Theo pulled a T-shirt from a beat-up old cardboard box. It was bright green, and quite large, and in big, blocky letters it said BLOCK HEADZ.
“There’s one for everybody!” he said, and he passed out the T-shirts.
“Interesting color,” said Po. “Sort of a…booger green.”
“I don’t understand the ‘Z’ at all,” said Harper.
“What’s a blockhead?” asked Jodi.
“We are!” said Theo. “I figured we should have a team name. So…Block Headz.”
“That’s so nice, Theo,” said Jodi, and she elbowed Morgan again. “Don’t you think so, big brother?”
Morgan held up his T-shirt. It was all wrong. He understood that Theo was trying to be nice, but…he just hated the shirt. Hated it!
“It’s a nice gesture, man,” said Po.
“I’ll be sure to wear it soon,” said Harper.
“Maybe I’ll get matching…um…nail polish!” said Jodi.
Morgan realized he had been silent for a long time. Everyone was looking at him.
“It’s…cool,” he said. “Thanks, Theo.”
But he didn’t sound very convincing. He could tell by the disappointed look on Theo’s face.
Just then, the bell rang. Lunch was over, and everyone started packing up their things.
“Saved by the bell,” Morgan muttered under his breath.
Jodi gave him a dirty look. But what could he do? Morgan didn’t want to be mean, but from his perspective, Theo made it hard to be nice.
After school, Jodi made her way to the butterfly sanctuary, previously known as the computer lab.
When she opened the door, she was pleasantly surprised to see a familiar face.
“Baron Sweetcheeks!” she said. “What are you doing here?”
The class hamster squeaked as if to say hello. He had been put into a plastic hamster ball, and he rolled right up to Jodi. She picked him up, ball and all.
Harper poked her head out from behind an elephant-ear plant. “I brought him along,” she said. “I’m on hamster duty this week, and I thought he could use some exercise. He seems to like it here. It’s almost like being outside.”
“Yeah, what happened to the air-conditioning?” Morgan pulled at his sweaty shirt. “It’s sweltering in here. Like it’s an actual jungle!”
“That’s on purpose,” said Harper. “Doc was keeping all the caterpillars in a terrarium so she could control the temperature and humidity levels for them. But now…since they escaped…”
“This whole room is the terrarium,” said Morgan. “Got it.”
“We just have to take some measurements,” said Harper. “We’ll report back to Doc, and she’ll figure out if she needs to bring in more plants or adjust the thermostat or anything like that.”
“I hope these little guys appreciate all this,” said Morgan, squinting to get a good look at a cocoon.
“I’m sure they do!” said Jodi. “When they hatch, they’ll know we took good care of them. Like the baron here.” She placed the hamster ball back on the ground, and Baron Sweetcheeks resumed rolling around the room.
“It’s weird, though,” said Morgan. “These things were caterpillars less than a week ago. And they’re going to be butterflies?”
“That’s right,” said Harper. “They’re going through metamorphosis—which is a fancy word for ‘change.’ ”
Morgan frowned. “I feel like we’re all going through metamorphosis. Nothing is the same as it was before.”
Jodi patted her brother on the back. “Nothing is ever the same as before,” she said. “Change is constant.” She looked over her shoulder. “I just wish we would sprout wings. That’s a change I could really enjoy!”
Just then, Harper’s backpack chimed.
“Ooh!” Harper said. “That’s my phone.” She rummaged around in a pocket. Then she pulled out the phone she had once upgraded with some of Doc’s old equipment—to strange results. “It’s a video call,” Harper said with a grin. “From our old friend—”
“Ash!” cried Jodi. She squeezed in close to Harper so that she could get a better look. “How are you? I like your hair! What’s the weather like over there?”
“Hi, Jodi,” said Ash. “Everything’s good here, but I miss you guys.”
“We miss you, too,” said Morgan. He squeezed in on Harper’s other side.
Baron Sweetcheeks squeaked at the sound of Ash’s voice, and Harper laughed. “Baron Sweetcheeks says hi. Either that or he’s asking for dinner.”
“Baron Sweetcheeks is the best,” said Ash. “My new class pet is a snake, you guys. A snake! It gives me the creeps.”
Baron Sweetcheeks squeaked in agreement.
“Aw, snakes are all right,” said Jodi. She wouldn’t mind having a snake, if only she could find one that didn’t eat cute little rodents. Were there vegetarian snakes? She made a note to look that up next time they were in the library.
“Are we playing Minecraft tonight?” asked Ash. “I’m finally free!”
“Bad timing,” Harper said glumly. “We’re helping Doc with a project. And Po’s got a club meeting.”
“Aw, too bad,” said Ash. “I keep missing you guys. But we’ll find time soon, I’m sure.”
“I hope so,” Morgan said. “It’s not the same without you. Theo is super annoying.”
“Yikes,” said Ash. “That’s pretty harsh, Morgan.”
“It’s the truth!” he said. “I don’t understand his jokes. He’s a terrible team player—he just always acts like he’s in charge, and then he gets in the way. He likes to tell us he’s some sort of coding genius, but I’m beginning to think he couldn’t hack his way out of a paper bag.”
“Ouch,” said a voice. Jodi’s heart sank immediately. She knew whose voice that was.
They turned to see Theo standing in the doorway. He was holding a pizza box and wearing his Blockheadz shirt. And he looked utterly, completely heartbroken. “I was just…I thought you guys might want some pineapple pizza, but…”
He couldn’t finish the sentence. He spun around and bolted into the hallway.
“Theo, wait!” said Jodi. She hurried after him, but she had to step around plants and a hyperactive hamster in a ball. By the time she got to the door, Theo was gone.
Morgan face-palmed. “That wasn’t great,” he said.
“No, it wasn’t,” Jodi said crossly. “I was already worried about Doc and Ms. Minerva fighting. Now I have to worry about you two. What did I tell you about being nice?”
“I didn’t know he was there. I’ll make it up to him,” said Morgan. “Somehow.” His face was red. At least he has the good sense to be embarrassed, Jodi thought. That’s a start.
“It sounds like there’s a lot happening over there,” Ash said through the phone. “Do you guys want to fill me in?”
Morgan, Jodi, and Harper all sighed at the same time.
“It’s a long story,” said Harper.
“I’ve got time,” said Ash. “Tell me all about it.”
Jodi smiled and picked up Baron Sweetcheeks in his hamster ball. Ash always made her feel better. And Ash always made their problems feel solvable.
It was nice to know that the distance between them didn’t change that.
Theo felt a terrible mix of emotions in his belly. He was angry at Morgan for the things he’d said. He was worried that all his friends might feel the same way Morgan did. Worst of all, he felt guilty.
Because what if Morgan was right? What if Theo’s mods had broken the game somehow? What if the Evoker King had been destroyed…and it was all his fault?
After Theo stormed out of the butterfly sanctuary, he didn’t stop moving until he’d made it across the street to Stonesword. He didn’t even realize he was still holding the pizza box until Mr
. Malory pointed it out to him.
“Sorry, Theo,” he said. “No food allowed.”
“Oh,” Theo said, looking at the box in his hands. “Do you want it, sir? I’m not really hungry anymore. It’s pineapple….”
Mr. Malory grimaced as he took the pizza box. “Not my favorite. But I’ll put it in the break room. The volunteers from the high school will eat anything.” He looked toward the door, as if expecting other students to file in behind Theo. “Where’s the rest of the group? I thought you all traveled together.”
“Sometimes,” Theo said, looking a little embarrassed. “But other times, they treat me like I’m not really part of the group. I don’t get it. I try so hard to fit in….”
Mr. Malory nodded. “I’ve been there. We’ve all been there,” he said. “But sometimes, trying to fit in is the wrong thing to do. Because if you try too hard, you’re not being yourself. And your friends should like you for who you are.”
For a moment, Theo was silent, his jaw working like he was chewing a piece of sticky caramel.
“Thanks, Mr. Malory,” he said, a smile slowly returning to his face. “You’ve given me something to think about. Are the computers free?”
“They are today,” he said. “But eventually, other kids are going to find them. I might have to limit screen time….”
Theo’s smile dropped again. “Really?” he said.
Mr. Malory chuckled. “You go right ahead and enjoy yourself. Forget about your problems for a while.”
“Okay,” said Theo. But he didn’t intend to forget about his problems. He intended to fix them.
Because Mr. Malory had told him to be himself. And who he was…was a problem-solver.
Even when that meant breaking the rules.
* * *
Theo had played Minecraft by himself plenty of times. But he still wasn’t used to being alone in the strange VR goggle version of Minecraft. The silence made him feel nervous.
Of course, he probably should be nervous, he thought. The Endermonster was out there somewhere.
And Theo meant to find it.
Theo raided one of the Shack’s many storage chests. He selected a set of diamond armor, a diamond sword, and some healing potions. He felt a lot safer now…but he would have to be sure to put everything back, or Morgan would be even more annoyed with him.
He crept carefully through the forest, retracing their path from the day before. In the clearing where they’d battled, the footprints made a big, messy jumble of squares. But Theo picked up the Endermonster’s tracks just outside the clearing.
The mob’s trail led him out of the forest, across a sunflower plain, and right to the foot of a low mountain. The footprints disappeared occasionally, and Theo was forced to wander around until he found where they picked up again. There was only one explanation for the gaps in the trail: the mob was teleporting as it traveled. It never teleported very far, but still, Theo was losing precious time. The sun had set, and darkness had fallen on the Overworld. Using a torch to see more clearly, Theo picked up the Endermonster’s trail once more.
Even in his diamond armor, Theo felt a shiver of fear.
It was when the night felt its darkest that he found the Endermonster. He saw its eyes first. Those frightening red eyes seemed to glow in the dark.
Then Theo realized his mistake. If he could see those eyes…
…those eyes could see him, too!
The Endermonster emitted a terrible scream. The sound chilled Theo to the core. He lifted his sword to defend himself—
But it was teleported right out of his hands!
Okay, thought Theo. That’s fine. I didn’t want to hurt him anyway. I just wanted to get a good look at him.
That goal would be easier to achieve now—since the Endermonster had teleported right into Theo’s face!
Theo took a quick step backward, barely avoiding the hostile mob’s swinging fist. He forced himself to stay calm. He had a theory about what the mob really was…but he needed proof. He needed some sign that this wasn’t an enderman at all, that it was actually—
POW! The Endermonster’s second swing connected. Theo almost fell over.
This mob hit hard. But at least Theo had powerful armor to protect him.
The Endermonster emitted a low howl. Its eyes flashed bright red. And Theo’s diamond chest plate…disappeared.
The Endermonster had teleported his armor right off him!
Now Theo worried he was really in trouble. Maybe he shouldn’t have tried to do this by himself. Maybe everything Morgan had said about him was true.
Theo backed up against a tree. The Endermonster stepped closer. It loomed above him. Theo searched its face for any sign of intelligence or compassion. “Please,” he said.
Something strange happened then. The Endermonster opened its mouth, as if ready to howl again.
This time, it spoke words.
“DON’T LOOK AT ME!”
Theo gasped. The Endermonster had spoken…with the Evoker King’s voice.
Theo realized that his theory was correct. The Evoker King’s code hadn’t been destroyed. It had been changed.
Changed…into this.
He tried to take comfort in that knowledge as the Endermonster raised its arms to strike him down.
Suddenly, a flask flew through the air. It struck the Endermonster square in the back. The mob’s eyes went wide with surprise—and then it teleported away in the blink of an eye.
With the Endermonster no longer right in front of him, Theo saw that someone else had followed its trail. Someone very unexpected—but a welcome surprise.
“Ash?!” said Theo.
“Are you all right, Theo?” she asked.
“I am now.” He rubbed his aching head. “Your timing was perfect. What did you hit that mob with?”
“Just water,” she answered. “Morgan and Harper filled me in. I know that thing isn’t a normal mob…but it seems to hate water just as much as any other enderman.”
“I should have thought of that,” Theo said, scolding himself. “My weapon sure didn’t help. And now I’ve lost our only diamond sword.”
“You mean this diamond sword?” Ash held it up for Theo to see. “I found it under a tree nearby. I was wondering where it came from.”
Theo smiled slightly. “That’s a relief. Now Morgan will just yell at me a little, instead of yelling at me a lot.”
Ash chuckled. “I might know a thing or two about that,” she said. “Remember, it wasn’t so long ago that I was the new kid.” She handed him the sword. “Let’s get out of here before that thing comes back. Then you can tell me what you’re doing here alone…and maybe I can give you some advice for dealing with Morgan.”
Theo smiled a real smile this time. “That would be great.”
* * *
As they walked back to the Shack, they kept their eyes open. They didn’t see the missing diamond armor. But they didn’t see any red eyes beneath the trees, either. So Theo considered himself lucky.
“Here’s the thing about Morgan,” said Ash. “He is the kindest, most loyal friend a person can have. But he’s very picky about who he considers a friend.”
“I definitely got that impression,” said Theo. “I know he thinks I’m bad at teamwork.”
“Teamwork is skill. It’s like…playing the piano,” said Ash. “Anyone can do it. But it takes constant practice to do it well. Even Morgan has to practice it. He likes being in charge. But sometimes he needs to be reminded that he’s not the boss of Minecraft.” Ash chuckled. “I got very good at reminding him of that.”
“So where do I start?” asked Theo. “I don’t think I can go into school tomorrow and say, ‘Hey, Morgan, please stop being bossy.’ ”
“No, that won’t help,” said Ash. “You need to show hi
m that you care about the team. You need to show him he can trust you. That means being honest…including telling the truth about what you’re up to in here.”
Theo thought about that. He still hadn’t been honest about all his modding.
“What if the truth just makes him angrier?”
Ash thought about that for a moment. “It might. But you can’t let fear get in the way of being honest. Not if you want a real friendship with Morgan and the others.”
Theo sighed. It sounded so simple when Ash said it. But he knew she was right.
As they approached the Shack, Theo caught a glimpse of something out of the corner of his eye. A glimmer of light shone in the sky. At first he thought the Endermonster had found them. But it was something else….
“Hey, Ash,” said Theo. “Do you see that?”
Ash squinted. “That’s definitely weird,” she agreed. “Let’s climb that hill and get a better look.”
They got closer to the anomaly, but it was hard to see. It was like a patch of deeper black in the darkness. But its edges glimmered like an oil slick.
It was a hole. A tear in the sky.
Theo had never seen anything like it. Neither had Ash.
“Something else to worry about,” said Theo.
“One thing at a time,” said Ash. “You’ve got a big conversation with Morgan and the others tomorrow. Focus on that for now.”
“Right,” Theo said. That conversation---—his confession---felt more terrifying than some random glitch in the Minecraft sky.
Crack in the Code! (Minecraft Stonesword Saga #1) Page 4