Did you throw a rock at my brother?†Astrid yelled, fearless in her outrage. She dropped to her knees beside Little Pete.<br />Sam was halfway across the lawn, moving with a purposeful stride.<br />“What did you do, Panda?â€<br />“He was ignoring me,†Panda said.<br />“Panda was just goofing, Sam,†Quinn said. He stepped between Sam and Panda.<br />“Throwing a rock at a defenseless little kid is just goofing?†Sam demanded. “And what are you doing hanging with this creep, anyway?â€<br />“Who you calling a creep?†Panda demanded. He took a tighter grip on his baseball bat, but not really like he meant to start swinging.<br />“Who do I call a creep? Anyone who throws a rock at a little kid,†Sam said, not backing down.<br />Quinn raised his hands, playing the peacemaker. “Look, take a breath, brah. We were just on a little mission for Mother Mary. She drafted Panda and sent him to look for some little kid’s stuffed bear, okay? We were doing a good thing.â€<br />“Doing good and stealing someone’s stuff?†Sam pointed at the trash bag in Chris’s grip. “And on the way back, you figured you’d throw a rock and hit an autistic kid?