Director Garcia lifted his hands and swung them together into a single clap that resonated through the large cafeteria.
The students sat silently for a moment until one kid suddenly scrambled out of his chair and dashed toward the back table. Like a small stone that starts an avalanche, forty-nine students instantly scrambled after him, their voices rising to a squall.
“Let me through!”
“Give it to me!”
“That one’s mine!”
Someone checked into Spencer and he skidded sideways, toppling into Daisy. They were in a tight press of bodies crowding the table with the colored handkerchiefs.
“Which color are we supposed to get?” Daisy asked.
“Don’t think it matters.” Spencer shoved against a large kid. “Let’s just try to get two of the same. That way we’ll be on a team together.”
Spencer strained forward, stretching his arm dangerously close to somebody’s armpit. He grasped a handkerchief, but he couldn’t see the color until he stumbled away from the crowd.
“Red,” Spencer shouted to Daisy. “I got red!”
Daisy staggered backward, gripping a handkerchief of her own. “Green!”
Spencer lunged back into the fray, squeezing forward until he could see the table. By this time, most of the handkerchiefs had been snatched up. There were no greens or reds remaining. Spencer grabbed two blues, threw his red back onto the table, and leapt out of the way.
“Here,” Spencer said. “I guess we’ll be blue.” Daisy accepted the handkerchief and turned to throw her green one back on the table.
The students were spreading out, trying to find other kids with the same color. Many held their handkerchiefs protectively. A few tug-of-war fights had broken out. And Dez ... Dez had a blonde girl pinned against the wall!
Spencer took off in Dez’s direction, getting an elbow to the ribs as someone jerked a handkerchief away from another student. “You look real tough, Dez, picking on a girl,” Spencer said.
The bully turned to glare at Spencer. Dez had taken a long green bean from his dinner plate and put one end up each nostril. The green bean hung in a loop, like a metal ring in the nose of a bull. Dez was probably trying to make himself look more intimidating, but the green hanger from his nostrils just looked disgusting.
“I don’t care if she’s a girl or a ... whatever,” Dez said. “She’s got the color I want.”
“I don’t!” the girl said, clutching the handkerchief behind her back. “I dropped the brown one back there. I have red now!”
Dez sneered, green bean waggling. “Then I guess I want red!” Dez was in one of those moods. In a new crowd like this, he needed to establish himself as Alpha Bully before anyone else had the chance.
“Let her go,” Spencer said. He was trying to decide how far he would go for this stranger. Was it worth another fistfight with Dez?
The bully shoved the girl against the wall. She scrunched up her face and closed her eyes, her whole body tense. Spencer rolled his handkerchief from end to end and stepped forward.
Dez lowered his voice. “Just give me your hankie and no one has to get—”
Spencer looped his handkerchief over Dez’s head and pulled on the corners. It jerked around the bully’s throat, sending him into a fit of gurgling gags.
“Ghhaaa!” Dez gave a great huff, and the green bean launched from his nose. It sailed into the air, twirling like a boomerang in flight.
“Time is up!” Director Garcia shouted over the din of the cafeteria. “Find your teams!”
Spencer released Dez and leapt away. The cafeteria quickly fell into order as the students assembled into color-coordinated groups of ten. At least for a moment, Dez couldn’t give chase.
“What were you doing over there?” Daisy whispered to Spencer as the blue team came together. “Trying to strangle Dez?”
“He was picking on a girl.”
“And why was that your problem?”
“Dez is always my problem,” Spencer said. He scanned the room for the blonde girl. When he spotted her across the cafeteria, Spencer was surprised to see that she was staring right at him. She gave a timid wave, and Spencer hurriedly looked away.
“Your face is turning red,” Daisy pointed out. “Did you get strangled too?”
Spencer didn’t want to explain why he was blushing. He was grateful when Director Garcia called for attention once more.
“Some of you may be wondering why we bother with teams,” Garcia said. “This helps us test your social interactions and teamwork skills. Your team is the key to your success.” He paused for effect. “Only one team will be invited to attend New Forest Academy.”
A murmur of surprise and complaint rippled through the fifty recruits. Glares were exchanged between groups. Why hadn’t the director mentioned that before? Students were studying their handkerchiefs, wondering if they’d picked the winning color.
Director Garcia continued. “Let me explain the rules. Academy instructors will be monitoring you closely during the week. We will make changes to the teams by adding or removing students until we have the perfect group. That winning group could be any size. It may be more than half of you. It may be only a handful. Everything depends on your performance. You are all bright, I’m sure. But New Forest Academy can accept only the very best.”
Spencer glanced at the various groups. Dez had staked out a place among the brown team. The green team was mostly girls, and the red group was primarily boys. The yellow team looked far too energetic for its own good.
Spencer turned to his own team. There were one or two fourth graders, but most of the kids looked twelve or thirteen years old. One of the boys was tall with reddish hair. Another was thin, with prominent Asian features.
The other recruits on the blue team were here to win; Spencer could see it in their eyes. This enthusiasm was the common thread, uniting everyone in the room with the desire to get accepted to New Forest Academy. Everyone except Spencer, Daisy, and Dez. They were only there to kill time until Welcher was safe again.
If the Academy staff planned to watch the teams, then surely they would notice this difference in enthusiasm. Spencer and Daisy would stand out. And hadn’t Walter sent them here to blend in and hide?
“We can win this,” Spencer said to his teammates. He was pleased at how convincing his interest sounded.
Daisy wrinkled her forehead. “But I thought you said we weren’t here to—”
Spencer elbowed her softly. “Blue team rules!” he shouted.
The Asian boy at Spencer’s side scanned the room. “Our odds of winning at this juncture are equivalent to the other four teams. To assume dominance based solely on the color of a handkerchief is juvenile at best.”
Spencer and Daisy shared a quick puzzled glance. “Um...” Spencer said. “Is that your way of saying go, team?”
The Asian boy looked back at Spencer. “I’m not trying to be insulting,” he said. “I’m just dealing with the facts.” He held out a hand for Spencer to shake. “My name is Min Lee. I’m your team captain.”
“Says who?” the redheaded boy cut in. “Every one of us is smarter than the average school kid. That’s why we’re here. So what makes you think that you should be in charge?”
Min raised his eyebrows. “Perhaps a quick spelling bee could resolve your concerns?”
Someone tapped Spencer on the arm. He turned away from his bickering teammates and found himself uncomfortably close to the blonde girl Dez had been threatening.
“Hi.” She had a huge smile. “I’m Jenna.”
Spencer took an awkward step back. “Spencer.” His face was going red again.
Jenna held up her hand and Spencer saw a blue handkerchief dangling between her fingers.
“I thought you were green, or red, or ... whatever,” Spencer stammered.
“I was. But then I ...” Jenna lowered her voice and leaned awkwardly close. “I traded.” She pointed across the cafeteria. A former blue team member was hea
ding away from the group, a red handkerchief in her hand.
Spencer wanted to point out that a last-minute hankie swap wasn’t exactly following the rules. But then she smiled at him, and Spencer lost his train of thought.
Jenna shrugged. “I guess I’m on your team now.”
Chapter 18
“Less chance of falling.”
Spencer lay on the top bunk in the dark dormitory, the ceiling only arm’s reach away. The soft sounds of sleep drifted over from the bunk where Min and the other boys from the blue team were sprawled under their covers.
Spencer’s mattress suddenly seemed to hiccup. The springs squeaked and a lump rose under his back.
“Is it time yet?” Dez’s hoarse whisper drifted up from the bottom bunk. He kicked harder, and Spencer’s mattress bulged even more.
All evening, Dez had been persistent and obnoxious about going to get the Glopified janitorial supplies. He had even forgotten his revenge on Spencer for choking him in the cafeteria. Then Dez had threatened one of the blue team boys, making him give up his bed so Dez could sleep in the blue dorm, with one eye on Spencer. This kind of calculated patience was unusual from Dez, and Spencer couldn’t help but worry about the bully’s ulterior motives.
Spencer glanced over at Min and his teammates to make sure they hadn’t heard Dez’s whisper. They were peculiar boys who considered themselves too smart for a typical public school. Getting into New Forest Academy meant everything to them.
After breaking into color groups, they had spent the evening in team-building and getting-to-know-you games. Spencer and Daisy found themselves constantly yielding to the overbearing personalities of the other recruits. Everyone wanted to take control and show his or her brilliance. Well, everyone except Jenna. She seemed wholly content to stare at Spencer wordlessly.
Then the promised phone call happened. Spencer had a brief moment in the front office to call his mom. With the secretary right there, Spencer had to be subtle.
Spencer tried to tell his mom that “Uncle” Roger Munroe was gone. He wanted her to pass the information to “Grandpa” Walter. But Alice just seemed confused and rushed. Fate would have it that Aunt Avril happened to call at the same moment. Every time Spencer said something important, the call-waiting bleeped it out. In the end, Alice had to answer the international call from Avril, leaving Spencer frustrated and discouraged.
Spencer felt another dull stab in the back as his mattress heaved.
“Come on, Doofus,” Dez said. “I know you’re not asleep.”
Spencer checked his watch. It was close enough. He leaned his head over the edge of the bed and whispered down to Dez, “Get your coat and be quiet.”
A moment later, Spencer was delicately closing the dormitory door while Dez blundered ahead in the darkness. His flat-footed steps echoed harshly in the hallway.
“You’re not very good at sneaking, are you?” Spencer said, rolling his feet silently along the floor.
“Never had to be,” Dez said. “When my dad’s asleep it’s usually ’cause he drank too much. He never hears a thing.”
Spencer remembered Daisy’s vivid description of Dez’s apartment. Trashed and littered with empty beer cans ... Dez’s dad asleep on the couch. Spencer couldn’t imagine living like that. It must be horrible for Dez, going home after school to that smelly place, just waiting for his dad to shout and throw things.
Spencer thought of Aunt Avril’s home in Hillside Estates. Yes, the Zumbros had cluttered it plenty, but he always wanted to go back to his family because there was love at home. Always had been, even when Spencer’s dad disappeared and things got tough.
The two boys slipped out the door and into the crisp night. With the mountain’s altitude, the early November air was very chilly. Spencer zipped up his coat, a thing he hadn’t done inside for fear of being overheard.
“This way.” Dez set off across the lawn between two dormitory buildings.
“No,” Spencer said. “We wait for Daisy!”
Dez groaned and leaned against the building. “She probably fell asleep.”
Spencer looked toward the girls’ dorms and checked his watch. “She couldn’t have.”
“Why not?” Dez said. “She forgot her blanky and her binky?”
Right then, the door cracked open and Daisy appeared in her puffy coat and gloves. She glanced around nervously. “Are you sure we should go?”
“Psh, yeah!” Dez said. “How else are we going to get the stuff?”
“It’s just ...” Daisy went on. “Walter said to stay with the group, not to go anywhere alone.”
“We’re not alone,” Dez said. “There’s three of us.”
“Yeah, but the three of us are alone,” said Daisy.
“That doesn’t make sense.” Dez shook his head.
“We’ll be fine,” Spencer cut in. “Besides, my mom said it was okay this time.” It was good justification and seemed to soothe Daisy.
The three of them set off silently across New Forest Academy’s campus. Ringed in by the trees, the grounds seemed extra dark, showing the moon overhead as a perfect half. The trio easily avoided the few outdoor security lights. It took several minutes, but they eventually reached the brick wall that closed in the front of the Academy campus.
Spencer stopped in the shadows, breathing heavily from their silent dash across the grounds. The gate was nearby, bathed in spotlights.
“All right,” Spencer whispered. “This is the hard part. Once we have our brooms, we can fly back. But we’re going to have to get out the traditional way.”
“Climb over the wall?” Daisy glanced up. It was probably fifteen feet high at least.
“Either that or run through the spotlights and try to jump the gate before anyone catches us.”
“I’m going for the gate plan,” said Dez. “Less chance of falling.” Without another word, he stepped into the spotlights and sprinted down the road that led to the gate.
“Wait!” Spencer tried to call, but it was too late. There was no choice but to race after Dez.
It was a terrible feeling, running the distance to the gate while spotlights shone down on both sides. For a moment, Spencer had the ridiculous notion that an alarm would sound and a net would fall out of the skies, trapping them hopelessly.
There was a metallic clang as Dez leapt onto the gate and started climbing.
“Oh, man!” Dez shouted as Spencer and Daisy jumped onto the gate below him. “It’s got Barbie wire at the top!”
Spencer glanced up and saw the coils of metal wire, sharp points glinting in the spotlights. There was no time to explain to Dez the huge difference between Barbie and barbed wire.
They were stuck. There was no way they could get over the gate without tearing themselves to shreds! The carefully calculated safety procedures that made New Forest Academy so secure also made it a prison for those inside.
An electronic beep cut through their panic. The gate suddenly shifted, and Spencer almost lost his grip.
“It’s opening!” Daisy shouted.
Sure enough, the gate was swinging slowly away from the brick wall, Spencer, Daisy, and Dez holding on for the ride.
“Is there a car coming?” Daisy asked. Spencer looked in all directions, but only the darkness of the mountain was visible.
“Maybe it opens automatically at midnight,” Daisy rambled nervously.
“Yeah,” Dez said, climbing down the moving gate, “to let all the bad guys in.” He jumped off the gate and bolted across the parking lot. Spencer and Daisy leapt down and ducked past the gate booth. But all was dark inside, as if nobody was there.
Dez had reached the maintenance shed by the time Spencer and Daisy caught up to him. The big kid was searching in the darkness, but Spencer was determined not to let the bully find the Glopified supplies first.
“Gotta be around here somewhere.” Dez peered between the two dumpsters that flanked the shed.
“The bushes,” Daisy said, running to the edge of the parki
ng lot. Spencer and Dez joined her, rummaging through the tangled mountain shrubs.
“Here’s something,” Spencer said. Clearing away some dried leaves, he grabbed a bundle of wooden handles and dragged them back to the parking lot. There were brooms, mops, and pushbrooms, the handles tied together with a bit of yarn that Alice must have found in the SUV.
“What about the rest of the stuff?” Dez asked.
“She must have hidden the box somewhere else.” Spencer and Daisy turned back to scour the bushes at the edge of the parking lot. The slapping sound of running feet jerked Spencer around.
Dez was sprinting away from them, back toward the open gate. In one thieving hand he gripped a broom; the other clumsily held a mop and pushbroom.
“Dez!” Spencer shouted, but the bully didn’t turn. Instead, Dez touched the broom bristles to the blacktop. He rose, completely out of control but laughing with delight.
“We’ve got to catch him,” Daisy said. She retrieved a mop and broom for herself. The yarn was shredded from where Dez must have gnawed through with his teeth.
“You go after him,” Spencer said. “Leave me a broom. I’ll find the box and meet you back inside.”
Daisy nodded bravely and grabbed a second mop and pushbroom in her left hand. Dez drifted clumsily over the brick wall, scraping his shoes along the top. Daisy ran a few steps, angled her body, and slammed the broom against the ground. She shot across the parking lot in pursuit.
Spencer hurried back to the bushes, frantic now to find the box and get back into campus. He dropped to his hands and knees in the autumn leaves, refusing the idea that his mom had forgotten to leave the rest of the stuff. Or worse ... that someone else had found it.
At last he spotted the tattered cardboard box shoved deep into a prickly shrub. It took him a moment to work it free. By the time he did, Daisy and Dez had disappeared beyond the brick wall.
Spencer quickly scanned the contents of the box to make sure everything was still intact. There were several bags of vac dust, chalkboard erasers, latex gloves, and three toilet plungers, their handles sticking out. There was something else, too. Peering inside, Spencer saw that his mom had thrown the Glopified ink remover into the box with the other supplies.
Janitors: Secrets of New Forest Academy Page 9