657. Chapter 657

“Absolutely not,” she tells him, and she hopes to god he doesn’t pout.

He does.

“Maggie, it’s a Bulbasour. C’mon, you know how much I love Bulbasaur, you know he’s basically my Patronus. Like… all watery and stuff?”

“Watery and stuff?”

“I don’t have time to get philosophical, Maggie, come on!”

“Ade, your mom will murder me – quite possibly literally – if she has to pick us up from the precinct for trespassing tonight. And I don’t think Pokemon Go counts as a legal defense in court.”

“Mags, you’re not a cop yet. You don’t have to always uphold the law. Pleaaaaaasseeeee?”

“Oh no, don’t you dare do the – “

But his puppy eyes have already been whipped out, and Maggie is utterly defenseless.

She looks left.

She looks right.

They’re a little too close to suburbia than she’s comfortable with, but hey, maybe that increases the chances that no one will be home. That no one will catch them… as they catch… a… Bulbasaur.

She sighs and braces her knees and cups her hands together.

“Go,” she murmurs, because she knows it won’t last long, but just for this summer, she’s still taller than him. So she’s the one who will boost him over the fence.

And when he steps into her cupped hands and tugs himself up, a gleaming grin on his face, the last thing she expects is for him to…. squeal.

But squeal he does.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to – I was just – ” she hears, and she launches herself over the fence before anyone can hurt him, before anyone can –

“He was just playing Pokemon Go, it’s my fault, I’m so sorry it – whoa! I – I’m sorry,” her voice changes as her stomach lurches, because there’s a girl – a very, very, very gorgeous girl – wearing very, very, very little, sprawled out on a beach chair, physics text book in very, very sexy hands.

Maggie does exactly what Adrian does and spins around, facing the fence with her eyes squeezed shut and her hands somewhat raised.

“I’m sorry, honest, it’s my fault, I’m supposed to be taking care of him, he just… he saw a Bulbasaur in your yard and I was stupid, I thought – “

“Hey, no, it’s… I’m not going to call the police or anything, if that’s what you’re worried about,” the girl says, and Maggie opens her eyes and catches Adrian’s terrified glance.

“You’re not?” they both ask, neither of them turning around.

“No, of course not. You’re just a kid, and you… you’re… you can turn around, you know,” the girl says, and they do, slowly, slowly, slowly.

“I’m really sorry,” Adrian blurts, and Alex nods toward his hand. Toward his phone.

“Did you catch him?”

“What?”

“Bulbasaur. I mean, it seems cruel to catch them and put them in such little capsules and then make them fight for you, but I mean hey, at least it’s fiction, right?”

Adrian shrugs sheepishly. “That’s what Maggie’s always saying. But I just think they’re cute. I don’t want them to fight for me, I just want to be friends,” he shrugs again, holding his phone up and scanning her yard.

He suddenly yelps victoriously, and the girl – her eyes on Maggie – jumps slightly.

“Come on Bulbasaur! Yes!!!!” He yelps some more and he jumps up and down, his eyes glowing brightly. “Mags, look!” he can’t help himself, and he barely even notices when the girl – now with a sleeveless flannel on – walks up to look at Bulbasaur, too.

But Maggie notices.

Maggie notices everything this girl does.

“Nice job, man!” the girl puts up her hand, and Adrian slaps it gamely.

“I’m Alex,” she introduces herself to them both, but her eyes are on Maggie’s. “Would you like a drink or something? For your trouble?”

“For the trouble of hopping your fence?” Maggie asks, both attracted and skeptical.

The girl – Alex – giggles, and Maggie’s skepticism melts.

“For the trouble of catching – or, uh, befriending – a rare Pokemon.”

“Can we, Maggie?” Adrian pleads, still flushed with victory.

Alex extends her fingertips, and when they meet Maggie’s, both girls gasp slightly as Adrian grins knowingly.

“Yeah, sure kid. Why not?” Maggie agrees, because she doesn’t automatically trust many people, but there’s something about this girl.

Something about this girl that she knows she already loves.