Read Online Also Known as Rowan Pohi by Ralph Fletcher - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Ralph Fletcher
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them both at the exact same moment.
"You're ... Rowan Pohi?" Big Poobs whispered.
I nodded. "Yeah."
Marcus was thunderstruck. "
You
turned into
him?
"
"Yeah. I guess so."
"But how ... since when?" Big Poobs sputtered.
"A couple days ago," I said.
I don't think they would have been any more flabbergasted if I'd told them I was six months pregnant.
"You really went to the school?" Marcus demanded. "What about those papers? Weren't you supposed to bring them with you?"
"I did."
"But ... how?"
"I dug up the grave."
They stared at me hard. Marcus shook his head. Big Poobs flat-out refused to believe it. "No, you didn't. You wouldn't."
"Yes, I did."
"You dug up his
grave?
" Marcus repeated in disbelief. "That's, like, sacrilegious."
I winced. "I know. Sorry."
Big Poobs was dazed. "Rowan rose from the dead? Only Jesus and vampires do that."
I smiled. "Only you would put Jesus and vampires in the same sentence."
But Marcus wasn't smiling. He looked angry. Hurt. "Why didn't you tell us?"
Why hadn't I told them?"Because youâ"
Marcus interrupted: "Because you had to keep us on aâwhat do they call it?âa need-to-know basis. Huh? Is that it?"
"Listen, Iâ"
Marcus turned away, facing the street. "You really suck, man."
It was true, but I had to defend myself anyway.
"I wasn't trying to freeze you out," I countered. "Look, I only went one day. I'm telling you now, aren't I?"
"You are un-be-lievable," Marcus snarled. "You're really going to transfer to Whitestone?"
"Yeah," I admitted. "I already have."
"But it's a private school," Big Poobs pointed out. "Since when does your father have that kind of money?"
"Rowan's trying to get a scholarship," I explained.
Marcus stared. "Rowan? Or you?"
"Both. We're kind of a package deal." I tried to laugh but couldn't make it sound right.
Marcus shook his head. "Oh, I see, Mr. Multiple Personality."
Long pause. We slurped the dregs of our drinks.
"What's it like inside Whitestone?" Poobs asked curiously.
"Pretty slick," I told him. "The football field is, like, professional. All the equipment in the weight room looks brand-new. They had this, like, reception with little cheese cubes and fancy cookies and chocolate."
I took the Lindt chocolate balls out of my pocket and put them on the table. "Help yourself."
The way Marcus stared at those Lindt balls, I thought they might melt right there on the table. "You're a Stony now." His face was hard. "You're one of them."
"I am not!"
Marcus flashed me a nasty smile. "Oh no?"
"Look, I'm sorry, Marcus. I didn't plan it this way."
Marcus stood up. "I gotta go."
"Wait." I grabbed his shoulder. "Remember my text? I need some money."
Marcus opened his eyes wide in astonishment. "First you go and dig up Rowan's grave, and now you want my money. Is that how it goes?"
"I need to buy some clothes at the school store," I lamely explained. "They have a dress code at Whitestone."
"I brought a hundred," Big Poobs said, handing me a wad of bills.
Marcus dropped five twenties on the table and headed toward the door.
"I'll pay you back," I called after him.
"You're damn right you will," he said without turning around.
SEVENTEEN
T HAT NIGHT I ALTERED MY ROUTE SO I COULD RUN PAST Riverview High School. The parking lot was an ugly construction site, ripped up and half finished, with piles of dirt and discarded coffee cups. Was it possible that I had spent my last day at that sorry school?
I felt bad about Marcus's reaction, but what could I do? Now that Rowan Pohi was up and running, well, I couldn't wuss out on him. The whole thing was still very shaky; I had to be committed two hundred percent. There were a zillion loose ends to figure out, like how to be at Whitestone on Thursday and work at my father's garage at the same time.
So I lied. I seemed to have gotten good at lying. I told my father that Big Poobs had gotten me a part-time gig busing tables at Vinny's on Thursday. Could I do those oil changes on
"You're ... Rowan Pohi?" Big Poobs whispered.
I nodded. "Yeah."
Marcus was thunderstruck. "
You
turned into
him?
"
"Yeah. I guess so."
"But how ... since when?" Big Poobs sputtered.
"A couple days ago," I said.
I don't think they would have been any more flabbergasted if I'd told them I was six months pregnant.
"You really went to the school?" Marcus demanded. "What about those papers? Weren't you supposed to bring them with you?"
"I did."
"But ... how?"
"I dug up the grave."
They stared at me hard. Marcus shook his head. Big Poobs flat-out refused to believe it. "No, you didn't. You wouldn't."
"Yes, I did."
"You dug up his
grave?
" Marcus repeated in disbelief. "That's, like, sacrilegious."
I winced. "I know. Sorry."
Big Poobs was dazed. "Rowan rose from the dead? Only Jesus and vampires do that."
I smiled. "Only you would put Jesus and vampires in the same sentence."
But Marcus wasn't smiling. He looked angry. Hurt. "Why didn't you tell us?"
Why hadn't I told them?"Because youâ"
Marcus interrupted: "Because you had to keep us on aâwhat do they call it?âa need-to-know basis. Huh? Is that it?"
"Listen, Iâ"
Marcus turned away, facing the street. "You really suck, man."
It was true, but I had to defend myself anyway.
"I wasn't trying to freeze you out," I countered. "Look, I only went one day. I'm telling you now, aren't I?"
"You are un-be-lievable," Marcus snarled. "You're really going to transfer to Whitestone?"
"Yeah," I admitted. "I already have."
"But it's a private school," Big Poobs pointed out. "Since when does your father have that kind of money?"
"Rowan's trying to get a scholarship," I explained.
Marcus stared. "Rowan? Or you?"
"Both. We're kind of a package deal." I tried to laugh but couldn't make it sound right.
Marcus shook his head. "Oh, I see, Mr. Multiple Personality."
Long pause. We slurped the dregs of our drinks.
"What's it like inside Whitestone?" Poobs asked curiously.
"Pretty slick," I told him. "The football field is, like, professional. All the equipment in the weight room looks brand-new. They had this, like, reception with little cheese cubes and fancy cookies and chocolate."
I took the Lindt chocolate balls out of my pocket and put them on the table. "Help yourself."
The way Marcus stared at those Lindt balls, I thought they might melt right there on the table. "You're a Stony now." His face was hard. "You're one of them."
"I am not!"
Marcus flashed me a nasty smile. "Oh no?"
"Look, I'm sorry, Marcus. I didn't plan it this way."
Marcus stood up. "I gotta go."
"Wait." I grabbed his shoulder. "Remember my text? I need some money."
Marcus opened his eyes wide in astonishment. "First you go and dig up Rowan's grave, and now you want my money. Is that how it goes?"
"I need to buy some clothes at the school store," I lamely explained. "They have a dress code at Whitestone."
"I brought a hundred," Big Poobs said, handing me a wad of bills.
Marcus dropped five twenties on the table and headed toward the door.
"I'll pay you back," I called after him.
"You're damn right you will," he said without turning around.
SEVENTEEN
T HAT NIGHT I ALTERED MY ROUTE SO I COULD RUN PAST Riverview High School. The parking lot was an ugly construction site, ripped up and half finished, with piles of dirt and discarded coffee cups. Was it possible that I had spent my last day at that sorry school?
I felt bad about Marcus's reaction, but what could I do? Now that Rowan Pohi was up and running, well, I couldn't wuss out on him. The whole thing was still very shaky; I had to be committed two hundred percent. There were a zillion loose ends to figure out, like how to be at Whitestone on Thursday and work at my father's garage at the same time.
So I lied. I seemed to have gotten good at lying. I told my father that Big Poobs had gotten me a part-time gig busing tables at Vinny's on Thursday. Could I do those oil changes on
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