Read Online Interlude- Brandon by Terry Schott - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Terry Schott
Ads: Link
“You kids are forming a Hand. What happens if you wear a ring on the third finger of your hand and the next day you try to wear it on your pinkie finger? It doesn’t work. Everyone has a place and there's nothing wrong with that. There are members of my hand that are better at me than some things. Hell, when you add it all up, they’re better at me than most things.” Cooper’s teammates laughed and nodded in agreement. “I’m the leader, though, and all of us agree on that. When things get bad, there is never any confusion about where to look for directions.” He tapped his chest. “I make the call, and when I do, the rest are looking at me and ready for orders. Each and every one of us plays a specific role which makes us the best at what we do.”
Cooper stopped talking to let his point sink in. After a few moments, he stood up and placed his hand on his chair. “Now,” he said, “who is the leader of your group?”
In unison everyone at the table, the A’s included, said, “Brandon!”
Cooper nodded and motioned for Brandon to come forward and take his seat. “Your leader is your number one, and should always be ranked number one among you. Enough of this sharing nonsense. When you’re in single competition games, all of you work together to have Brandon finish on top. It’s very obvious that you can do it. If you have a problem with that, then you have a problem with his leadership, which must be dealt with if it happens. And do it outside of the games. If you can’t solve the problem, then either you or Brandon must leave the group. Do we all understand each other?”
The children nodded seriously.
“Let me assure you, kids, if you run your Hand the way I am advising you to, then you will be the best of the best. If you don’t, then you’ll fail — like so many others have done in the past.”
“Thanks for the advice, Cooper,” Brandon said.
Cooper nodded. “No problem. One more piece of advice, then we can all eat.”
“Sure.”
“Get your final member, and do it soon.”
Chapter 17
“I can’t believe how many applications we got,” Brandon said.
“I can,” Alan said. “Like Cooper said, we’re the team to beat right now. It also helps that the A’s come sit with us once in a while. Now everyone wants to be part of our group.”
“Not everyone,” Kay said. She nodded towards another table but no one bothered to look; they all knew who she was referring to.
Lohkam and his crew sat three tables away. They were ranked number one in the 12-14 group which was just above Brandon’s. The lords of each age group were notorious for harassing the top ranked leaders in the group just below them. It was a nasty hierarchy of torment, and Brandon’s Hand had learned that being number one did come with one or two drawbacks.
Knowing that Lohkam and his group were mistreated by the kids above them helped deal with the sting to a degree. It wasn’t right, but there was nothing Brandon could do from his position as rank leader of the youngest group. He vowed to treat the leaders below him better when he moved up in the ranks… after he kicked Lohkam out of his position.
“Ignore them,” Brandon said. “They’re scared. Once we move into their category they’ll lose their place. It must be terrible for them to know their days are numbered.”
Tony laughed, “One more year and we’ll own them. I can’t wait.”
Brandon smiled and nodded. “Who’s next, Kay?”
Kay swiped a finger across her tablet and pulled up the next profile. “His name is Easton, and he looks real good on paper, guys. If he interviews well, he might be the one we want.”
“Okay, let’s hope so,” Tony said. “I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m getting bored. We’ve interviewed, what, eleven kids so far?”
“Yeah,” Brandon said. “Some good kids, but I agree. Hopefully we find the right one soon.”
“There he is,” Kay said.
Easton was of average height for a
Cooper stopped talking to let his point sink in. After a few moments, he stood up and placed his hand on his chair. “Now,” he said, “who is the leader of your group?”
In unison everyone at the table, the A’s included, said, “Brandon!”
Cooper nodded and motioned for Brandon to come forward and take his seat. “Your leader is your number one, and should always be ranked number one among you. Enough of this sharing nonsense. When you’re in single competition games, all of you work together to have Brandon finish on top. It’s very obvious that you can do it. If you have a problem with that, then you have a problem with his leadership, which must be dealt with if it happens. And do it outside of the games. If you can’t solve the problem, then either you or Brandon must leave the group. Do we all understand each other?”
The children nodded seriously.
“Let me assure you, kids, if you run your Hand the way I am advising you to, then you will be the best of the best. If you don’t, then you’ll fail — like so many others have done in the past.”
“Thanks for the advice, Cooper,” Brandon said.
Cooper nodded. “No problem. One more piece of advice, then we can all eat.”
“Sure.”
“Get your final member, and do it soon.”
Chapter 17
“I can’t believe how many applications we got,” Brandon said.
“I can,” Alan said. “Like Cooper said, we’re the team to beat right now. It also helps that the A’s come sit with us once in a while. Now everyone wants to be part of our group.”
“Not everyone,” Kay said. She nodded towards another table but no one bothered to look; they all knew who she was referring to.
Lohkam and his crew sat three tables away. They were ranked number one in the 12-14 group which was just above Brandon’s. The lords of each age group were notorious for harassing the top ranked leaders in the group just below them. It was a nasty hierarchy of torment, and Brandon’s Hand had learned that being number one did come with one or two drawbacks.
Knowing that Lohkam and his group were mistreated by the kids above them helped deal with the sting to a degree. It wasn’t right, but there was nothing Brandon could do from his position as rank leader of the youngest group. He vowed to treat the leaders below him better when he moved up in the ranks… after he kicked Lohkam out of his position.
“Ignore them,” Brandon said. “They’re scared. Once we move into their category they’ll lose their place. It must be terrible for them to know their days are numbered.”
Tony laughed, “One more year and we’ll own them. I can’t wait.”
Brandon smiled and nodded. “Who’s next, Kay?”
Kay swiped a finger across her tablet and pulled up the next profile. “His name is Easton, and he looks real good on paper, guys. If he interviews well, he might be the one we want.”
“Okay, let’s hope so,” Tony said. “I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m getting bored. We’ve interviewed, what, eleven kids so far?”
“Yeah,” Brandon said. “Some good kids, but I agree. Hopefully we find the right one soon.”
“There he is,” Kay said.
Easton was of average height for a
Similar Books
