Read Online Brass Monkeys by Terry Caszatt - Free Book Online Page B

clapping right along with her.
    The bell rang then, and while I gathered up my things, several kids slapped me on the back and said, “Good work” or “Nice job.” The heavy-set spy came over and drew me into a handshake before I could think about it.
    “We’re together now, buddy,” he said. He gave me a big wink.
    I nodded dumbly and then turned quickly so I could let Harriet know I wasn’t really buying into this baloney, but she, Weeser, and Alvin were already heading for the door. I had only a glimpse of Alvin’s scowling look.
    I picked up my things and rushed after them, finally catching up to Weeser and Alvin by their lockers. There was no sign of Harriet.
    “Wow, that didn’t turn out quite like I expected,” I began breathlessly. “But at least I got Harriet off the hook.” Alvin wouldn’t look at me, but Weeser gave me a green-eyed stare.
    “You didn’t get anyone off the hook,” he said. “You just kissed butt.”
    “I didn’t kiss butt,” I said indignantly. “Listen, I knew if I read a great poem, it would have just made things worse. So I took the smart way—”
    “Bullroar,” growled Alvin. “You didn’t help Harriet by reading some old fardexy thing like that. A bunch of ‘Toad Man’ crud.”
    “C’mon, you guys can’t blame me,” I said, desperately. “You read some pretty gloomy stuff in there, too.”
    Weeser’s eyes widened angrily. “Duh
-wang
. The point is you weren’t supposed to, Mr. Hotshot B.B.”
    “You crushed Harriet in there,” said Alvin in an awful, level voice. “She was the only one who hadn’t given up, and you dumped on her by caving in.”
    “You took the coward’s way,” said Weeser, “the yellow-bellied, weak-kneed—”
    “Wussy way,” finished Alvin. “You’re not the Tonka-bud I thought you were.”
    Before I could say another word, they slammed their lockers shut and walked off. A prickly heat rolled over me and I leaned against the lockers, too weak to move. I groaned, a pitiful sound that I instantly hated. In desperation, I thought about running after them and begging them to reconsider. But I knew it was too late. I had lost the best friends a kid could ever hope to have. And I had a terrible, bone-deep feeling I’d never win them back.

11

the coward’s lonely path
    The rest of the day went by in a depressing whirl. The next thing was hot lunch, and I got so rattled in the cafeteria line that I chose what the kid behind me called “mystery meat.” This was a horrible-looking purple meat pattie with black dots all over it. To make it worse, I had to sit alone. Even the spies avoided me.
    Then there was history class with Mr. Pelkaloose. He ate crackers while he lectured, and wet, blobby pieces kept landing on me. Harriet was in there, but she avoided me like the plague. After class I started over to her, all nerved up to apologize, but she saw me coming and hurried out of the room.
    I spent a miserable hour in gym class with Coach Bullmiester, a pot-bellied man with a mean look. His idea of gym class was to spend the whole period playing a game called “Bashball.” Basically, you tried to brain your opponent by hitting him in the head with a volleyball. Alvin and Weeser were in there and ignored me, except once when Alvin urged another kid to nail me. “Hit the little coward!” Alvin yelled.
    Finally, the day ended and I was desperate to find Harriet and try to explain myself. I had been rehearsing all afternoon what I was going to say, and I felt if I could just talk to her, maybe I could smooth things over.
    I spotted her waiting in the bus line and I hurried over. She pushed quickly past the other kids and boarded, leaving me standing there. Then, to make matters worse, I found out I couldn’t ride the bus because the driver didn’t know me. I saw Alvin and Weeser pulling out of the parking lot and I waved hesitantly at them. They thundered on by with Weeser staring at me as if I weren’t there.
    Watching that Jeep