Arcade and the Dazzling Truth Detector

by Rashad Jennings

  “Lenwood and Kenwood Badger! How long has it been?” The guy stuck out a hand and high-fived both brothers. “How are things at Arcade Adventures? Wait, you changed the name, right? I remember when I sold you that windmill course. You were my first big sale. Took the family to Hawaii with the commission money.”

  One of the brothers smiled. “Never better, Andrew. Never better. In fact, business is so good, we’re expanding. The land came up for sale next to us, so we’re thinking of putting in another course.”

  Andrew pulled a brochure out of his briefcase. “That’s great news! Wait till you see our newest models. It’s a whole new world out there in the land of mini-golf.”

  “Well, let’s see what you got!” The other brother moved in, and they took forever to look over everything.

  “Zoe. I gotta move.”

  Zoe grabbed me. “You’ll stay right here.”

  “Hey, guys, look!” Doug’s mouth hung open as he pointed to a woman standing next to a large video game console. She was wearing a white sweat suit and a ballcap.

  “Ruah.” I said it quietly, stepping out from behind the banner so she could see me. She turned her head, and the Triple T logo on her hat began to shoot out beams toward my chest.

  “No, no, no, no, no, NO! This can’t happen right now!” I covered my token, which hung under my thick sweatshirt. I looked down at my hand. Thankfully, it wasn’t glowing.

  But the whole place was. And the volume of every game console got louder, and dazzling lights flashed all over the walls—just like the time when my mom and dad pulled the token out of the claw machine at Arcade Adventures.

  The crowd went wild with clapping.

  Is this a demo? Maybe an intro to the grand finale of the expo?

  I grabbed Zoe’s arm and pulled her out from behind the banner toward the exit. Doug followed close behind. I turned to wave to Ruah, but instead of seeing her, I locked eyes with a Badger! He frowned, clicked his pen a couple times, and slammed it down on the table. Then he came after us!

  “LET’S JET!”

  We ran past the ticket scanner guy, down the stairs, out of the building, onto the sidewalk, and past one, two, three subway stations before we finally had to stop and rest.

  I bent over and gasped for breath. “You think they followed us?”

  Zoe heaved in air. “They might have tried. But we were flying. I think we lost them.”

  “Either way, I don’t want to get stuck in a subway car with them.” I kept a close eye, left and right, for green puff vests.

  “Me either.” Zoe pointed north, toward Central Park. “I think we should zig-zag our way through the crowds.”

  Doug grabbed his throat. “All the way home?”

  Zoe nodded. “Yeah. All the way home.”

  CHAPTER 34

  February Twenty-Third

  And as your Student Body President, I promise to build our school the biggest library in the world . . .”

  “You can’t do that, Arcade. You have a blocked library card.”

  I woke up in a pool of sweat.

  “WHAT?!?!?”

  Doug jumped down from his bunk. “WHAT?!?!?”

  “That’s what I said.”

  “I KNOW. You woke me up. AGAIN!” He grabbed his belly and looked at the clock. “It’s four a.m. And now I’m hungry.”

  I jumped out of bed. “Will you make me some of your famous waffles? I need a hearty breakfast if I’m going to have a showdown with the Badgers today.”

  “You got it, bro!”

  “And I have a plan, so I need to get started.”

  I threw on clothes before going downstairs. By that time, Doug was already mixing waffle batter and had bacon frying in a pan.

  “That’s gonna wake people up. But it smells good!”

  Doug whipped the batter with a whisk. “Only the best for showdown day.” He tipped his head toward the dining room table. “Looks like Dad left you a note.”

  “He must have written this a little bit ago.”

  My mouth dropped open when I read it.

  Get the truth and never sell it; also get wisdom, discipline, and good judgment.

  — PROVERBS 23:23 NLT —

  “That’s a good one!” Doug poured batter onto the hot waffle iron. “Did he write anything else?”

  “Yeah.” I took a breath before reading.

  Arcade, I’m so proud of the young man you are becoming. Remember to keep the important things close.

  —Dad

  I slapped the note with the back of my hand. “This is crazy. CRAZY. How does Dad know? Every time I get in a golden elevator, it says GET TRUTH. And now Dad gives me this note.”

  Doug wiped his hands on his pajama pants and came over to look at the note. “Parents are hard to figure out. But whatever you do, I’d keep the important things close.” He patted me on the shoulder.

  I looked up at Doug. “Whatever happens this afternoon, you stay right beside me, okay?”

  “You got it.” Doug smiled. “Thanks, Arcade.”

  The rest of that early morning we munched on waffles and bacon, and we put together a list of the people who had been through the golden elevator doors with me over the last ten months. “Let’s see, there was Amber Lin.”

  “The dog surgeon?”

  I grinned. “Yeah. That was nuts. I wonder how our K-9, Samson, is doing. Oh, and Scratchy.”

  Doug popped bacon in his mouth. “Pit crew man and pilot!”

  “Well, hardly. That couldn’t have been a real plane. And Carlos. I wish you had been there to see him walking up in the crown of the Statue of Liberty.”

  “That would have been amazing. Instead, I was hanging out with plastic flamingos in Florida. Glad I’m not going back there.”

  I scrolled through the names on my phone and selected them for a group text. “Man, I wish Celeste and Derek lived here.”

  Doug punched my arm. “Don’t forget about Jacey.”

  “Okay, fine. Jacey too.” I gave him the slightest grin. When I got to the Ts, I hesitated. “All three Tolleys know about the token now! That blows my mind. How did that happen, Doug?”

  Doug wiped butter from the corner of his mouth. “Well, it is a Triple T Token. Maybe it stands for the three Tolleys.”

  “Haha, good one.” I added all three Tolleys to the text.

  “Don’t forget to add me.” Zoe had snuck up behind me and flicked the back of my head. I jumped about a mile. “I’ve been on every adventure since you got that crazy token.”

  I showed my list to Zoe. “Can you remember anyone else?”

  She sat down next to me and thought for a moment. “Well, there was that time when the Badgers hitched a ride to San Francisco. But I wouldn’t add them to this text. What do you plan to write on this text anyway, Arcade?”

  I typed away as Doug and Zoe watched over my shoulder.

  Hey friends. Going on an Arcade adventure today. Wanna come? Meet me at the Bow Bridge in Central Park at 4:00 p.m. sharp. Keep on the down low.

  Zoe pressed her hands on the table. “Hang on, Arcade. You’re going to get them all together, with the Badgers? What if the token doesn’t do anything? This is what you call a plan?”

  I nodded. “Yeah. You like it?”

  “NO! There’s a whole lot of madness that could happen right there. And really, Arcade? The Tolleys?”

  “Well, you don’t have a problem with inviting Michael, do you? My plan is to show the Badger brothers all the people who’ve been helped by the token. That’s the real value of it.”

  “Ha, too bad we can’t have Flames the flamingo with us too.” Doug went over to the waffle iron to scoop in another glob of batter.

  “Plus, we’ll be in the middle of Central Park, with tons of other people. What could go wrong?” I raised my shaking index finger and pushed send on the text message.

  Zoe closed her eyes. “Well, there’s no going back now!” She grabbed me by the shoulders. “Just promise you’ll stay close to me.”

/>   I smiled. “I will.”

  That school day was full of awkwardness. Especially in Dooley’s homeroom. Almost everyone on the group text was in that class, and they kept giving me winks and thumbs up.

  “MR. LIVINGSTON, HAVE YOU DONE SOMETHING NOTABLE THAT YOU’D LIKE TO SHARE WITH THE CLASS?”

  “Excuse me, Mr. Dooley?”

  He crossed his arms and jumped up to sit on his desk. “THERE ARE CONGRATULATORY GESTURES FLYING YOUR WAY. CARE TO SHARE?”

  Aw, man. Wish I had Elena’s cookies this time.

  “Um, well . . .”

  Kevin Tolley came to my rescue. “Arcade’s gonna run for student body president.” He began to clap.

  The whole class broke out in applause.

  Mr. Dooley smiled. “WELL, ARCADE, IT LOOKS LIKE YOU HAVE SOME LOYAL SUPPORTERS. I’D SAY YOU HAVE A GOOD SHOT OF WINNING IF YOU STAY TRUE TO YOURSELF.”

  I cleared my throat. “Thank you, sir. I will do my best.”

  What am I saying? I’m not running for student body president!

  And of course, the news from class got to Elena Salvador Castro, who hunted me down at lunch with that packet of papers.

  “You think these are going to fill themselves out? The deadline’s Friday, you know.” She tried to put them in my hand, but was interrupted by Amber Lin.

  “Arcade, can I talk to you for a minute?” She was holding her phone.

  “Sorry, gotta go, Elena.”

  Elena laughed. “How convenient. Just remember, I know where to find you, Livingston. All the kids want you to run. I want you to run. So . . . just run. Okay?” She turned to join the rest of the lunch crowd.

  “Hey, Arcade, I was just reading your exciting text! Are you bringing Loopy? Should I bring Snickers?”

  Snickers is Amber’s very well-behaved chocolate lab.

  “Oh, Amber, I don’t know about Loopy. You know how bad he is on a leash. I’m gonna leave him at home this time. But you can bring Snickers.”

  “It’s okay. I’ll leave her at home. I’ll see you at four.”

  I lifted my eyebrows. “So, you’re coming?”

  “I wouldn’t miss it! Thanks so much for inviting me.” Amber gathered her books tighter and walked away.

  I put my hand over my Triple T Token.

  “I’m gonna trust you have something good planned.”

  My lunch didn’t mix well with all the adrenaline pumping through my body during PE. I had to sit out.

  “Stomach cramps?” Mr. Lozano came over. “You’re not afraid of volleyballs now, are you?”

  “No, sir. Just not feeling my best.”

  He looked at his watch. “The bell’s gonna ring in ten minutes, so go to the locker room and get changed. Take your time. Drink some water. You’ll be feeling super by the time you get home.”

  I stood up, grabbing my stomach. “Thanks.”

  And where exactly will I travel before I make it home?

  CHAPTER 35

  Badger Showdown

  The dismissal bell rang at three fifteen.

  Forty-five minutes to showdown.

  Doug met me out in front of the school. We headed over to the corner and crossed the street which led into Central Park.

  “Let’s take the Ramble trail.” I picked up the pace. “I want to be on the north side of the bridge.”

  “The north? Why?”

  “It’s symbolic. I want all our friends to stand behind me, with my home and school located behind them.” I checked the time on my phone. “We gotta run, Doug. Just in case anyone shows up early.”

  We passed by the site of the secret Ramble cave, where we had chased Flames into the golden elevator on his way back to the Beijing Zoo.

  We curved around the path by the lake and ran by the snack shop where Carlos and Scratchy met us to look for Loopy when he was lost.

  We rounded the last curve, and there it was. The famous Bow Bridge. I checked my phone. Three-forty.

  “Arcade!” I turned to see Zoe, running and waving, with Michael Tolley by her side.

  Okay, at least there are four of us now. If Amber shows, we’ll have five.

  “Arcade Livingston.”

  It was a man’s voice . . . right behind me! I turned around. Two Badgers were standing there.

  “You’re early.” I could feel Zoe, Doug, and Michael crowd in close behind me.

  “It’s good business,” one of them said. “On time is late.”

  “That’s what my dad says.”

  “Your dad is a smart man.”

  “I invited some friends.” I looked around, to see if any more had shown up yet. Nope.

  One of the brothers chuckled. “That’s fine. We’re not asking for trouble. Just the token.”

  We’re?

  “It was ours to begin with,” the other one said.

  Oh, no! This IS a setup!

  “I don’t understand.” My eyes shot from one Badger to the next. I touched the token. “Ruah gave this to me. She said I was the one to have it. I didn’t understand why at first, but now I know I’m supposed to use it to help people. It’s what I was made to do.” Just then, Amber, Scratchy, and Carlos joined us on the bridge.

  “What’s going on, Arcade? Everything okay?” Scratchy stood there, balancing on his electric scooter.

  “Wait for us, bro!” The Tolley brothers came running up behind. He looked at the Badgers and pointed at one of them. “Hey, it’s you! I met you the other day on Arcade’s front steps. Or was it . . . you?”

  The Badger on the left turned to the other one. “What’s he talking about, Kenwood?”

  Kenwood Badger, the brother on the right, stepped forward, into the middle of our group! He turned around to face his brother. “I went to Arcade’s house to leave him a note. I wanted us all to meet to discuss the token. This has gone too far, Lenwood. The kid is right. He’s the one who should have it. All it did was tear us apart.”

  Lenwood Badger shoved his hands in his pockets. “No. It was your terrible business sense and lack of drive that tore us apart!”

  “I was grieving over the loss of my wife! Don’t you have any compassion at all? Arcade fixed our golf course! Can’t you see he’s got the heart of gold to match the token?”

  Lenwood paced back and forth, huffing and puffing across the width of the bridge. He stopped in front of me and pulled a huge wad of cash from his back pocket. “Okay, kid. What’s your price? Everyone has a price.”

  “Seriously, Lenwood? You’re going to try to buy it from him? With what money?”

  “Oh, I have plenty. While you were slacking, I was saving.” He took a checkbook out of his back pocket and looked me square in the eyes. “How much? A thousand? Ten thousand? Fifty thousand? How about one hundred thousand?”

  Kenwood stepped toward Lenwood. “One hundred thousand? Mind telling me where you got that kind of money?”

  “Oh, please. You know where I got it. Arcade Adventures was booming, and I couldn’t trust you to handle it, so I handled it. I put the money in a special account so you couldn’t mismanage it.”

  “You mean you stole it? No wonder we didn’t have funds to fix the windmill. You were hiding our profits!”

  “No. I kept the profits for this moment, Kenwood, so we could buy the token back! And once we have it, we’ll be successful again.” He looked at me. “Do we have a deal?”

  I stepped back and grabbed the token. “It’s not for sale, sir.”

  “Aw, come on, kid. Don’t try to be some kind of noble superhero.”

  “I’m sorry, Mr. Badger. I’ve got the truth now, and I’ll never sell it.”

  Lenwood lurched forward to grab me, but Kenwood put both arms out to shield me.

  “It stops here, brother. Leave Arcade alone.”

  “Yeah, leave him alone!” Michael Tolley pushed forward and stood next to Kenwood Badger with his arms out too.

  “Yeah, who do YOU think you are? Arcade’s a good guy!” Both Kevin and Casey Tolley stepped forward and did the sa
me. Carlos in his wheelchair and Scratchy with his scooter rolled up on both ends of the protective people wall. And Zoe and Amber linked their arms with mine.

  Lenwood Badger pushed his brother. “You’ve always been the weak one. I don’t know why I ever went into business with you. So here’s what I’m going to do. Since the kid won’t take the money, I’m going to use it to start my own business, and I’m going to TAKE YOU DOWN! You’ll regret this day forever, brother!” Then he turned and walked back over the bridge, out of sight.

  Kenwood Badger’s shoulders drooped as he watched his brother walk away. “I had high hopes he would see things more clearly.”

  “Maybe he needs a little trip to Castro Optometry.”

  “What?”

  I put my hand on his shoulder. “I’m sorry about your business and about your money, Mr. Badger.”

  Kenwood shook his head. “There’s more to life than money. I pray someday Lenwood realizes that.” He reached out his hand to shake mine. “I’ve learned a lot from you, Arcade Livingston. You gave me and my brother a wonderful gift when we didn’t deserve it. Only someone with a pure heart would do that. I’m sure more people will be blessed by your generous spirit. Never stop learning and growing. And,” he said with a wink, “happy travels.”

  CHAPTER 36

  The Golden Dome

  As soon as Kenwood said “happy travels,” Triple T came to life! The glow from the dazzling lights lit up the Bow Bridge and the faces of the new friends I had made since moving to New York City eleven months ago.

  “Are you guys ready to go somewhere awesome?”

  “Yeah!” they all cheered. Kevin and Casey Tolley cheered the loudest.

  Two light beams shot out from the token and formed the outline of elevator doors in the middle of the Bow Bridge. The lights solidified into antique gold doors that sparkled as the setting sun hit them. A coin slot rose from the ground, and we watched as a golden sign fell from the sky that said GET TRUTH.

  Zoe grabbed my arm tight. “Where are you going to take all these people, Arcade?”