Back home he would have wholeheartedly agreed. But here she was unarmed.

“So what is plan B?” she asked.

Shaking his head, Jeff said, “You don’t need to know it. It doesn’t really apply to you. As long as they still think that you and I met in Ireland, that’s all that matters.”

Zormna sighed. Then she glanced toward the hill. She could see Coach Brown had followed Jeff. He was standing at the top of the hill as if he had gone in search for a missing student, though his eyes were toward his wife who looked like she was not doing anything but reading a novel and listening to music. She had earbuds in. She wore sunglasses that obscured their view of her eyes. But as a spy, they were also great tools.

“Why don’t they go away?” Zormna stood up with a glare. “Don’t they know this is not the most effective way to learn about their targets?”

Jeff rose also. Then he cupped his hands around his mouth and yelled over the shore. “Take a picture. It lasts longer!”

All the nearby girls turned their heads when they heard the juvenile saying. The agent, however, frowned and departed.

Maya peered up at Jeff from off her chair, laying her book on her stomach.

Leaving Zormna, Jeff walked up the pier, back to the shore. He passed the woman on his trip upward. He glanced down at her and paused for a moment. “You people are sick. You know that?”

Maya stared up at him, her mouth open, actually looking appalled. “What are you talking about?”

Jeff lifted his head, gritted his teeth, and was about to ignore her. But instead, he glanced back at Zormna. She had followed him up the dock, watching with that faint amused crook to her lips, which honestly he had always found kind of cute. In her eyes was wonder, as if she was enjoying how he messed with people.

“You get paid to watch a little girl,” Jeff said flatly to the woman, “Because of why? Her aunt did what? Her aunt said what?” Then loudly, Jeff exclaimed to be dramatic, “I don’t care if her aunt said she was a Martian or a Venusian or a…a…a tribble! Zormna may be a shrimpy, hot-headed little brat, but if you don’t leave her alone—or leave me alone, bugging the heck out of me because I what? Because I know her? Fine! I know Zormna Clendar!” Shouting and dancing on the beach for all to hear, Jeff made sure his voice echoed, “Hear that? I know Zormna Clendar!” 

Zormna scowled, folding her arms with a glare for calling her shrimpy and a brat. She didn’t care if it was for his alibi.

“I know all about her parents being murdered! I also know she has a mean kick and can tackle a cow—if one actually wanted to fight her!” He towered over the woman agent furiously, the water from his clothes splashing everywhere he flung his arms in exasperation. “I also know she hates to go swimming without a shirt! And she has never played miniature golf! Big freaking deal.” He glowered at Maya. “Leave her alone. You’ve done enough damage.”

Maya was good at pretending shock at his blatantly ridiculous behavior.

“Because I also know you guys kidnapped her, and did who knows what to her. And I admit, it bothers me—even though I hated her before this because she broke my nose.” Peering down at the woman, Jeff said, “Are you taking this down, because that is all you or your husband is going to get out of me for the rest of this camp!”

He stood up and tugged on his wet shirt to straighten it before walking up the hill in a huff.

Miss Betiford jogged over, looking flustered to Jeff as he climbed up the slope, her mouth open to resolve the argument in a peaceable manner. Yet raising his hands in defensive posture, Jeff said to her, “Nope! I give no autographs.”

Everyone staring laughed at the absurdity of it. What he had said was just insane. And yet, everyone from Pennington stared at Maya now.

Zormna covered up her smile and turned away from both counselors, heading straight back down the pier to finish her routine.

Miss Betiford rushed over to Maya. “Are you all right? He didn’t do anything to you, did he?”

Maya shook her head, watching Jeff go until he was gone. “He didn’t lay a finger on me.”

Yet she turned around, watching Zormna who acted as if Jeff’s outburst was merely a joke.

“What was all that about?” Maya murmured, looking bewildered as looked back again towards the direction Jeff had gone. Then she looked to Zormna.   

Miss Betiford shook her head. She hadn’t entirely comprehended what Jeff had shouted. He had sounded paranoid. Something about them watching him? Maya and her husband? It made no sense to the camp counselor.

But then Zormna flipped backward until she reached the sand again, landing near the base of Mrs. Brown’s chair where Miss Betiford was puzzling over it. Pivoting, Zormna stopped and said with a look only to Maya, “Don’t play like you’re stupid, Maya. Jafarr knows you are FBI, and he’d like you and your husband…and oh, the cook’s helper, to quit bugging him.”

Miss Betiford’s eyes widened. She stared back at Maya.

But Zormna, who was about to start on her flips, paused breaking into a laugh. “Hey, I made a pun! Bug! Hah! What a joke!” And though she turned to flip again, she staggered over as if she couldn’t stop laughing at the joke. She almost collapsed on the sand in her own amusement.

“Bug?” Miss Betiford said, her eyes widening more. She looked to Maya. “Are you an FBI agent?”

This time Maya looked flustered, especially at Miss Betiford’s response. She rose off her chair and said, “It’s not what you think.”

“But…” Miss Betiford watched Maya then leave her to go to Zormna. Zormna had regain her composure and started her flips again, heading the other direction. Zormna was practicing a roundhouse kick, then another flip, catching landing with a pleased expression in her last flip. Maya stepped in close.

“Give me room!” Zormna snapped as soon as she landed, backing away from Maya toward the end of the dock. “You know that’s how accidents happen.”

Maya grabbed Zormna’s arm.

Zormna pulled, but did not dislodge Maya’s grip. It was tight, firm. “Let go of me.”

Maya didn’t. “Did Jeff tell you I was FBI?”

Grabbing Maya’s fingers, trying to nicely pry Maya’s grip from her arm, Zormna snapped, “I figured it out on my own, thanks.” 

Maya’s grip tightened. 

Zormna scowled, pulling while trying harder to loosen the woman’s hold.

“Who is he?” Maya demanded.

“A pain in the butt!” Zormna dug in with her fingernails now. “Let go!” 

Maya still held on.

“Answer me.” Maya’s eyes grew darker and more irritated with each effort Zormna made to get free. Her grasp clenched tighter and tighter on Zormna’s small arm.

“I’m trying to play nice,” Zormna said through her teeth, still prying at Maya’s fingers. “Now let go!”

Maya remained firm, waiting for her answer.

Absolutely fed up with playing the well-mannered civilian—as best as she knew how to play that role anyway—Zormna rolled her eyes, leaned in to Maya and tipped her weight. She swiped her leg under Maya, and slammed the woman to the wooden dock. Quickly kneeling on Maya’s chest, she pinned one of her arms down with one leg and twisted the other as if she would snap it off. Zormna pinched a pressure point behind Maya’s ear that sent a painful shock through her body, pressing also against her throat.

Zormna growled with a shout. “Never grab me! I don’t care who you are or who you work for! I hate it! I hate being watched! I hate being touched! And I hate being questioned!”

“Oh my heavens!” Miss Betiford screeched, leaping onto the dock to help Maya. “Zormna, what are you doing? Get off her!”

Zormna jumped up with a jerk, stepping back.

Maya coughed, grabbing at her throat. Her eyes bulged out with a horrified expression. But Zormna glared at both women, backing away. She peeked once up the hill to see if anyone else had watched. But Coach Brown had left when Jeff had, perhaps to follow him, so he would not be able interfere.

Maya attempted to stand. But she swayed, dizzy and staggering. The blow had knocked all the wind out of her.

Pointing, Zormna said, “I warned her to let go of me!”

Several of the girls ran over. Most of them stared at Zormna as if she were a lunatic. Several mentioned her great aunt, confirming it. Though Joy and those from Pennington who knew Zormna better stared at Maya rather than Zormna. All the FBI talk had carried over the shoreline.

Holly Joyce dashed to the pier, followed by many others who wanted to see a fight. They expected one. Especially since they had been watching Holly watch Zormna practice her martial arts on the dock. Holly had been surprised and uneasy up until Jeff had showed up. And when Maya had confronted Zormna, she watched in horror at how easily Zormna had taken the woman down.

“You are scum, Zormna!” Holly shouted when she came to Maya’s side to offer help. “You nearly killed her!”

“Back off, Holly!” Zormna snapped like she would do the same to her as she had Maya. “You have no idea what’s going on.”

Holly jerked away as if Zormna’s words had been a whip. “You total b—”

“No. That’s you.” Zormna marched past them to the grassy hill, too peevish now to continue there.

Miss Betiford reached out to stop Zormna from leaving, but hesitated when she recalled what Zormna had just done to Maya.

“Betiford…” Maya groaned, beckoning her over.

Nodding, Miss Betiford, went to Maya’s side and lifted the gymnastics intern off the deck. Maya’s nose suddenly dripped blood as she sat up.

With a yelp, Miss Betiford wrapped her arms around Maya to help her to her feet. “We need to go to the infirmary.”

Saying nothing, Maya merely nodded, looking dazed. 

Both women climbed up the hill, leaving the girls alone, as the other counselors were in the craft cabin with the group there. 

“The gymnastics coach is FBI?”

Stacey had said it. Several heads turned to stare at her. Her entire team seemed blown away by the news. Joy looked likely to faint, as did those on the gymnastics team.

“You guys have got to be stupid!” Holly loudly spouted with complete disbelief. “Maya isn’t a secret agent! That girl is a lunatic!”

Everyone from the other high schools agreed, echoing the sentiment with shouts out at Stacey—though Stacey flushed red with indignation.

“Zormna is right,” Jennifer McCabe stepped forward from her group, giving Holly one sweeping up and down look to assess how she really felt about the girl. “You know nothing about what’s going on. It just so happens that the FBI has been trailing her since last spring.”

Marissa busted into a laugh. “Yeah right. That’s plain bull. I still don’t believe that the FBI are following her.”

“Are you calling Jennifer a liar?” Michelle stepped dangerously close to the rival cheer captain, thrusting her chin and chest into Marissa’s face.

“Yeah, I am.” Marissa stuck her chin out; lifting her nose as of she was planning on