That last one especially could be valuable.
“Ray,” his dad called. “You got another wax around back.”
“All right.”
CHAPTER 24
Pearl
Sitting at the lunch table with Hill Parmar was as torturous as listening to her little cousin, Suzanne, try to play the violin.
Her cousin was cute, but the screeching and scratching of her bow on the strings made Pearl’s skin crawl. Hill wasn’t bad to look at, but when he opened his mouth it was like listening to the screech of “Away in a Manger.”
She doubted whether Adam, Perk, Ray, or Dutch knew what they were putting her through.
Still, she needed to do her part.
And then there were Sari and Megan and Lilah and Della and Star all cooing and oohing and ahhing and giggling at every stupid thing that Hill said.
The greatest struggle she had was acting like she was interested.
Pearl glanced over at Adam and Perk sitting at a small table by the window. They ate—or at least Perk did—and talked about something. She spotted Dutch standing in the cafeteria line chatting with the lunch lady. The old woman laughed. Maybe Dutch was telling her a joke.
Pearl wished she could hear what he was saying.
She didn’t feel like she was learning anything about Hill or Mr. Parmar that would help besides the fact that they were both arrogant and treated everyone like something they could step on if they wanted.
But that wasn’t anything new.
“So yeah, I’m going to this camp in Massachusetts that’s, like, the best camp out there. Anyone who’s anyone goes there. It’s gonna be sweet.”
Pearl turned her attention back to the lunch table.
“When do you leave?” Sari asked, pouting a little.
Hill shrugged. “It’s, like, all summer long, so right after school ends.”
“Is that the camp where those girls are going—the ones who sent those break-up e-mails to you last night?” This was from Seth, who Pearl could tell had a huge crush on Sari.
Pearl’s friends tensed at the mention of “those girls.”
Hill broke in suddenly. “Just some chicks I met at the informational meeting. But you don’t know what you’re talking about, Seth. I broke up with them. Don’t want anything tying me down, you know what I mean?” He winked at Sari.
“It’s Camp Beaumont, right?” This came from one of Hill’s other minions, Chaz. “I heard you have to apply to get in there. Have you done your interview?”
Hill shot him an annoyed look. “Yeah, like I even need to apply. My dad talked to the camp director yesterday after school. They’re going to make sure that I’m in a good cabin. I don’t have anything to worry about.”
Seth nodded. “Cool.”
“Hey,” Hill said, and nudged Seth with his elbow. “You should see the posters I made for the spring dance.” He unzipped his backpack and showed Seth a stack of papers.
Seth laughed. “Priceless, man. When do you want to hang them up?”
“Tomorrow morning. You in?”
“Sure.”
“Can we see?” Megan asked.
Hill zipped his backpack closed. “Not yet, but don’t worry, you will.”
“So,” Megan said. She twirled a curl around her finger. “Who are you going with?”
Pearl sighed and took a bite of her sandwich.
Screech, screech, screech.
Torture.
CHAPTER 25
Dutch
1. Use one of the hall passes
2. Go around and take down as many pictures hanging up as I can
3. Try not to care
Dutch knew that most of the school had already seen the posters—you couldn’t not. The teachers had tried taking them down, but as quickly as they tossed them in the garbage, three more would appear over the next period. Besides, you couldn’t forget his face plastered on a poster with the words, “Elect Me for Spring Dance Dutch Dork!”
And he wished that the people who had seen the posters would forget about them as easily as Gramps forgot where his bedroom was or that Grammie was not still alive or that he needed to pick Dutch up from school.
But wishing the posters had never been taped up was pointless, and so was ripping a poster down and crumpling it in his fist. Still, that made him feel like he was doing something.
Who cared about the posters anyway?
It wasn’t like he was going to the dance, it wasn’t like he was going to ask anyone, it wasn’t like anyone would say yes if he did.
Pearl wouldn’t.
He walked into the boys’ bathroom and took the posters taped above the sink and then each one that hung above a urinal or a toilet. He thought of flushing them but couldn’t bring himself to do that to Mr. Jelepy.
It wasn’t Mr. Jelepy’s fault that Dutch was a dork.
His grandma had called him brave but she was the only one who ever had.
Dutch stopped in front of the mirror and looked at himself. His dark hair and dark skin and dark eyes. His constantly squinting eyes and mouth and the way the vein on his neck would stick out a little bit every time reminded him of a lizard.
A dorky lizard.
A dorky lizard who would most likely win King Dork of the spring dance.
And then the dork that stared back at him from the mirror heaved in a shaky breath and let a tear escape through his squinting eyes.
Just then the bathroom door squeaked open, and Dutch ducked his head and swiped his hand across his eyes.
“Hey, Dutch.” It was Adam. He had a handful of posters that he quickly shoved into the trash can, as if Dutch didn’t know what they were. “I thought I saw you.”
“Oh … hey.” Dutch looked down at the sink and turned on the water, washing his hands even though he hadn’t gone to the bathroom. “It’s okay, you know.”
“Huh?”
Dutch pointed to the trash can. “The posters. I’m used to it.” But he wasn’t used to it. He should be, right? He looked at himself in the mirror again. At least his squinty eyes weren’t red.
Adam looked in the mirror—his eyes and mouth and face normal and perfect and unmoving unless he made his face move. He saw Dutch watching him and turned, leaning his back against the sink. “What do you say we get him back?”
“What do you mean? Aren’t we already doing that?”
“Yeah, but we could do a little something today, or tomorrow maybe. Like practice.”
Dutch shook his head. “Don’t worry about it,” he said. “I can handle it.”
What else could he do?
Adam stood up straight. “It’s not because of the posters,” he said. “Even though Hill was bragging in science class that he has more stashed in his locker. Practice is a good idea.”
Dutch shrugged. Hill had more posters? “Well, if you want to.” He grabbed a paper towel and dried his hands. “I’m in for whatever.”
Adam followed him out of the bathroom. “I’ll let you know what we come up with.”
“Thanks.”
“Sure.”
Dutch started back down the hall to his class when Adam stopped him. “Hey, Dutch?”
“Yeah?”
“How about we take the rest of these down?”
Dutch grinned.
Adam nodded. “Let’s start in the cafeteria.”
CHAPTER 26
Adam
Adam slid onto the bench seat next to Perk, his paper bag lunch partially squashed from when he accidentally tossed his math book on top of it in his locker. “Hey.”
“Hey.”
“Did you see them?”
Perk looked up and took another bite. “What?” he asked, his cheek round and full. “The posters?”
“Yeah.”
He nodded and swallowed. “They’re everywhere. Hill is not creative, but I’m impressed that he was so thorough.”
Adam agreed and pulled out his flattened sandwich and bag of chips that were more crumbs than actual chips
now. “Dutch was pretty upset. I saw him in the bathroom.”
“I can imagine.”
They were silent for a moment, Perk starting in on his second plate of lunch and Adam trying to enjoy his warm, smooshed tuna fish. It wasn’t easy. He couldn’t forget Dutch’s face in the bathroom mirror. His eyes filling up to almost-overflowing, his face cast down as soon as Adam walked in.
Perk broke the silence. “We’re doing something about this, right?”
Adam didn’t say anything. The cogs and wheels in his mind clicked and turned.
Perk continued. “Something a little smaller than what we’re going to do in a few weeks? Maybe something to test us as a team?”
Adam was still silent. Put Hill’s face on a poster and hang them all over the school? No, that wasn’t good enough. Ideas fired around, but none of them seemed to hit the target.
Lunch ended and everyone threw their trash away and headed to class. Perk knocked Adam on the arm. “We’ll figure it out. See you after school.”
“Yeah,” Adam said, distracted. “After school.”
The last place he thought he’d get an idea from was his PE teacher, Mr. Franco.
Mr. Franco didn’t usually lead or guide or help Adam, at least not on purpose, unless it was to go faster, jump higher, throw farther, or kick straighter.
But sometimes ideas come from unexpected places.
“Baker,” Mr. Franco yelled out. “Reach. Reach! You’re never going to get flexible if you don’t do something today, now, this moment.” He circled the group of boys hunkered over their legs. “If you’re not going to give it your all, then take your things back to your locker and throw away the key.”
Adam was struck with inspiration.
After the last bell, Adam stopped by Perk’s locker. “I’ve got it,” he said.
Perk nodded. “I have to meet Tommy’s bus, but call me later.”
And later it was all set.
CHAPTER 27
Perk
If Pearl was right, Hill should be in the bathroom right now.
“He brags that he only uses the teachers’ restroom,” she’d said. “He’s in my science class and every single day—seriously, he’s like clockwork—he takes the hall pass and goes to the bathroom about ten minutes before the end of class.”
Perk stood by his locker and glanced down the hallway. Where was Adam?
Just then his best friend came jogging around the corner, a plastic bag in his hand.
“Sorry,” he said, handing Perk the bag. “Mr. Gutierrez was feeling a little stingy with the hall pass today.”
Perk took the bag and looked inside at the rope, sign, and tape. He started toward the teachers’ bathroom. “No worries. Is he in there?”
Adam nodded. “I just saw him go in, so hurry.”
“Got it,” Perk said, smiling. “Wish me luck.”
He turned the corner, ran down the hallway to the bathroom, then pressed his ear against the door. The toilet flushed.
The door couldn’t lock from the outside without a key, but he could definitely keep Hill inside for a while. He wound the rope around the handle and then pulled it taut just around the corner, winding it around the fire extinguisher box. He tied a knot and then pulled tighter.
The sink was running now.
Perk giggled to himself and tried to move faster; his heart was speeding up and his hands were sliding with sweat. He grabbed the sign that read “OUT OF ORDER. DO NOT OPEN” from the bag and taped it to the door just as the handle pulled down and Hill tugged.
“What the—?” a voice said.
Perfect.
He covered his mouth, suppressing a giggle, and then walked back down the hallway, stuffing the plastic bag into the trash can.
He didn’t know how long it would take for someone to hear Hill and then get him out.
Hopefully Pearl, Ray, and Dutch were moving fast.
CHAPTER 28
Ray
Seven minutes.
Ray knew which gym locker was Hill’s.
Probably everyone knew.
All anyone needed to do was listen to Hill brag on and on about it.
He was number 1.
Ray slipped Mr. Vinnzeli’s hall pass into his pocket and pushed the locker room door open. He walked up to Hill’s locker and took out the new combination lock that Adam had given him that morning.
“You have the lock cutter?” Adam had asked.
Ray nodded, even though he didn’t. His dad had a lock cutter at the garage, probably several, but Ray hadn’t brought it.
His reasons?
Number one: His dad would find out, and that was worse than Hill realizing Ray had broken into his locker.
Number two: He didn’t need a lock cutter.
Ray had learned how to open a combination lock without the combination a few years ago. He’d seen a movie about a group of guys who were robbing a bank. One of the men stood near the vault lock and listened for a small “click” as he turned the dial. Ray had assumed that combination locks were similar.
They were.
He’d practiced for months and months and gotten pretty good at it. It had been a while since he’d last opened one, so he might be a little rusty. Hopefully not longer-than-seven-minutes rusty.
He held the lock in his hand and slowly turned it clockwise. Thirty-four.
Counterclockwise. Listen.
“Click.” Forty-six.
Clockwise.
The third number was the hardest number to decipher because as he turned the dial, the whole thing seemed to click. When it became harder to turn, he pulled down on the lock shaft.
Perfect.
Thirty-four.
Forty-six.
One.
Ray smiled and stuffed Hill’s gym clothes in an empty locker. Then he put the new lock on Hill’s locker, walked out, and headed back to class.
“And where have you been, Mr. Richmond?” his teacher asked.
Ray hung the hall pass on the side of the door where it was kept. “Just taking care of business.”
CHAPTER 29
Pearl
Five minutes.
Pearl grabbed the other hall pass from the door and walked into the hall.
Her heart double-timed in her chest, and she wiped her palms on her jeans. Fast, high-pitched violin music played in the background of her mind. She had five minutes to open Hill’s locker, and then Dutch was supposed to pass her in the hall and slip a new lock on.
“I’m sure we could all do this prank on our own if we wanted,” Adam had said. “But let’s see if we can get out of class and work together to get it done. Timing is everything.”
“And not getting caught,” Perk had replied.
“Yes, and that. Pearl, you’re sure you remember his locker combination?”
“Yeah.”
Or, at least she was pretty sure she remembered.
If she remembered the combination, she’d be done in thirty seconds.
She found Hill’s locker and stood in front of the lock. She closed her eyes.
Twenty-two.
Five.
Thirteen.
She saw the numbers clear as a high C in her head, written down in Hill’s writing. He’d given it to her, writing it on the back of a paper she’d written for social studies.
“Just in case you ever want to do something special for me,” he’d said.
She should’ve gotten the clue right then.
Pearl opened her eyes and twisted the dial clockwise, then counterclockwise, then clockwise again.
Click.
She grinned.
After taking off the lock and tossing it into the nearby trash can, she started back to science class.
Just before she reached her classroom, Dutch slipped out of Mrs. Henderson’s classroom. She had language arts with Mrs. Henderson, too, except during sixth period.
He looked at her and smiled. Or maybe he just squinted, she couldn’t tell. It was sort of cute.
“Did you get it?” he whispered.
She nodded and ducked back into her classroom, glancing back to see him disappear down the hall.
Was she weird for thinking that he was cute?
Did she care that it was weird?
CHAPTER 30
Dutch
Three minutes.
He’d never done something like this.
He couldn’t mess it up. It was simple enough that he really couldn’t, unless for some reason, someone caught him.
What if Pearl had shaken her head no and he just thought it was a nod because his face was ticking so much. No, he had to focus, to pull out the new lock and put it on Hill’s locker.
They were counting on him.
He looked up at the clock.
Two minutes.
But before Dutch put the new lock on Hill’s locker, he opened it. He had to. Amidst a cluttered mess of papers and books, Hill’s jacket and backpack, was another stack of posters with Dutch’s face plastered on them.
Dutch’s hand was steadier now. His face wasn’t squinting as much. He grabbed the stack of papers and tossed them into the trash can. Then he snapped the new lock on the door.
A knot that had formed—hard and tangled—in his chest released. As he dashed back to his class, he glanced in at Pearl’s classroom and caught her eye.
She smiled.
He smiled, or squinted.
He wasn’t sure which.
CHAPTER 31
Adam
Hill was stuck in the bathroom for almost all of fourth period, couldn’t open either of his lockers for the rest of the day, and no one was caught.
Their plan was a success.
“What do you say that we all go to the restaurant after school?” Adam asked Perk. “You know, keep planning and celebrate.”
Perk nodded. “Sure. I can see if Mrs. Miller can pick up Tommy and watch him for a while.”
Adam liked Mrs. Miller, Tommy’s sometime babysitter, too. She smelled like warm bread and looked like a human version of a golden retriever, but still, Adam was surprised that Perk wouldn’t want Tommy to come. “You know he can come, right?”
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