“Or like all those critters in Night at the Museum,” Maddie added. No, it wasn’t Disney, but it was still an awesome movie. At least by her standards. “I’d rather be a little toy soldier or whatever that comes alive at night, rather than a marionette.” She laughed when Caitie mocked her luck. “Maybe they’d just hop around. Or walk on their hands.”
A nod of agreement. “I think he’s still into, like, rules and stuff, but not as bad as some of the other people in charge.” A movie night sounded like an awesome idea. “Ooh, definitely. Something better than that weird porn-sounding movie he showed on the first night. Maybe some old Pixar movies. I haven’t seen Wall-E in years.”
Maddie wasn’t quite as good at evading cameras as Caitie was. She knew that the cameras moved, and she knew that it was stupid to get caught within visual range of them, but as far as the geometry part went, Maddie was clueless. So she was happy enough to follow her friend’s lead as far as avoiding cameras went.
Crossing her arms over her chest, she watched Caitie try to prove that she could make the shot. Maddie had spent a lot of time playing paper basketball during her homeschool classes when she was supposed to be studying. This meant she knew about the correct angles and trajectories to make a shot like that from the distance from where they were standing. Before Caitie even let go of the bottle of shampoo, Maddie knew it was going to miss.
“Oh, bravo, Mr. President. Let’s see that again in instant replay.” She laughed, applauding slowly.
When Caitie told her to go on, Maddie didn’t need much more invitation than that. Her sense of loyalty wasn’t exactly what one would call honorable. While Maddie was willing to help get a friend out of trouble, she wasn’t willing to risk getting caught at the same time. Save your own butt, then help someone else however you can, was her motto.
So, she ran.
There was a camera just outside the back exit, but this particular camera had a few blind spots that were easy to manipulate. Being outside was a relief because it meant they were almost home free.
Until Maddie noticed someone reclining against the building. His head was dipped forward onto his chest. A hat covered his head and shaded his face, so she couldn’t recognize him. It was strange to see someone wearing a long-sleeved black hoodie on a hot day like today.