Dangerous Days of Daniel X

Chapter 13

WHAT CAN I SAY? We like to play board games. All right, so we’re a little nerdy. And since this whole scene was my creation, we could bend the rules any way we wanted.

“First question, Dana,” Emma said, drawing a card. “Category is entertainment. Who played the role of George Bailey in Frank Capra’s Christmas classic, It’s a Wonderful Life? I know you know it, girl.”

Joe finished my Gatorade and gave a deafening burp. “Samuel L. Jackson,” he said. “No, wait. It was Mini-Me.”

“Jimmy Stewart,” Dana said.

“You go, girl,” said Emma. “Next question-Joe. Category is theoretical physics. In quantum electrodynamics, what is the full scattering amplitude the sum of?”

“Theoretical physics!” Joe said, outraged. “E equals MC squared. How should I know? Let me see that card!”

“Incorrect,” Emma said. “Daniel, your turn. Science and nature. What does elephant mean in Latin?”

“An elephant question!” Joe said, rolling his eyes. “I get the thermo whatzit and Daniel, the elephant nerd, gets an elephant question? Besides, he knows Latin.”

“And about a hundred other languages,” said Dana.

“Huge arch,” I said, ignoring them. “Ele means arch and phant means huge.”

After we played Trivial Pursuit for about an hour more, I finally said, “You know what, guys? I think I’m gonna hit the sack. I’ve had a long, hard one today.”

“Where we headed this time?” Will said.

“LA,” I said. “On the trail of Number 6. He’s nasty, and I think he’s getting ready to make a big strike at Terra Firma. He already sent a henchman to warn me off.”

“LA, cool!” Joe said. “Number 6, cooler. The scarier the better. The few, the proud, us.”

“You got my back tonight?” I said to Willy as I stood up and stretched my arms toward the moon.

“Anything gets close to this campfire that Joe can’t eat,” Willy said, punching my leg as I stepped past him, “you’re going to be the first to know.”

Dana poked her head down close as I slid into my sleeping bag. She looked incredible in the pitch-black-but in the firelight, wow!

“Hey, you,” I said.

“Just wanted to say good night,” she whispered, leaning in. “You handsome devil, you. You are gorgeous, you know? Good night, Dannyboy.” The last thing I felt was the sweet brush of her lips on my cheek.

And then I was dreaming.