The Bully Chip

by Glenn Wood

  Sophie jogged towards the front of the school. She entered the quadrangle and skirted around the dormitories, looking for the spot where Lester had fallen. She saw the empty grass and her stomach churned. She was just about to go back to the gates when Callum, Jinx and Lucy exploded through a set of doors to her left. Jinx was pushing the Thunderkit as fast as the chair would go. Lucy clung to the side of the chair like a shipwreck survivor hanging onto a life raft, and Callum had hunched his body down in the seat, trying to reduce drag and stabilise the wheelchair at the same time.

  Sophie veered in their direction, but Callum waved her away.

  “Run,” he roared. “The boiler room’s going to blow.”

  Sophie could see the fear on their faces. She had no idea what they were talking about but something big was obviously about to happen. She debated trying to help Jinx with the chair but knew she might slow them down. Sophie did as Callum ordered – she spun around and ran.

  The retreating friends had just cleared the front of the school when the boilers blew. The initial hollow crump of the first cylinder splitting apart was followed by a much louder blast as the gas ignited and several other boilers exploded. It sounded as if a cavalry of horses was thundering towards them. Callum risked a glance behind him and wished he hadn’t.

  The explosion lifted the roof off the office block. Callum could see several twisted cylinders rocketing through the centre of the blast, water and debris burst through the building with enormous power, blowing apart windows and walls as if they had no substance.

  The detonation didn’t just go up, it also went out. A concussion wave raced ahead of the wreckage and thumped into the fleeing kids.

  Jinx, Callum, Lucy and Sophie were tossed through the air like leaves caught in a winter storm. Callum was thrown from the Thunderkit and the wheelchair flipped end over end, before coming to rest just short of the cowering students at the school gate. Jinx fell behind Callum and the shock wave pushed them together. Their bodies became entwined and they tumbled as one, impacting with the ground in alternating rolls, each boy cushioning the blow for the other. They ended in a pile on the long grass next to the perimeter wall, stunned and shaken, but not badly injured.

  Callum extricated himself from Jinx’s legs then used a tree they’d narrowly missed to pull himself into a sitting position. Jinx kneeled beside him. Callum noticed he was nursing his left arm.

  “Are you all right?” he asked.

  Jinx cradled his wrist and screwed up his face. “Bit sore,” he said. “You?”

  Callum ran his hands over his upper body, wincing as he caught his sore thumb. “No further damage, I think.”

  He craned his neck, searching the area for Lucy and Sophie. He quickly spotted them. Lucy lay close by, dazed but conscious. It was Sophie he was most concerned about.

  She lay sprawled on the driveway and wasn’t moving.

  The fire brigade arrived minutes after the explosion and immediately sprang into action.

  Callum was relieved to see their priority was attending to Sophie rather than trying to put out the burning building. First-aid officers cleared everyone away from the injured girl and set about assessing her condition. Sophie was placed on a stretcher, taken to a four-wheel drive and rushed to hospital.

  “Is my friend all right?” Callum asked the first-aid officer who checked him over as Sophie was driven away.

  The first-aid officer was efficient and professional, though not overly helpful. “We don’t know yet; she needs hospital attention.”

  “It must be quite serious though. I mean, you didn’t even wait for an ambulance.”

  “You don’t miss much,” said the man. He stopped examining Callum for a second. “We heard that the ambulances have been delayed and we think she has some internal bleeding so we needed to get her out of here quickly. We can only provide initial first aid. She needs a doctor. I can’t tell you any more than that.” The man sponged blood away from a cut on Callum’s forehead. “Looks like you’ve had a hell of a night.”

  Callum offered him a half-smile. “Believe it or not, it could have been worse.”

  The man looked at the blazing school. “Hard to see how. Is there anyone else in there?”

  Callum nodded solemnly “I don’t think the man who started the fire got out, but the fire alarm has been going for ages so everyone else should be clear.”

  “The fire alarm went off before the fire?” queried the man. “That’s unusual. I think my boss will want to have a word with you.”

  Callum heaved a heavy sigh. “He’ll have to stand in line.”

  Once the first-aid officers had cleared the access points of casualties, the fire brigade moved their engines into position and went to work trying to contain the blaze. It was a big job. The administration block was completely demolished and the fire was spreading to the classrooms and dormitory.

  Police and an ambulance soon arrived. Callum was relieved when Jinx volunteered to fill in the police on everything that had happened.

  The red-headed boy reported back to him once he’d had a chat. “That police officer was really nice,” said Jinx. “He’s going to call all the parents of Sethel Stymer’s ex-students and arrange for them to be collected. He also said he’ll get someone to help with your wheelchair and then they’ll take us all to hospital to be properly checked out.” Jinx pointed to one of the police cars and Callum could see Parson and Cain being pushed inside. “And, best of all, we don’t have to share an ambulance with those two.”

  All Callum could do was give a weak smile and nod. He looked at his beloved Thunderkit, which lay nearby. The wheelchair had a badly bent rear wheel, fractured springs and a cracked seat. It was unusable and he didn’t know if it could be repaired. He thought about the one person who could fix it and the idea of Sophie being seriously hurt overwhelmed him.

  The police officer was as good as his word and minutes later Lucy, Jinx, Callum and his chair were put in the back of the ambulance on their way to Thanxton General Hospital.

  The kids were split up on arrival and examined separately. Callum caught sight of Sophie’s parents in the reception area but wasn’t able to talk to them. They looked tired and extremely worried.

  After a thorough examination, the doctor decided that Callum should be kept in hospital overnight as a precaution. He asked about the condition of his friends but was given very little information.

  Callum had just settled into his bed when he heard a knock on the door. Rose entered the room, rushed over and smothered him in a huge embrace. After a respectable amount of time Callum gently broke the hug. He studied his grandmother. She was still dressed in a hospital gown but seemed much stronger.

  “What are you doing out of bed, Gran?” he asked.

  Rose pulled up a chair and sat beside his bed. “Don’t worry about me. Your health is more important at the moment.”

  Callum disagreed. “I’m okay, Gran. Really. A couple of scrapes and bruises but nothing that won’t heal. Have they found out what’s wrong with you yet?”

  Rose nodded. “I have a condition called heart arrhythmia. It means that my heart has been going out of rhythm and making me feel sick. It’s quite common and can be controlled with medication, so I’m going to be fine.”

  Callum felt like a weight had been removed from his chest. “That’s great news, Gran. When can you go home?”

  “Tomorrow. Same as you.” She examined her grandson’s battered features with concern. “It looks like we’ll have a lot to talk about when we get there.”

  Callum smiled. He was already working on an edited version of the story. One that wouldn’t frighten his grandmother too much. “Sure, Gran,” he said. “It’s really not that big a deal.”

  Rose tutted. “Don’t you lie to me, Callum McCullock. From what I’ve already heard, it must have been frightful. And it sounds like I’ve got lots more reasons to be proud of you.” She stroked his hair. “Now, get some rest.”

  Callum did feel tired but he h
ad one last question for his grandmother. “Have you heard about Sophie?”

  Rose hesitated then spoke quietly. “Yes, I don’t know the details but I believe she has been badly injured.” The old woman gave a stoic nod. “She’s a tough girl that one. I’m sure she’ll be fine.”

  Rose kissed him on the cheek then left.

  As Callum settled down to sleep, he hoped his grandmother was right.

  A week later Callum, Jinx and Lucy sat beside Sophie’s hospital bed. Jinx scratched at a plaster cast that encased his broken wrist.

  “Stop fiddling with that,” said Lucy, smacking his good hand. The girl had recovered quickly from her concussion and had visited Sophie every day since the accident. She was becoming a good friend.

  “Don’t pick on me,” said Jinx with a wide grin. “I’m a hero.”

  It was true. The local paper had reported a watered-down story of the Sethel Stymer fire and had described the unidentified group of teenagers that led the school’s students to safety as “heroes”. Jinx seemed to think the term applied to him only.

  “Yeah, in your own mind,” fired Callum.

  “No fighting, you two,” said Sophie, weakly. Her spleen had been ruptured in the explosion. On the night she was brought in, the doctors had performed an emergency operation to remove it.

  “Yeah,” said Lucy. “No upsetting the girl with no spleen.”

  “What’s a spleen do anyway?” asked Jinx.

  After he heard about the operation, Callum had done extensive research. “It filters the blood, destroys bacteria and produces antibodies, but you can live without it.”

  “Listen to Dr McCullock,” replied Sophie with a wide smile. “It just means I have to get regular immunisations.” She changed the subject. She was sick of people making a fuss. “How are things at school?” she asked Callum.

  “Good,” he said. “Cain admitted to setting the fire in Mr Drummond’s room. All the charges against me have been dropped.” He patted his wheelchair, which looked as good as new. “The school must have felt guilty about not believing me. They paid to have the Thunderkit repaired.”

  “Cool,” said Sophie, admiring the chair.

  “I’m surprised Cain confessed,” remarked Lucy.

  Callum answered. “He didn’t have much option. The codes Sophie cracked on his phone matched with a folder Lucy downloaded from the school. The police also found arson equipment in the house he was staying in. His fingerprints were all over it. Plus Parson’s been plea-bargaining, trying to get the charges against him reduced. He ratted Cain out.”

  “No honour amongst thieves, eh!”

  “Appears not,” replied Callum. “No sign of Darryl though. He’s completely disappeared.”

  “And Lester?” asked Sophie, quietly.

  The question hung in the air like a dog’s bad breath. Jinx, Lucy and Callum shared a look.

  “Tell me,” insisted Sophie.

  Callum sighed. “They didn’t find any remains in the ashes of the boiler room, but …” he continued hastily, “it was so hot and the blast was so violent that there was probably nothing left of him.”

  “He can’t have got out of there alive,” added Jinx. “We barely made it ourselves. It’s impossible.”

  Sophie wasn’t so sure. Lester had done the impossible before.

  A little while later Sophie and Callum had a few moments to themselves.

  “Do you really think he’s gone?” she asked.

  “Yes,” replied Callum. “And his evil microchips have been destroyed as well.”

  “So no more bullies,” she said sleepily.

  Callum let her fall asleep.

  None that will ever be a match for you, me and Jinx, he thought as he wheeled out of the room.

  Epilogue

  Callum McCullock sat in his wheelchair at the top of a large wooden platform and surveyed the mountain bike track that wound through the forest below.

  He turned to a slender girl of a similar age who stood beside him on the platform.

  “I’m ready,” he said.

  A gust of wind caught the girl’s chestnut brown hair and flicked it over her pretty face. She hardly noticed; her full attention was on the track that twisted through the forest beneath them. She pointed to a sign nailed to a tree at the track entrance. “It says this trail is for expert riders only.”

  Callum rocked forwards in his jet black Thunderkit X5 wheelchair. He slapped a gloved hand onto one of its fat knobbly tyres. “It sure does.”

  “Perfect for you then,” laughed Sophie. “I’ll meet you on the other side of the ramp.”

  He smiled, retracted the rear wheel and pushed hard on his wheel rims, no deep breaths, no hesitation.

  The wheelchair dropped onto the track and the Thunderkit rocketed down the dirt trail. The chair felt sure under his hands. He felt the ruts and gouges in the track but didn’t fear them. He was in complete control.

  The first corner at the bottom of the drop was a sharp left-hander with a built-up right bank. Callum didn’t touch his handbrakes or slow the chair; he pulled hard on the left-hand rim and brought it around, timing it perfectly. The chair held firm as the outside wheel rode the bank, and Callum prepared for the next drop. He leaned back in the seat to keep his weight on the back wheels then alternated pressure on his left and right tyres as he raced through a series of tight S-bends. He easily dodged a rogue tree branch that tried to slap at his chair and face.

  As he cleared the last of the S-bends, Callum allowed himself a whoop of pure joy. Adrenaline surged through his body as the Thunderkit hit a small mound and briefly left the ground, before landing safely on a downhill gradient that led to the wooden ramp by the stream.

  Callum lined up the ramp and hesitated, hands hovering over his brakes, then pushed hard on the rims and picked up speed.

  The Thunderkit rocketed down the slope, the steep wooden incline closing rapidly – fifteen metres, ten, five.

  Callum closed his eyes, feeling the wind rushing against his face. He laughed; the sound was picked up by the rushing air and cast throughout the forest.

  Then Callum pushed the blue button.

  Acknowledgements

  Thanks to my wife and daughter for their continuing support (like they have a choice). To the Baileys and Woods, junior and senior. To all my amazing Brain Sucker Supporters, you know who you are, and especially Stacy who is a promoting machine.

  Special mentions to Charlotte, who checked my physics equation and Mike Spindle from Trekinetic for his unstinting support.

  Huge thanks to my wise and supportive agent Barbara Mobbs and of course to the whole team at Walker Books Australia, who are fabulous beyond words. Jess Owen, you’ve been a gem as always and Amy Daoud, your design is incredible. I’ve also received great support from Nicola Robinson and Corey Te Wharau, and I can’t thank Sarah Foster enough for getting The Brain Sucker to other parts of the world. As always, apologies to anyone I’ve forgotten.

  Finally, cheers to Baxter and Ninja for providing essential pet help.

  About the author

  Glenn Wood grew up in New Plymouth, New Zealand. After he left school he went straight into the police force. He was something of a disaster as a policeman and his less than illustrious career spawned his first two books. Glenn found he was much more suited to being an advertising copywriter and has since won numerous national and international awards for his work. He currently works as a freelance writer for many of New Zealand’s top advertising agencies.

  Published in 2013

  by Walker Books Australia Pty Ltd

  Locked Bag 22, Newtown

  NSW 2042 Australia

  www.walkerbooks.com.au

  This ebook edition published in 2014

  The moral rights of the author have been asserted.

  Text © 2013 Glenn Wood

  Jacket/Cover Illustration © 2013 Craig Phillips

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system,
or transmitted in any form or by any means – electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise – without the prior written permission of the publisher.

  National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication entry:

  Wood, Glenn, author.

  The bully chip / Glenn Wood.

  For primary school age.

  Subjects: Bullying in schools – Juvenile fiction.

  NZ823.4

  ISBN: 978-1-925081-24-4 (ePub)

  ISBN: 978-1-925081-23-7 (e-PDF)

  ISBN: 978-1-925081-25-1 (.PRC)

  This one’s for Maria, my number one niece and birthday buddy.