Read Online Louder Than Words by Laurie Plissner - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Laurie Plissner
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grab me, and I was dressed like a Disney princess, a cross between Snow White and Cinderella, meandering in circles, searching for a path to lead me out of the woods. It switched to a school, not mine, but larger, like a college campus, and I was wandering, desperately late for an exam in a class I’d never attended on a subject I knew nothing about.
When I woke up in the morning I wrote down everything I could remember—Dr. O’Rourke said that was key to analyzing one’s dreams. She was right. When I looked at my notes, I realized that the common thread was the fact that I was lost. I didn’t need Sigmund Freud to help me figure that out. I was lost—now if only I could start dreaming about how to find myself.
Chapter 6
Jules ran up to me as I stood at my locker. “Did you hear what happened?”
As I’d just arrived at school, and any number of things could have happened, I simply shook my head and widened my eyes. Jules leaned over and whispered in my ear. “Those creeps who jumped you in the park, all four of them, are in the hospital.”
I tilted my head to the side and made a beckoning motion with my hand. A great opening, but not enough information.
“Apparently someone put something toxic in their jock straps, and their junk swelled up to, like, four times normal size. At the hospital, the doctors thought they might have to amputate, but they’re better today, although I heard they won’t be able to have sex for a year.” By now Jules was laughing so hard I could barely understand what she was saying.
Head-tilting and blinking proving to be insufficient linguistic substitutes, I pulled out my robot ventriloquist machine. “DO THEY KNOW WHAT HAPPENED?”
“Nobody knows. They think it was some kind of prank, but because the locker room guy had already put their stuff through the laundry, the police have nothing to go on. Any evidence there may have been got washed away. It’s a total mystery.”
“I CAN’T BELIEVE IT.”
“No worries about those assholes bothering you any time in the near future.
That’s
good news.”
I nodded. “KARMA’S A BITCH.”
“Definitely.” The first bell of the day rang. “I’ll see you at lunch. I wonder if your statue boy has heard about this. Pretty funny stuff.”
For someone who was so smart—Jules was taking AP calculus and AP French—she wasn’t too swift. It hadn’t even occurred to her that my savior was apparently also a vigilante. I needed to find him to see if it was really true or just some perfect, heaven-sent coincidence. The latter was unlikely, as no one but Ben and Jules knew about my run-in with the offensive line, and lucky coincidences were not my strong suit.
All day long, the engorgement of the four varsity athletes was the major topic of discussion in the hallways, the cafeteria, and, of course, the locker room. Everyone was grateful that the football season had already ended, so that the misfortune that had befallen these poor boys at least had no impact on Shoreland High’s winning season. But lacrosse season was looming, and a prospective repeat state championship was at stake. It was a potentially disastrous situation.
Before the last bell, Principal Carson made an announcement over the intercom. “As I’m sure all of you have heard by now, several of our students were gravely injured as the result of a cruel and shocking practical joke. While I do not believe that any of our fine Shoreland students could be responsible for such a dangerous and devastating assault, I do hope that if anyone has any information that might lead to the apprehension of those responsible, that person would come forward. Someone has committed a heinous act against four innocent young men, and it is my earnest desire that such person or persons be brought to justice. Thank you, and good afternoon.”
If I hadn’t heard it with my own ears, I wouldn’t have believed it. Four innocent young men, my ass. What was it that made some people think
When I woke up in the morning I wrote down everything I could remember—Dr. O’Rourke said that was key to analyzing one’s dreams. She was right. When I looked at my notes, I realized that the common thread was the fact that I was lost. I didn’t need Sigmund Freud to help me figure that out. I was lost—now if only I could start dreaming about how to find myself.
Chapter 6
Jules ran up to me as I stood at my locker. “Did you hear what happened?”
As I’d just arrived at school, and any number of things could have happened, I simply shook my head and widened my eyes. Jules leaned over and whispered in my ear. “Those creeps who jumped you in the park, all four of them, are in the hospital.”
I tilted my head to the side and made a beckoning motion with my hand. A great opening, but not enough information.
“Apparently someone put something toxic in their jock straps, and their junk swelled up to, like, four times normal size. At the hospital, the doctors thought they might have to amputate, but they’re better today, although I heard they won’t be able to have sex for a year.” By now Jules was laughing so hard I could barely understand what she was saying.
Head-tilting and blinking proving to be insufficient linguistic substitutes, I pulled out my robot ventriloquist machine. “DO THEY KNOW WHAT HAPPENED?”
“Nobody knows. They think it was some kind of prank, but because the locker room guy had already put their stuff through the laundry, the police have nothing to go on. Any evidence there may have been got washed away. It’s a total mystery.”
“I CAN’T BELIEVE IT.”
“No worries about those assholes bothering you any time in the near future.
That’s
good news.”
I nodded. “KARMA’S A BITCH.”
“Definitely.” The first bell of the day rang. “I’ll see you at lunch. I wonder if your statue boy has heard about this. Pretty funny stuff.”
For someone who was so smart—Jules was taking AP calculus and AP French—she wasn’t too swift. It hadn’t even occurred to her that my savior was apparently also a vigilante. I needed to find him to see if it was really true or just some perfect, heaven-sent coincidence. The latter was unlikely, as no one but Ben and Jules knew about my run-in with the offensive line, and lucky coincidences were not my strong suit.
All day long, the engorgement of the four varsity athletes was the major topic of discussion in the hallways, the cafeteria, and, of course, the locker room. Everyone was grateful that the football season had already ended, so that the misfortune that had befallen these poor boys at least had no impact on Shoreland High’s winning season. But lacrosse season was looming, and a prospective repeat state championship was at stake. It was a potentially disastrous situation.
Before the last bell, Principal Carson made an announcement over the intercom. “As I’m sure all of you have heard by now, several of our students were gravely injured as the result of a cruel and shocking practical joke. While I do not believe that any of our fine Shoreland students could be responsible for such a dangerous and devastating assault, I do hope that if anyone has any information that might lead to the apprehension of those responsible, that person would come forward. Someone has committed a heinous act against four innocent young men, and it is my earnest desire that such person or persons be brought to justice. Thank you, and good afternoon.”
If I hadn’t heard it with my own ears, I wouldn’t have believed it. Four innocent young men, my ass. What was it that made some people think
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