Ari gave him a tentative smile. It didn’t matter that the kid had mistaken him for somebody else.
This kid thought he was cool. He wanted to be like Ari. He was impressed.
It felt so good. It felt amazing.
“Gosh, could I have your autograph?” the kid went on, starting to look for a piece of paper. “My mom wanted me to get Goofy’s autograph. Like, I’m so sure. Goofy! But you—here, can you sign my shirt?”
He held out a black marker and pulled on his T-shirt to make it taut.
Ari hesitated.
The boy looked uncertain. “I mean—I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bug you. I know you’re famous, and I’m just a little kid.” His face fell.
“No, that’s okay, kid. Hope your mom doesn’t mind,” Ari growled. He took the marker in one pawlike hand and signed “Wolverine” with a flourish.
The kid looked awed and thrilled. “Gosh, thanks, mister. I’ll never wash this shirt again. You’re the best. I can’t wait till I get back to school and tell everyone I met Wolverine and he signed my shirt! This is the best day of my life!”
Ari’s throat ached and his nose twitched. He swiped one hand across his eyes. “No prob. You better get on back to your folks.”
“Okay. Thanks again! You rock!” The boy pumped a fist into the air and ran off.
Ari sat for a moment, dazed with emotion. Suddenly he straightened. The flock! Max! Where were they? His eyes raked the trickle of people passing through the exit. The bird kids were nowhere to be seen. Six minutes had gone by—they must have come out. He’d missed them!
For God’s sake! That dumb little kid!
You need to stay focused, Ari, said his Voice. Keep your eyes on the prize.
Ari strode off to meet his backup teams, which were now in sight. Yeah, he knew he needed to stay focused. He was all business.
But inside, part of him still smiled and held on tight to that warm, wanted feeling.
116
“God, I’m soaked,” I moaned, pulling my wet sweatshirt away from my skin. I shook my hair out of my eyes, sending drops flying.
“That was so great,” the Gasman said happily.
“Splash Mountain really lives up to its name,” Nudge said, bouncing a little.
“I hated that ride.” Total sounded grumpy. And he’d hardly gotten wet at all.
“Let’s go again!” Gazzy said.
We were almost all the way through the exit when I saw him: Ari, sitting on a bench. A little kid was talking to him excitedly. I froze, and the others bumped into me.
“Turn around,” I said under my breath. “Bandada—nayshapay.”
“No—oh, no,” Gazzy whispered. “I can’t believe it. Not now.”
But I was already pushing them back through the exiting crowd.
“Sorry, kids,” the attendant said. “You have to exit out that way only.”
“No, no,” I said urgently. “We left our digital camera in the log! Mom will kill us! We just need to run back and check. . . .”
The attendant paused for a moment, and in that moment I forced us all past him. “Excuse us, excuse us, coming through!”
Then we were back inside the ride. A walkway, almost concealed by false boulders, ran along one wall. We zipped down it, hearing the attendant calling after us.