Read Online Point of No Return by Paul McCusker - Free Book Online

dinnertime.

CHAPTER TWELVE
    Tuesday at School
    J IMMY KNEW HE WAS OFF to a bad start at school when, that morning, he found a handwritten note in his desk that said, “Hi, Saint James— Super Christian.” It was Tony’s handwriting.
    At lunch, Jimmy decided to eat by himself. Tony and Brad had other plans and sat down with him.
    â€œSo, how’s the preaching, Super Christian?” Tony asked.
    Brad chuckled.
    â€œLeave me alone,” Jimmy said.
    â€œOh, come on, Jimmy. Quit being so serious,” Tony said.
    â€œThen quit teasing me,” Jimmy said.
    â€œOkay, Saint James, I won’t tease you anymore.”
    Jimmy scowled at Tony.
    â€œWe really wanna know more about all this church stuff,” Tony said, barely keeping the smirk off his face.
    Brad leaned close and added, “Are you gonna start wearing one of those white collars like the priests do?”
    â€œHe’ll wear a blue shirt with a big S in the middle of it,” Tony said. “For Super Christian ! ” Then Tony sang the Superman theme and stretched out his arms as if he were flying around the table.
    Jimmy tried to remember the verse his grandmother had written in the front of his Bible. “Don’t let people look down on you…. Be an example and behave,” or something like that. He stuffed the last of his sandwich into his mouth and got up to leave.
    Tony grabbed his arm. “Don’t you wanna pray before you go?” he asked with a laugh.
    Brad said, “Isn’t he supposed to dismiss us with a hymn or something?”
    Jimmy jerked his arm away and said through his mouthful of sandwich, “Just leave me alone!”
    As he marched away, he heard Brad ask, “What did he say?”
    Tony laughed again and said, “I think he said to weave him a home. ”
    Jimmy tried to figure out why Tony was being so obnoxious. Okay, so Jimmy had become a Christian. Why did that make Tony so mean? Just a few days ago, they were best friends. Now Tony acted as if they were enemies. What was going on?
    Since there was still some lunchtime left, Jimmy walked out to the playground. On the dodgeball court, he saw Jack and Oscar, with Lucy standing nearby, talking to a group of girls. Jimmy didn’t know any of them very well, except that Jack and Lucy went to his church. He wasn’t sure about Oscar. Maybe he should try to be friends with them now that he was a Christian.
    He was thinking about going over to talk to them when he heard an approaching hissing noise, like air coming out of a balloon. He turned around just as Tony and Brad, arms outstretched, raced around him like two Superboys. They hissed through their teeth to make it sound as if they were flying through the air.
    â€œIt’s Super Christian!” Tony announced. “Faster than a speeding Bible!”
    â€œAble to leap tall churches in a single bound!” Brad said.
    â€œIt’s a bird…. ”
    â€œIt’s a plane…. ”
    â€œGo away!” Jimmy shouted.
    â€œIt’s Super Christian!” they yelled together as they circled around and around him.
    Jimmy tried to move past them, but they stayed with him no matter where he tried to go. “Cut it out!” Jimmy shouted at Tony.
    â€œSuper Christian! Super Christian!” Tony said over and over.
    Finally, Jimmy had had enough and stuck out a leg to trip one of them. He caught Brad’s foot. Brad spun to the ground, landing in a way that knocked the wind out of him.
    Tony nearly tripped over the ashen Brad, but he caught himself in time. He angrily pushed Jimmy. “What’re you doing, Super Christian?”
    Tony demanded. “Super Christians aren’t supposed to make people trip.”
    â€œLeave me alone,” Jimmy said through clenched teeth.
    â€œMake me,” Tony said and pushed Jimmy again.
    â€œGo away.”
    â€œWhat’re you gonna do, cry like you almost did yesterday? Huh, Super