[Janitors 01] Janitors Read Online Free PDF Page A

as he reached for her face.
    “I’m giving us a reason to ask for soap.”
    Daisy whimpered at first, but gradually became more cooperative. It was over in a flash. Daisy had blue ink flames leaping up her cheek.
    “I’ll do the talking,” Spencer said. “Come on.”
    The two kids quietly descended the stairs until they stood at the doorway to the large storage closet. From this angle, Spencer could see a small desk with a computer nestled among the janitorial boxes, bottles, and canisters. It seemed that the closet doubled for an office.
    “Hello?” Spencer called into the dimly lit room.
    Almost immediately, a head of shaggy black hair popped over a stack of boxes. Marv Bills stepped out, studying the two kids skeptically. He dusted off his hands, clapping them together like two thick slabs of meat.
    Marv wore the same dirty white shirt as the day before. If anything, his faded jeans were sagging further down his behind. He looked a few years older than thirty, but it was hard to tell with his bushy beard. Really the only difference between Marv and a grizzly bear was that Marv could speak.
    The burly janitor took a few steps forward, the massive ring of keys at his side tinkling like the bells on Santa’s sleigh. Marv grunted when he saw Daisy’s face. “Tattoos? In elementary school?” He shook his head and muttered, “What’s this world coming to?”
    “It’s not a tattoo. We need soap,” Spencer blurted. Instantly, he wished he’d made some small talk or said something to make it sound less desperate. “Hi, how are you?” he tried again, but it was like telling the joke after the punch line.
    “Soap?” Marv asked. “There should be plenty in the girls’ bathroom. I filled the dispensers yesterday.”
    “But she’s got ink on her face,” Spencer said. “We need soap that’ll take it off fast. You know, the strong stuff.”
    Marv folded his arms. “You kids shouldn’t be down here.”
    “Sorry,” Daisy said. “We’ll go.”
    Spencer grabbed her arm. “Not till we get some soap.” Spencer stared at the janitor. With a swift motion, Marv reached over and grabbed something off a shelf.
    “Think fast,” he said, tossing a small rectangular box across the room. Daisy caught it, then fumbled, but caught it again before it hit the ground. Spencer reached for it anxiously, but she evaded his grasp and turned to read the label on the box.
    Irish Spring.
    “What?” Spencer muttered, finally pulling the box from Daisy’s hands. He tore open the little flaps on the end and dumped a green bar of soap into his left hand.
    “Not this.” Spencer shook his head at Marv. “I want the special stuff. The pink gel soap that takes off marker and makes your face tingle.”
    “Why don’t you just be glad for what you got and scram?” Marv flicked his wrist at them. “One kind of soap works just like another. There’s no special stuff down here.”
    With those words, Daisy suddenly went rigid. Warily, Spencer glanced over at her. The blue ink flames outlined on her cheek were turning red. She slowly twisted her glare to meet his eyes.
    “Bully,” she whispered. Her eyes looked like they might be sprouting tears sometime in the next ten seconds.
    “No, Daisy, I promise, I—”
    “Dez tells me that forests only grow on islands and tricks me into putting my thumbs up my nose. But you—you pretend to be my friend so you can draw doodles on my face and scare me into thinking that little monsters roam the school.” The first tear departed, running down her cheek and sizzling on the flames. “Gullible Gates! Yeah, right! I’m not believing anyone anymore.” Daisy turned and ran up the stairs, covering her graffitied cheek with one hand. Spencer started to follow, but a firm hand gripped his backpack.
    “What do you know about monsters?” Marv hissed in his ear.
    “Let me go!” Spencer slipped out of his arm straps and began a tug of war with his pack. Daisy had blown his