good,” Vincent said as he swung from Bruno’s hand. That’s twice now I’ve been up-ended because of the elves, he thought. I don’t like it, not at all.
“Of course it was good!” Barnaby said. “I had the best display, the latest cutting-edge technology, the most plausible end-of-the-world scenario.”
“I know,” said Vincent. “But I didn’t get a chance to really look at it, because I was stuck at my own table. I just wanted to know if I could have a look at your project.”
Barnaby appeared to be considering Vincent’s plea. He’s buying it, Vincent thought. Now’s the time to move in for the kill.
“I know we haven’t always seen eye-to-eye,” Vincent said, “but I want to change all that. I think we could be friends.”
“Friends?” Barnaby said with a laugh. “Me, friends with a loser like you?”
“Hey, I didn’t think much of you, either,” Vincent said, “until I saw that project of yours,” he added hastily as Bruno gave his ankle a sharp squeeze. “I realized there’s more to you than meets the eye. Give me a chance, you’ll see there’s more to me, too.”
Barnaby thought about it. Vincent hung patiently, his fingers crossed for luck.
“No,” Barnaby said. “Get lost, loser.”
“Just a moment, Barnaby.”
Vincent, Barnaby, and the two bodyguards turned to the limo. A middle-aged man with slicked-back gray hair and a business suit had just rolled down the car’s back window.
“You can’t fault the boy for having taste in friends,” the man said, “though he clearly has none in clothing.”
Barnaby laughed at that. So did Bruno and Boots. Vincent faked a smile, but laughter was just a tiny bit beyond him.
“That’s my dad,” Barnaby said. “He’s one of the top executives at Alphega Corp.”
“Francis Wilkins,” said Barnaby’s dad. “I’d shake your hand, but … ”
“ … I’m a little hung up right now?” Vincent finished for him.
“Why don’t you give this boy a chance?” Mr. Wilkins said, winking at his son. Barnaby smiled and nodded back.
Uh oh, Vincent thought.
Mr. Wilkins rolled up his window, and the limo pulled out of the school parking lot. Barnaby made a hand gesture, and Bruno dropped Vincent to the pavement.
“Okay, you’ll get a chance,” Barnaby said. “But first I’ve got a job for you, to prove you really are a guy I can be seen with.”
“Yeah?” Vincent said, getting back up and rubbing his head. “What would that be?”
“Beat up on someone for me.”
“Beat someone up?” Vincent said.
“You scared to pick a fight?” Barnaby asked, and his bodyguards snickered.
“No, I am not,” Vincent replied.
“Good,” said Barnaby. “Then beat up on your friend Big Tom.”
Lunch hour. High noon, as it were. Vincent walked slowly around the side of the school, with Big Tom following closely behind.
“So what’s this thing you want to show me?” his best friend asked.
“It’s just around here,” Vincent replied, staring straight ahead.
He couldn’t believe he was doing this. All through morning classes he’d dreaded this moment, and now that it was here he wanted to throw up.
He was really going to do it. He was going to beat up his best friend.
“Is it really special?” Big Tom asked.
“Sort of,” Vincent replied.
“Will it knock my socks off?” Big Tom asked.
Vincent groaned.
“We’d better be careful,” Big Tom said. “This is where that jerk Barnaby takes kids he wants to beat up.”
“You don’t say.”
“It’s ’cause the teachers don’t patrol around here,” Big Tom went on. “Nobody’d see you if you got beat up.”
“Uh huh,” Vincent said, turning around. They were far enough away now. Big Tom was right; no one would see.
Almost no one. From around the side of the school Vincent could see Barnaby and his two bodyguards. Vincent had told Barnaby he would beat up Big Tom at lunch hour, and there Barnaby was to make sure he did it.
“So where’s the
“Of course it was good!” Barnaby said. “I had the best display, the latest cutting-edge technology, the most plausible end-of-the-world scenario.”
“I know,” said Vincent. “But I didn’t get a chance to really look at it, because I was stuck at my own table. I just wanted to know if I could have a look at your project.”
Barnaby appeared to be considering Vincent’s plea. He’s buying it, Vincent thought. Now’s the time to move in for the kill.
“I know we haven’t always seen eye-to-eye,” Vincent said, “but I want to change all that. I think we could be friends.”
“Friends?” Barnaby said with a laugh. “Me, friends with a loser like you?”
“Hey, I didn’t think much of you, either,” Vincent said, “until I saw that project of yours,” he added hastily as Bruno gave his ankle a sharp squeeze. “I realized there’s more to you than meets the eye. Give me a chance, you’ll see there’s more to me, too.”
Barnaby thought about it. Vincent hung patiently, his fingers crossed for luck.
“No,” Barnaby said. “Get lost, loser.”
“Just a moment, Barnaby.”
Vincent, Barnaby, and the two bodyguards turned to the limo. A middle-aged man with slicked-back gray hair and a business suit had just rolled down the car’s back window.
“You can’t fault the boy for having taste in friends,” the man said, “though he clearly has none in clothing.”
Barnaby laughed at that. So did Bruno and Boots. Vincent faked a smile, but laughter was just a tiny bit beyond him.
“That’s my dad,” Barnaby said. “He’s one of the top executives at Alphega Corp.”
“Francis Wilkins,” said Barnaby’s dad. “I’d shake your hand, but … ”
“ … I’m a little hung up right now?” Vincent finished for him.
“Why don’t you give this boy a chance?” Mr. Wilkins said, winking at his son. Barnaby smiled and nodded back.
Uh oh, Vincent thought.
Mr. Wilkins rolled up his window, and the limo pulled out of the school parking lot. Barnaby made a hand gesture, and Bruno dropped Vincent to the pavement.
“Okay, you’ll get a chance,” Barnaby said. “But first I’ve got a job for you, to prove you really are a guy I can be seen with.”
“Yeah?” Vincent said, getting back up and rubbing his head. “What would that be?”
“Beat up on someone for me.”
“Beat someone up?” Vincent said.
“You scared to pick a fight?” Barnaby asked, and his bodyguards snickered.
“No, I am not,” Vincent replied.
“Good,” said Barnaby. “Then beat up on your friend Big Tom.”
Lunch hour. High noon, as it were. Vincent walked slowly around the side of the school, with Big Tom following closely behind.
“So what’s this thing you want to show me?” his best friend asked.
“It’s just around here,” Vincent replied, staring straight ahead.
He couldn’t believe he was doing this. All through morning classes he’d dreaded this moment, and now that it was here he wanted to throw up.
He was really going to do it. He was going to beat up his best friend.
“Is it really special?” Big Tom asked.
“Sort of,” Vincent replied.
“Will it knock my socks off?” Big Tom asked.
Vincent groaned.
“We’d better be careful,” Big Tom said. “This is where that jerk Barnaby takes kids he wants to beat up.”
“You don’t say.”
“It’s ’cause the teachers don’t patrol around here,” Big Tom went on. “Nobody’d see you if you got beat up.”
“Uh huh,” Vincent said, turning around. They were far enough away now. Big Tom was right; no one would see.
Almost no one. From around the side of the school Vincent could see Barnaby and his two bodyguards. Vincent had told Barnaby he would beat up Big Tom at lunch hour, and there Barnaby was to make sure he did it.
“So where’s the
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