Robbie stopped in front of her house and parked the car. He looked frustrated and nervous. She sensed he wasn’t sure what to do next.
“Walk me to the door?” she asked.
“Why?”
“Because it’s the proper thing to do. There might be a monster lurking in the bushes, and you’d have to protect me.”
“What kind of monster?”
“A demon. A man-sized hairy green demon, looking for an easy meal. You’d have to protect me from it.”
“That’s ridiculous. Why would any demon want to eat you?”
“Well, der, because it’s hungry. Come on.”
He got out of the car slowly, as if he hadn’t wanted to do anything more than drop her off at the street. Some of her friends dated guys who did that, and Melissa had decided long ago that any boy she liked had better show some respect and manners. Robbie walked around to
