Read Online In a Flash by Eric Walters - Free Book Online

attention!” I called out.
    Everybody stopped talking and laughing and moving and looked at me.
    â€œThank you all for coming out to our unofficial school dance.”
    A gigantic cheer went up, and people waved their hands in the air.
    â€œEnjoy yourselves, dance to your music and be kind to each other, and we’ll give you a signal when it’s time to head back to school.”
    â€œWhat if we don’t want to head back to school?” a boy yelled out, and others cheered.
    â€œYou can do what you want,” I answered. “But I hope everybody will head back. It’llsend a message about who we are, about how we can have a dance. Okay, everybody get ready.”
    All around me people pulled their iPods out of pockets and pouches and purses.
    â€œEnjoy the dance!” I yelled.
    Everybody all around put the buds in their ears, turned on their iPods and began dancing to their own music!
    Standing on top of the garbage can, I was able to take in the whole scene. There were about a thousand kids, all plugged in to their own music, dancing to hundreds of different tunes, all without a single sound—a silent dance.
    I jumped down from the garbage can and set down the bullhorn. Oswald climbed up onto the can, taking my place. He pulled out his video camera and started to film.
    I removed my iPod from my pocket, clipped on the headphones and pushed Play. John Legend came through the earbuds, and I started to dance as well. I might as well enjoy the moment—no telling how it was going to end.

chapter thirteen
    The dance was amazing, everybody doing their own thing. Some danced fast, some slow, some wild, all grooving to their own tunes—sounds that nobody else could hear. Sometimes people exchanged iPods. Sometimes there were couples—either a boy and a girl or a couple of girls—who each had one earbud from the same iPod and were listening to the same song, dancing to the same beat.
    When I wasn’t watching the crowd, Ikept an eye on the school, waiting for Mr. Roberts to appear. Part of me wanted him to come out. The other part wanted him to stay away, either unaware or ignoring what was going on out here. That would have been easier, but what would have been the point? Then, almost like I’d magically made him appear, he did. He walked across the parking lot toward the bridge. It was a slow, deliberate walk.
    I gestured for Oswald, got his attention and pointed toward the school. He saw Mr. Roberts too and jumped down off the garbage can. I couldn’t blame him for not wanting to stand head and shoulders above the crowd. It would be much better to just blend in. I wished I had that choice.
    I kept my iPod playing and I kept dancing, but I danced toward the bridge. I wanted to be there when he crossed.
    He came across the parking lot by himself. He moved with confidence, no hesitation. As he got closer, I was relieved to see that he wasn’t carrying his baseballbat—not that I really thought he would be, but just the same, I’d wondered.
    He stopped in the middle of the bridge, the spot where school property ended. He stood there, looking out at the scene of most of the students from his school, dancing. I would have paid to know what he was thinking. Then he looked at me, locking his eyes on mine. He started toward me. I wasn’t going to have to pay to find out what was on his mind.
    He stopped directly in front of me. I pulled out my earbuds.
    â€œGood afternoon, Ian,” he said. His voice was calm.
    â€œHello, sir,” I said. Showing respect couldn’t hurt.
    â€œI assume this is all your doing.”
    â€œWhy would you think that?” I asked.
    â€œWho else could organize a flash mob like this except you?” he asked.
    For a split second I thought about denying it, but I knew there was no point.
    I nodded. “I did it.”
    â€œYou given any thought to how this might end?” he asked.
    â€œI know exactly how