It was true. They had gone long.

“You shower, and throw on something of mine. It’ll be baggy on you, considering that you’re made of toothpicks, but we’ll swing by your house and you run in to change. We’ll wait.”

Danny considered for a moment. It was a very generous thing. But could he afford to arrive at high school in Lieder’s car?

“How about if you drive me home and drop me off? Then I can walk to school on time.”

“Well, I’m not letting you get in my car as sweaty as you are right now,” said Lieder. He laughed, but … was it really so important that he shower at their house?

Danny shrugged and stepped up on the porch. “Whatever I do, I gotta do it now.”

Nicki rushed ahead of him and showed him to the house’s one bathroom. It really was an old place. But the tub was modern enough—it wasn’t sitting on claw feet, it was molded to the floor, and instead of a shower curtain there was a glass door.

He turned on the water and heard Nicki close the door behind him. He got his shoes and clothes off as soon as the door was closed and by then the shower was steaming a little. He got in and was washing his hair with regular soap when he heard the door open.

“Not looking not looking,” said Nicki. He couldn’t look because he’d get soap in his eyes so he’d have to take her word for it.

When he got out there was a towel laid out for him, and a pair of pants and a shirt in a style no self-respecting kid would wear. No underwear. His own clothes were nowhere to be seen. She must have taken them.

She was going to wash them for him. She was showing him how domestic she was.

No, she was trying to do something nice. Give her credit for being kind. Don’t assume that girls want your body just because Xena does. Xena knows you’re, like, a Norse god.

The only way the pants would stay up was if he held them with one hand while he held his shoes with the other. He went barefoot out of the bathroom. “Somebody stole my clothes,” he said, “but we’ll have to search for the thief later, when I’m wearing pants I can run in.”

Lieder laughed. “I didn’t think anybody could look worse in those clothes than me.”

“He doesn’t,” said Nicki. Then blushed. Then laughed.

“Can I make it to your car barefoot? There’s not any, like, gravel or hot coals or anything?” Their driveway was gravel, but it ran around the back of the house.

“It’s all paved,” said Lieder. “Back door.”