The Yo-Yo Prophet (21 page)

I shrug. “We'll be fine without him.” I squeeze her hand. He's let us both down, again and again, but at least we have each other.

Van and I visit with Gran for a few hours and grab some supper at the cafeteria. Afterward, I take the subway to my new job.

Game Z—Dennis Harley's store—stands at the corner of two busy streets in the west end. He sells video games, retro board games, every action figure you can imagine, gaming books and even a few comic books. It may be one of the coolest stores I've ever seen. In the window is a poster-sized photo of my grinning face. Yo-Yo Master Calvin Layne, it announces in huge red letters on a yellow background. Appearing weekly. I love seeing my real name in print.

At the busker festival, Dennis told me how his grandfather used to tour for a big yo-yo manufacturer back in the thirties, performing and teaching tricks. “Sounds like a dream job,” I said. Then Dennis offered me this gig.

A tune from a movie soundtrack plays when I open the door. Inside by the front cash, there's a wall-to-wall yo-yo display with tons of models: butterfly and classic, beginner and expert, glow-in-the-dark and off-string. I've bought a Silver Bullet already—the selection is as good as my favorite online shop.

Dennis is behind the counter. His freckled face brightens when he looks up. “There's a bigger group today.” He bounces out to greet me. “Mostly twelve-year-olds and teens, and one guy about thirty. Word travels fast.”

“Great.” I pull out my new Silver Bullet—I've retired my neon one—and shove my backpack behind the counter.

From the rear of the store comes the sound of excited voices.

“Calvin Layne's here!”

“I see him!”

I shoot Dennis a lopsided smile.

“Oh, yeah.” Dennis snaps his fingers. “There's a guy back there who says he knows you. Someone from school? His name is Geordie.”

“He came here?” I grin. Of course Geordie would know this store. Maybe we can hang out afterward. I head for the back.

“Who wants to reach-for-the-moon?” I call.

A cheer erupts.

I toss out my yo-yo and show them how it's done.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

During the writing of this book, the Ontario Arts Council and the City of Toronto through the Toronto Arts Council generously provided financial support. Pat Bourke, Patricia McCowan, Karen Rankin and Sarah Raymond offered astute critiques on the work-in-progress. Members of the forums at
yoyonation.com
and
yoyoexpert.com
demonstrated and explained yo-yo tricks. Barb Thompson generously answered my medical queries. Sarah Harvey and the team at Orca Books provided insightful editorial and production support. My family listened to me rant about yo-yo performances and praised my wobbly yo-yo tricks. Thanks to all for your support.

Karen Krossing is addicted to stories. She began to create her own stories when she was eight, and today she writes novels and short stories for children and teens. Karen also encourages new writers through workshops for kids, teens and adults. Karen lives with her family in Toronto, Ontario, where she volunteers at a family shelter and practices her yo-yo tricks.
The Yo-Yo Prophet
is her first book with Orca. For more about Karen, please visit
karenkrossing.com
.