Four ordinary boys.

One not-so-ordinary laptop.

One extraordinary adventure.

The Amazing Laptop #5

Dangerous Encounters

by

Christopher P. N. Maselli

To Kim Culp, whose constant prayers for this series haven’t gone unnoticed.

Dangerous Encounters (The Amazing Laptop #5)

Copyright: Christopher P. N. Maselli

Physical version published 2003

Electronic version published 2012 by Writing Momentum, WritingMomentum.com

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other—except for brief quotations in reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher.

All Scripture quotations are from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Cover bicycle image credit Matt Baume (mattymatt), Flickr, CC-BY-SA 2.0.

1 - Another False Alarm

The inventor knew he misjudged them; but by the time he realized it, it was too late. He was forced to disappear—lose his life—in hopes that one day he might find it again. When he vanished, they thought they had won. They thought he was dead. But little did they know, they had misjudged him.

—     —     —

“Go! Go! Go!” Gill shouted, thumping the back of his dad’s leather seat as if it were a bongo drum.

“Yes! Go!” Mrs. Gillespie shouted at her husband. Her head was pressed back against the headrest, her hands wrapped around her stomach.

“I’m going! I’m going!” Gill’s dad, Jason Gillespie, shouted.

The Security Bank security truck screeched its wheels as they tore out of the driveway. Matt Calahan, sitting beside Gill in the backseat, buckled his seatbelt as fast as he could. He looked out the window, feeling oddly like a criminal locked in the back of a police car. He popped open his laptop and waited for it to boot.

“Where were you, Gill?” Jason Gillespie asked as he shot down Oleander Street, picking up speed with each roar of the engine. “Didn’t your beeper go off?”

“Yes!” his red-headed son shouted. “And it kept going off! I told you it tickles me when it vibrates. I couldn’t stop laughing long enough to get over here! Besides, I wanted to get Matt!”

Matt dropped his head. “Thanks, Gill,” he whispered. As if it was his fault they were late. He didn’t really want to go anyway, but Gill insisted—all three times they’d rushed to the hospital so far. The last two times had been false alarms. His parents were way too excited about having a baby and every time Mrs. Gillespie felt uncomfortable—off to the hospital!

Gill, on the other hand, wasn’t so thrilled about his soon-to-be sibling. Matt didn’t know why Gill didn’t want a little brother or sister, but he knew he needed to stick by his friend. In some way, Matt felt responsible for Gill. Matt knew he may be the only person who might be able to help Gill out…with a keystroke or two.

Matt’s laptop was fully booted. He placed his fingers on his keyboard, ready to assist as needed. Ironically, Gill’s parents never did ask why Matt always had to come along. Nor did they seem to wonder why Matt was always typing. They must have figured he was just one of Gill’s best friends, documenting the event. Or, then again, maybe they were just preoccupied. Little did they know Matt’s laptop was no ordinary laptop. Little did they know that whatever Matt typed into the laptop actually happened—all he had to do was press the key with the clock face. Then it went into action. Matt didn’t understand how it worked, but it did. And at times like this, Matt was thankful that he had it. Other times though…

“Type, Matt!” Gill ordered in a harsh whisper.

Matt ran his hand through his black hair. “Have you ever noticed how many times we’ve gone to the hospital since I got this thing?” Matt flippantly asked his friend.

Gill pointed to the keyboard. “Type!”

Matt leaned toward the center of the car and peered out the front window. He saw the approaching light turn red. Quickly, he typed:

Immediately, the stoplight at the intersection of Stewart and Reed turned green.

He hit the clock key. The on-screen arrow cursor turned into an analog clock, swiftly ticking forward. A second later it stopped and Matt looked up.

The stoplight at the intersection of Stewart and Reed immediately turned green. A white pick-up truck and a little green VW Bug came to a screeching halt, the rear of the vehicles popping into the air.

“Aaaaggghhhh!!!” Mrs. Gillespie screamed.

“Whoo-hoo!” Gill cheered as they sailed-through.

“Sweet,” Mr. Gillespie said.

Matt cracked a smile.

“We’ll be there in no time,” Gill’s dad comforted his mom.

“We’d better!” she shouted, her fingernails digging into the soft roof. “Or next time you’re having the baby!”

Mr. Gillespie pushed down on the gas pedal.

“Oh no!” Gill shouted, pointing forward. “There’s a dump truck blocking the street!”

Mr. Gillespie pushed down on the brake pedal.

“You’re slowing down!” Gill’s mom complained, her auburn hair spreading out on her headrest like a squashed starfish.

“What am I supposed to do? Plow through it?!” her husband shouted.

Matt furiously typed.

“Take Henson Boulevard,” he stated matter-of-factly. “It’ll be clear.”

Mr. Gillespie turned onto Henson Boulevard, obeying without question like a dazed clone.

“How do you know it’ll be clear?” Gill asked Matt.

Matt turned the laptop so Gill could read the screen. It said,

Henson Blvd was blocked to thru traffic, and therefore free for Mr. Gillespie to drive down.

“Nice,” Gill said.

As they shot down Henson Boulevard, they passed an intersection, blocked off by a tipped ice cream truck. Ice cream was spilt everywhere, holding up crossing traffic on the now-rocky road.

“Is that what you meant to do?” Gill asked, reading what Matt typed again.

Matt twisted his lip. “Hmm. No. But then again, sometimes the best stories thrive on misunderstandings.”

“Cool—like sitcoms!”

Matt rolled his eyes. Leave it to Gill to relate literary prowess back to television.

“Yes, like sitcoms,” Matt conceded. “But the really good misunderstandings are funny because of the characters.”

“How much longer?!” Mrs. Gillespie shouted, stomping the floorboard with her foot.

“Not long!” Gill’s dad promised, cranking into another turn.

With the road clear, Matt relaxed. He casually asked Gill, “So you’re about to be a big brother, eh?”

Gill rolled his eyes.

“What?”

“You know what,” Gill retorted.

“What?”

Gill leaned over to Matt. “If that little monster is this much trouble now, just think about how much trouble it’ll be when it’s born.”

“It may not be bad at all. Lots of people have brothers and sisters.”

“I just want life to get back to normal.”

Matt chuckled. “Normal life? You mean the normal life where Hulk is still upset at you for upchucking all over him?”

Gill dismissed the thought. “His dad must’ve talked to him or something. He hasn’t bothered me at all.” Then, “Speaking of normal life, is Isabel still mad at you for sabotaging your date?”

“It wasn’t a date, it was a youth function,” Matt corrected. “But, yes. Alfonzo told me she couldn’t get the chocolate cake out of her dress.”

Gill’s eyebrows perked up. “I didn’t know chocolate cake-slinging was involved.”

“Trust me, you don’t want to know. Besides, chocolate cake is the least of my worries. For all I know, Sam’s going to show up again and try to rope me into something. Fat chance.”

Gill shuddered. “I hope he doesn’t show up again.”

Matt smiled. Gill didn’t like Sam because Gill wasn’t fond of danger. And Sam, the previous owner of Matt’s amazing laptop, reeked of danger. It was only recently that Matt discovered the mysterious man was even alive…and ready to meddle in Matt’s laptop business.

“We can’t be afraid of him,” Matt assured his friend. “That’s what he wants.”

“Easier said than done.”

“Tell me about it.”

Whooooooooooooooooo!

Matt, Gill and Gill’s mom all shifted around and looked out the back window. Mr. Gillespie peered into the rear view mirror. His shoulders dropped.

“We’re being pulled over,” he stated.

“I can see that!” his wife argued. “But you can’t stop!”

“I can’t not stop!” he replied.

A moment later, the Security vehicle was idling by the curb and a female officer stepped off her motorcycle. She slowly strolled to the driver’s side window as Mr. Gillespie rolled it down.

Matt typed,

Mrs. Gillespie makes it to the hospital with flying colors.

The female officer said, “License and reg—hey, is that you, Jason?”

Mr. Gillespie smiled. “Betty! Hi!” He turned to his wife. “Hey, Jill, this is Betty. We worked together sometimes when I was on the force.”

Mrs. Gillespie, gripping her seat with all her might, forced a smile. “Jason…”

“Oh, right! Say, Betty, I’m sorry we were speeding, but my wife’s having a baby and—”

“A baby! Oh! Say no more! Been there, done that! Turn on your lights—I’ll escort you!”

“Right!”

Officer Betty ran back to her motorcycle and pulled out, her lights twirling, her siren blaring. Mr. Gillespie flipped on the top lights of his security vehicle and pulled in behind her.

“Cool!” Gill shouted.

“Just like CHIPS!” Mr. Gillespie cheered.

Matt and Gill looked at each other and shrugged.

The motorcycle/truck caravan raced down the road, parting the traffic like Moses parted the Red Sea, but without all the water mess.

“I’m so embarrassed!” Gill’s mom lamented.

Gill noticed the flashing red and white of the police cycle blurring as they flew down the road. “Flying colors,” he said.

Matt smiled. “Not what I meant, but see, sometimes misunderstanding’s aren’t so bad!”

Gill playfully socked Matt in the shoulder. “Man, you couldn’t top this!”

Matt nodded. “Let’s hope I don’t have a chance to.”

—     —     —

“I can’t believe it was another false alarm,” Lamar said.

“I’ll believe it’s over when I see her water break,” Matt said flatly.

Gill shivered as if Matt just made his skin crawl. “My parents are way to nervous. The doctor says it’s like…hiccups or something.”

“Hiccups don’t do that to me.”

“Well they sure do it to my mom. I’m telling you, that thing is trouble.”

Matt winced. “It’s not a thing, Gill. It’s not even an it. It’s your baby brother or sister. Are you sure you’re not just scared about being a big brother?”

“I’m not scared,” Gill scoffed. “I don’t scare easily.”

Matt suddenly shouted, “Look! There’s Sam!”

Gill ducked. “Where?!”

The boys laughed.

Matt, Gill, Lamar and Alfonzo—the “QoolQuad” as they called themselves—were biking up and down Oleander Street, in front their homes. Matt’s house was in the center of the block, a two-story, wooden, musty white house with black trim.

Across the street was Alfonzo’s house, a huge three-story mansion that even had a basement. Outside, ivy eerily snaked up the brick. The creaky old gate was one of the first things Mr. Zarza had removed when they moved in. Matt was thankful they were remodeling it quick—it had been a real eyesore for years.

Gill’s house was next door to Matt’s. It was an odd turquoise color that somehow worked in the neighborhood. It was just one story, with a small yard and an always-open garage.

Lamar’s house, where Matt had spent many hours, was a few doors down, on the other side. It was brick red and white with plenty of lush, dark green bushes out front. Matt noticed a long, stark black Cadillac sat in the driveway. Oscar, the man Lamar’s mom had started dating, was visiting again…which was probably the reason Lamar was the first one outside on his bike.

Alfonzo had constructed a small ramp out of wooden planks and jagged rocks. Gill shot over it, his bicycle launching into the air and landing with a thump.

“Personally,” Gill added as he spun around, “I’m glad I’m not a girl. Because who wants to have babies?” He shuddered. “Not me. I’ll adopt. Just like my parents adopted me. But, no, they had to go the extra mile and have one themselves.”

“Yeah,” Alfonzo offered as he kicked up his speed. “But you’re just playin’, right? I mean, you want another Gillespie, don’t you?” Pow! He shot over the ramp and then screeched to a halt.

Gill let out a long breath. He waited for Alfonzo to turn around. “Well, it’s not even born yet and look how much trouble it’s been! Demanding all that attention. Giving my mother bad hiccups.”

“So is it a boy or a girl?” Alfonzo asked.

“We don’t know. My parents want it to be a big surprise. I don’t really care. They’ll see soon enough that it’s a monster.”

“It’s not so bad,” Alfonzo said, assuring Gill. “I mean, Iz was a handful when she was born—still is. But don’t knock being a big brother until you’ve tried it.”

Matt squinted and stopped pedaling. “You weren’t even two when Isabel was born. You can’t remember that far back.”

“Trust me. If you’ve ever heard my sister scream, you’d remember.”

Matt conceded the point. He looked at Alfonzo’s house, his brown eyes drawing across the structure until they settled on the window to Isabel’s room on the second floor. He cleared his throat. “So, er, how is she?”

Alfonzo shot down the street and jumped off the ramp again before he answered. “Man, I don’t know if she’s upset or just working things out. But I warned you. I told you after our mom left that she didn’t need her heart broken again.”

Gill shook his head. “I heard about the chocolate cake-slinging incident.”

Suddenly the crew froze. They could nearly feel the ground shake as they watched the figure round the corner. It was the six-foot, 200-and-some pound bully of Enisburg Junior High in the flesh. With a frown on his face. Hulk Hooligan.

Gill gulped. “He’s come to kill me,” he whispered.

“Can you blame him? You puked on him—on TV,” Alfonzo noted.

“Thanks for reminding me,” Gill whimpered. “Just for that, upon my passing, Lamar gets my stereo instead of you.”

“Oh great. Now I’ll never be able to play my vinyl records.”

“Ha-ha.”

The four boys casually continued biking, as if everything were normal. But tension buckled their faces.

“Hey!” Hulk roared as he drew close to their ramp.

Gill hopped off his bike, punched down the kickstand, turned around and opened his arms. “OK, beat me up,” he said to Hulk. “Do your worst. I deserve it. I’m tired of running like the Road Runner trying to escape Wile E. I’m going to be a man and stand my ground.”

Matt apologized to Hulk, “He gets kinda melodramatic when his life’s on the line.”

“Kill ya?!” Hulk shouted. “I’m not gonna kill ya! Whatdaya dink I am? A Neanderdal?”

Gill said, “Well now that you mention it…”

Hulk sneered.

Gill put his arms down. “So you’re not gonna kill me?”

“You kiddin’? Everywhere I go, kids want my autograph. Dey saw me skatin’ and saw ya barf on me. On TV! Man, dey dought it was high-larious! I got carpel tunnel fer signin’ so much!”

“This can’t be happening,” Gill whimpered.

“Ya rule, Gillespie! Jus’ wanted ta say danks.”

“Way to go, Gill,” Matt congratulated.

“Shuddup, Calhan,” Hulk ordered.

“Cal-a-han,” Matt corrected.

“Oh,” Hulk added, leaning into Gill with a clenched fist between their faces. “But don’t let it happen again.” Gill gulped. And then Hulk walked away, the ground rumbling with each step. Once he was out of earshot, Gill said, “How come I was the star of the commercial and he’s the one who became famous? Makes no sense.”

“You know what doesn’t make sense?” Lamar asked. His three friends turned to look at him. It was the first time he had spoken since they joined him outside.

“What?” Matt asked.

“My mom dating that loser,” he said, straddling his bike, his head nodding toward the black Cadillac.

“Why can’t your mom date?” Matt wondered. “I thought you were OK with this. It has been like 14 years since your dad passed away, Lamar. I know she hasn’t dated before, but c’mon. She’s a grown woman.”

“It’s not that,” Lamar stated. “It’s…I think this guy’s bad news.”

Matt let out a long breath. He had flashbacks to Lamar’s uneasy feelings weeks ago at the winter banquet. He wasn’t keen on his mother going out with Oscar then, and though Matt thought he’d come to accept it that night, obviously his concern had only grown. “What do you mean, ‘bad news.’”

“I don’t know. Like he’s into something.”

“Well, what do you mean ‘into something.’ You mean something serious like drugs—or just something weird like pulling heads off Barbie dolls?”

“Maybe that’s why Iz always screamed,” Alfonzo realized.

“I mean something serious,” Lamar answered. “There’s more to him than what he’s letting on. I think he’s holding a secret.”

“Welcome to the club,” Matt said.

“No, I mean a dangerous secret.”

“Welcome to the club,” Matt said again.

Gill pushed, “For instance…”

“Well, I’ve noticed he’s always making phone calls and leaving abruptly.”

Matt shrugged, “What’s he do?”

Lamar’s eyes darted back to the black Cadillac. “He says he’s a loan officer.”

“And you don’t believe him?”

Now Lamar shrugged. “There’s something else. I don’t know what it is, but I’m telling you, he has a secret. I can feel it.”

Matt pursed his lips. He knew Lamar well…and he knew Lamar was probably just uncomfortable with someone dating his mother. Still, Matt hesitated to press the point. He figured it would work out over time.

“Well,” Matt stated, “I can’t say. I’ve only met him that one time at the winter banquet and I don’t want to judge him without knowing.”

Lamar looked at Matt. “Wanna come over?”

2 - Skirting the Issues

“So what’s our plan?”

“Our plan?”

Matt nodded. “Yeah, our plan. We need a plan. We need to get to the truth and put this to rest once and for all.”

“Yeah,” Gill said to Lamar, “we need a plan to get to the truth. Don’t you watch detective shows?”

“What kind of plan do we need?” Lamar wondered.

“A good one,” Gill said plainly.

“Thanks for clearing that up.” Lamar bit his lip. “Maybe Alfonzo had the right idea, staying outside and riding his bike,” he said. “Maybe I should go back out and you guys can fill me in on what you find out.”

Gill held up a finger. “See, if you watched detective shows, you’d realize that that would look suspicious.”

Matt stood up and looked around Lamar’s bedroom. The small area was covered floor to ceiling with posters, many which Lamar himself had drawn. Muscle-bound superheroes, penciled portraits, colorful comics and more featured the characters Matt had worked into his stories over the years. Often, as Lamar sat on his bed and doodled, Matt sat at Lamar’s wall desk, writing stories they brainstormed together. One day, they knew, they would create a best-selling series. One superhero after another even swirled around Lamar’s computer screen.

Gill rubbed his hands together. “OK, so, you have any glasses in here?”

“I don’t wear glasses.”

“No, I mean drinking glasses,” Gill corrected.

“There’s a mug on my desk,” Lamar pointed out.

Matt grabbed it and tossed it to Gill. “What do you have in mind?”

Gill inspected it and then pushed it against the door. He put his ear to the other end.

“What are you doing?” Matt asked.

“Listening.”

After a few moments, Lamar asked, “What do you hear?”

“Mostly ‘mmmhmmmf, mmmhmmmf, mmmhmmmf.’” Gill set the mug down.

“This isn’t helping,” Matt pointed out. “Why don’t we just go out there and talk to them?”

“Because you can learn more by listening,” Gill replied. “I read that in a Ziggy comic.” He pulled the door open by a crack and peeked out. Matt stood up and walked to the door. He pushed Gill down and peeked out above him. At the end of the hallway lined with family pictures, he saw light coming from the kitchen.

Meow!

Matt and Gill looked down. Lamar’s cat, Cuddles, peered up at them, her golden eyes expectant, her black tail straight up in the air, quivering.

“Shhh!” Lamar shushed Cuddles. He stood tip-toe behind Matt, looking out over his head.

Meow!

“She’s blowing our cover,” Gill whispered.

Meow!

Lamar pushed Matt and Matt pushed Gill and the door slammed shut with a bang. Gill shoved his friends back and reopened the door. Cuddles was gone.

“There,” Lamar said.

“You know what?” Gill offered. “I think you should just go out there and talk to them.”

“Good idea,” Matt responded. “Good conversation is truly a blessing.”

Gill looked at Matt, his eyebrow arched.

“That’s Ziggy, too.”

Lamar pushed Matt and Gill aside. “Then let’s get Ziggy wit’ it.” He exited the room and started down the hallway. Matt followed close behind him. At the end of the hallway, Lamar stopped and turned. Gill was still in Lamar’s bedroom.

“Aren’t you coming?” Lamar asked him.

“I’m going to be your backup,” Gill explained.

“What does that mean?”

Matt interpreted, “That means he’s going to let us do the tough work while he plays video games.”

Lamar nodded. “Good idea, Gill. You be our backup. Then later, we can go to your house and you can teach us some more detective tips. You can even break out the Blues Clues videos and I Spy books.”

Gill put his hands on his hips. “You mock me.”

Lamar smiled.

When Matt and Lamar entered the kitchen, they saw Lamar’s mom, Lorraine, sitting at the table beside Oscar, a handsome Black man with graying hair. Her round body was leaning in, looking at a stack of pictures that Oscar thumbed through. Her teacup had several bright red lipstick stains on the rim. She always wore bright red lipstick, thick and proud. She giggled, pointing to the next shot. She said, “My-oh-my, there’s a keeper.” Matt had a hard time believing Oscar was truly bad news. His parents always said that eventually Ms. Whitmore would get married again. She was an attractive Black woman in her late 30s, with all the personality and fervor of a 20-year-old. Sooner or later, it was bound to happen.

When Lorraine spotted the boys, she waved them over. “Hey, boys, c’mon and have a seat. You ‘member Oscar from your date, Matt?”

“It was really just a youth function,” Matt said, smiling at Oscar. He smiled back and said, “Nice to meet you again.”

As Matt and Lamar took seats across the rectangular table, Matt glanced at Lamar as if to say, “Hiding something? I highly doubt it.”

Oscar set down the pictures on the table. Lamar pulled the stack toward himself and using his index finger, he slid one after another off the stack.

Ms. Whitmore stood up and made her way to the kitchen cupboards. “Didn’t I hear Gill come in, too?” she asked.

Matt nodded. “He’s backing up.”

Ms. Whitmore started rummaging through one cupboard after another. “Oscar and I are going out to dinner tonight,” she announced. “Lamar, I know there’s some Mac and Cheese in here somewhere.”

Matt nudged Lamar. “Can I stay here for dinner?”

“You’re welcome to if you want,” Ms. Whitmore offered, overhearing.

“My mom hasn’t had time lately for real cooking,” Matt explained.

Ms. Whitmore smiled and angled her head down at Lamar. “You’d better heat up some peas, too, boy.”

“You guys have been to a lot of places together,” Lamar said, not looking up from the pictures.

“Been a lot of fun,” Ms. Whitmore said pulling out a box of EasyMac and setting it on the counter.

“So I hear you are a writer, Matt,” Oscar said.

Matt’s eyes darted to Oscar, wondering how he knew that. “Er…yeah, I like to write.”

“I once met a guy who liked to write. He is dead now though. Unfortunate car accident.”

Matt blinked.

“Lot of those going around…”

Matt forced a chuckle. “Yeah.” The reporter in him pressed in, changing the subject. “So, Oscar, I hear you’re a loan officer.”

The man smiled, his cheeks crinkling his brown eyes. “Yes, but I am hoping to retire.”

Matt nodded. “Why is that?”

“It is a rough business. No one seems to like you much when you come after them for payments. That is the part of my job I do not like.”

“Oh, so you don’t give loans, you follow up on the people who don’t pay then?”

“Well, I do both. But if someone stops paying, I have to get tough.” A long pause followed until Oscar added, “But I am planning to get out of the business soon. If I can.”

Lorraine Whitmore chuckled, “Why couldn’t you?”

“The family may not approve.”

Matt gulped. Lamar looked up from the pictures.

“The f-f-family?” Lamar asked.

“Yes, well, you know families.”

Matt and Lamar didn’t take their eyes off him.

“Oh!” Lamar’s mother shouted, walking toward the table. She pointed to the next picture in the stack. “That’s the beginning of the float your youth pastor is building for the annual parade.”

Matt and Lamar’s eyes dropped to the picture. It showed a long, wide trailer with two wheels and a hitch. Chicken wire was bound to the top of it. Pastor Ruhlen, with yellow Chia-pet hair, was smiling big in the forefront. “Yeah, he asked us to help him build it,” Lamar acknowledged. Then, “Ma, why do you have a picture of it in here?”

“Oh!” Ms. Whitmore exclaimed. “Because Oscar bought it for him!”

Oscar smiled and said, “It was the least I could do. The church needs a float.”

Matt noted, “That must have been expensive.”

“My family had the resources.” Then to Lorraine, “Can I have a glass of water?” Ms. Whitmore didn’t miss a beat. She filled a glass with ice and water from the refrigerator dispenser and set it before him.

“You know it’s a contest?” she asked Lamar.

“A contest?” Matt asked.

“Yes! Every year, the mayor judges the floats and one wins the prestige.”

“Wow,” Matt said. “For best float?”

“Used to be for best decorated float,” Oscar said. “But they felt it always went to whoever spent the most on their float. So this year they changed it. This year, first place goes to ‘Most Exciting Presentation.’”

“Which is why you need to help him win,” Ms. Whitmore added. She pulled out a couple plates.

Oscar shifted in his chair and adjusted his coat. As his jacket moved back, Matt saw the tip of something wide and shiny for a split second. He blinked and shook his head.

Lorraine Whitmore turned around and set a couple napkins and forks on the table.

Matt gulped. Oscar looked down at his jacket with a frown, then back up at Matt. He narrowed his eyes, trying to read Matt, but Matt tried to keep his face blank.

Matt’s gaze shifted to the photos of Ms. Whitmore and Oscar. Lamar was right; they did everything together. He let out a long breath. Something suspicious was happening.

—     —     —

Lamar crashed onto his bed. “This is the end of my life.”

“What?!” Gill wondered. “What happened?”

Without saying a word, Matt plopped into Lamar’s desk chair.

“What?!” Gill wanted to know.

Lamar exclaimed, “This guy is dangerous and he’s got my mom wrapped around his finger!”

“Something is definitely weird about him,” Matt agreed. “You’re right. He’s not coming completely clean.”

“He kept skirting the issues,” Lamar noted.

“And he talked about ‘the family’ and ‘unfortunate car accidents.’ Lots of them.”

“He did?!” Gill cried.

Lamar buried his head in his hands. “This isn’t happening!”

“And he never once used a contraction!”

Gill’s face scrunched up.

“A contraction,” Matt said. “You know, like can’t and don’t and wasn’t. Something’s not right about that.”

Matt’s eyes darted to Gill. Then Matt looked at Lamar. He finally said, “Guys, I think I saw something.”

Lamar and Gill looked at Matt.

Matt said to Lamar, “You can’t freak out.”

“What is it?”

“Sit down.”

Lamar sat on the edge of his bed.

“Well,” Matt continued slowly, “I think I’m wrong. I’m sure I’m wrong. But I think I saw a handle in his pocket.”

“A handle? To what?”

“A…gun?”

Lamar’s jaw dropped. Gill covered his mouth.

“But I’m sure I’m wrong.”

“No!” Gill exclaimed. “Matt, it makes total sense! ‘Family!’ Unfortunate accidents! You know what it sounds like to me? Organized crime.”

“C’mon, Gill,” Matt said. “You think he’s a mobster?”

“Well, I don’t think he’s a loan officer.”

Matt watched the heroes on the screensaver switch one after another. He wished he had muscles like that sometimes. Then he got an idea. “The Net. Let’s check him out on the Net. Everything’s on the Net.”

Lamar hopped up and he and Gill leaned over Matt as he moved the mouse and stopped the screensaver. He clicked once, then twice, then started the Internet browser. A few moments later, Lamar’s computer had dialed in to his provider and was ready to go.

“What’s his last name again?” Matt asked.

Lamar said, “Brown.”

Matt went to a search engine and typed, “Oscar Brown,” listing both Oscar’s first and last name.

The search returned 1,289 hits.

“Great,” Matt said.

He clicked the first one. The page came up with Sesame Street characters dancing around the borders. In the center, an editorial said,

But if you ask me, that’s the way it should be. I mean, really, how realistic is it that Oscar can litter anyway? So what, he’s a grouch! The show is totally unrealistic. In the real world, he’d get anywhere from a $500 fine to a year in jail. IMO, Big Bird ought to nail his can shut one night when the green and brown Furby is sleeping. Furthermore,

“Hee-hee. Furby,” Gill said with a chuckle.

Matt hit the back arrow. “I don’t think that helps.” He selected five more hits, one after another, but came up with nothing but complete nonsense. Sesame Street characters and colors. That was it. “We’re getting nowhere,” Matt finally said.

“I gotta pray,” Lamar whimpered.

Matt let out a long breath. “Good idea. But I’m still not convinced. We need more evidence. We have to be smart about this. I mean, what do we really know about him?”

Click! The computer disconnected.

“Great!” Matt shouted, exasperated. “What’s up with that?” He tried to reconnect twice more, but nothing happened. He picked up the phone to check for a dial-tone. Suddenly, on the other end, he heard Oscar’s voice.

“Yes, tomorrow is good. Meet me after lunch. At the old school on the corner of Wesemann and Adams.”

The voice on the other end cracked. “You mean the abandoned one? Isn’t that a bit…desolate.”

“It is perfect,” Oscar responded. “I have…access. You will be there, right?”

“Uh, yeah, whatever you say. You’re the boss. I—”

Matt softly hung up the phone.

“What?” Lamar asked.

“You want to get to the bottom of this?” Matt asked.

Lamar nodded.

“Then let’s follow him.”

3 - America’s Most Dangerous

“You know,” Alfonzo pointed out, “this isn’t a great section of town.”

“I know,” Matt agreed. “I think that pawn shop where my dad got my laptop is around here somewhere.”

At the corner of Wesemann and Adams, Matt, Lamar, Gill and Alfonzo hid their bikes behind a trash dumpster at the back of the old, abandoned school. They saw Oscar’s black Cadillac out front, so they knew he had arrived. They also spotted a small red automobile parked beside it. Gill was the first to identify it as a “cool Pinto.” Matt told him that was an oxymoron.

The QoolQuad made their way around the side of the school. Matt felt as if he were walking through a ghost town. The basketball hoops were rusted, the jungle gym was peeling and the cracked swings slowly swayed in the breeze. Lamar quietly tried to open a side door, but it was locked. In fact, every door they tried was locked.

“Maybe he knows we’re onto him,” Gill suggested, after the fifth try.

Matt shook his head. “Well, there’s nothing to be ‘onto’ yet…nothing concrete anyway.”

Alfonzo laughed. “You said he talked about his family like they were organized crime and you know he’s not telling the truth! That sounds pretty concrete to me. Whatever’s up, he doesn’t need to be dating Ms. Whitmore.”

“I’m telling you,” Lamar agreed, “every time I see him and my mom together, my stomach starts hurting. There’s something he’s hiding.”

Matt didn’t respond. He had seen Lamar get nervous and jump to conclusions before he knew all the facts. Just a few weeks ago, he was sure going to the winter banquet with Hulk’s tattooed cousin, Nicki, was going to be pure horror. In the end, Lamar and Nicki were the ones who enjoyed themselves the most. Matt just wanted to be sure that Lamar’s suspicions about Oscar were more than just a case of the nerves about his mother dating. Even if the evidence did all point to the fact that something was wrong.

“So how are we gonna get in?” Lamar asked.

“We haven’t tried all the doors yet, guys,” Matt said, getting irritated. “There’s still one going in through the greenhouse.”

“Oh!” Gill exclaimed, as they walked toward the dome. “Speaking of bad guys, did you guys see ‘America’s Most Dangerous’ last night?”

Matt asked, “You watch that stuff?”

“Well, it was on FOX.”

“There’s a surprise.”

They reached the greenhouse and Matt tried the door.

Gill continued, “Yeah so there’s this guy and—”

“It’s open!” Matt exclaimed. The boys fell silent and looked at each other, not sure what they were going to find inside. The door opened with a creeeeek and one after another, they entered the greenhouse. It smelled old and musty and moldy. Dirty, brown circles spotted built-in ledges, like giant connect-the-dots. Matt squeezed his nose with his fingers.

At the other side of the room, Matt grabbed onto a doorknob and slowly turned. He peeked out, but didn’t see anyone or anything except an abandoned hall of dented lockers. He nodded to his friends, fully pulled open the door and stepped out.

“So anyway,” Gill continued, whispering, “this guy on that show was like crazy, right? His eyes were even freaky. Like cross-eyed, only the other way—both pointing out. But he dated these ladies so he could betray their trust and get into all their checking accounts and rob ‘em of every cent they owned. Freaky. He even—“

“Can we please change the subject?” Lamar pleaded.

“What?”

Alfonzo said, “I don’t think Lamar wants to hear stories about freaky dates.”

“So-o-rry. I’m just trying to get my mind off my mom having that…kid.”

Matt rolled his eyes. Well, at least it’s not a thing anymore…

“You know what happened last night? They took one of my pictures off the wall and replaced it with a picture of the sonogram. The sonogram! A picture of the kid in my mom’s stomach! You know what it looks like? A white blur surrounded by a black blur. I’ve been replaced by a blur!”

“Shhh!” Matt gritted his teeth. “I’m not sure this is the time, Gill.”

“Well, what do you want to talk about then?”

Matt took the opportunity. He whispered, “Hey Alfonzo, how’s Iz?”

Alfonzo’s head dropped. “Are you going to ask me about her every day? Tell you what. If you want, I can pass her a duck-shaped note and she can check a box to let you know if she likes you.”

“Really?”

“No!” Everyone said at once.

“Quiet!” Matt retorted. “I hear something!”

The boys froze. Up ahead, they saw a set of double doors. They could hear muffled voices coming from inside.

“The lunch room?” Alfonzo asked.

Matt nodded. “Yeah, I think so. Or maybe the gymnasium.”

The four boys tip-toed down the hard floor until they reached the door. Matt lightly pushed the crash bar and it clicked. Ever so slightly, he pressed his body against the door, opening it.

The voices inside became clearer, one distinctly Oscar’s voice, the other Matt recognized as the voice from the phone. Oscar’s voice was uncharacteristically gruff, a tone Matt hadn’t yet heard from the man.

Matt spied a series of folded lunch tables just to the right of the door. With his head, he motioned toward his friends and slipped into the room. One-by-one the boys slid in, unnoticed by Oscar and his friend, taking refuge behind the lunch tables.

Matt leaned to his left and peeked through an opening between the table and the bench. The other boys found spy-spots, too. Oscar was dressed completely in black, wearing the same jacket as when Matt and Lamar had talked to him in Lamar’s kitchen the day before. Even his shirt was black, accenting the golden jewelry that dangled from his neck and his wrists, and sparkled from his knuckles. Though the room was only lit by some dirty skylights, Oscar sported dark sunglasses. He stared straight ahead at his friend, his arm folded neatly across his chest.

Oscar’s friend, a younger Black man, held a pamphlet of some kind in his hand, rolled up like a bat. His shirt was too big for his body, and his pants were baggy. His eyes were wide and his nostrils flared as he spoke.

“Give me a break!” Baggy Pants shouted emphatically. “I only—”

Oscar didn’t move a muscle, but spoke loudly, cutting off Baggy Pants. “Give you a break? Give you a break?! I’ve been giving you breaks, Sloan. Too many breaks.”

Oscar stepped forward. The man he called Sloan stepped back.

“What? You gonna break my legs if I don’t pay up? Is that the way ya do things?”

“I don’t break legs,” Oscar said matter-of-factly. A rush of relief brushed over Sloan’s face. Oscar took another step forward. “I put them in cement.”

“I thought he was a loan officer!” Gill whispered.

Alfonzo shook his head. “More like a loan shark.”

“What’s that?”

“A guy who gives out loans illegally—and if you don’t pay up…”

Sloan shouted, “Don’t hurt me, man! I got a wife! Kids!”

“And I gotta answer to the man!” Oscar shouted, his voice bouncing off the walls of the auditorium.

Suddenly, Oscar reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a handgun. The boys all jumped back and hit the wall with a slam.

Oscar and Sloan turned, surprised by the sudden sound. Oscar shoved his gun back in his jacket.

Matt looked at Lamar. Lamar looked at Gill. Gill looked at Alfonzo.

Matt yelled, “RUN!”

“Who’s there?!” Oscar shouted.

Bam! Matt hit the door and rushed out. Lamar, Gill and Alfonzo were right behind him, all of them crashing out of the room. They took off down the hall, trying to keep from slipping on the smooth surface. They rounded the corner to the hall leading to the greenhouse.

Bam! Behind them, they heard Oscar and Sloan hit the door, exiting the auditorium. They could hear their footsteps echoing in the hall.

“Whoozat?!” Sloan shouted.

Crack! Matt and his friends ran into the greenhouse, shooting out the other side. They tore across the old school yard and rounded the side of the building. Behind them, they heard the greenhouse door pop open and more running steps.

“I told you he had a gun!” Matt shouted as the boys ran to the dumpster.

“You didn’t tell me!” Alfonzo yelled.

They nearly toppled over each other as they grabbed their bikes, jumped on them and took off. Fortunately, the boys were able to jump over an incline almost immediately, pedaling their bikes as fast as they could down the hill and out of sight.

Each of them kept glancing over their shoulders to see if they were being followed. A mile later, Matt angled to the right and slid into an alley behind a Happy Gas gas station. He screeched to a halt. Lamar, Gill and Alfonzo screeched and slid in formation beside him.

They all stayed silent for a long moment, as they caught their breath, their hearts beating like pistons in a car.

“You think he saw us?” Matt asked.

Lamar shook his head. “I don’t think so. It was pretty dark in there—and we were way ahead of them. I don’t think they followed us.”

“I feel sick,” Gill whimpered. “I think I’m gonna have a baby.”

“What was that all about anyway?” Alfonzo wondered.

“I don’t think I want to know,” Gill said.

Alfonzo said, “We have to call the police.”

Gill interjected, “On that show—America’s Most Dangerous—they said you have to have evidence.”

“Gill’s right,” Matt acknowledged. “We don’t have enough solid evidence. All we know is that he fooled all of us with his clean act—and he’s clearly not who he presents himself off to be. He even used contractions in there.”

“So what do we do?” Lamar wondered. “Do we try to find out more?”

Matt put his hand on Lamar’s shoulder. “No—we just need to get you outta this.”

“Me, nothin’” Lamar shot back. “We’ve gotta get this guy away from my mom.”

Matt nodded. “Let’s get the laptop.”

4 - Gill A La Carte

“You sure this is going to work?” Lamar asked, biting a fingernail.

Matt, propped up behind his laptop, assured his friend, “How can it go wrong? Have we ever messed up before?”

“We got my dad fired,” Gill said, sitting next to Matt.

“We blew up a house,” Alfonzo added, across from Matt.

“We made Gill throw up on Hulk,” Lamar pointed out.

Matt stared at his friends, gathered around the rounded booth in the restaurant. “OK, but we got your dad a better job, Hulk’s not mad at Gill and…well…the house wasn’t really our fault. Hulk’s the one who opened the door.”

Matt’s eyes drifted to the entryway. He knew Lamar’s mom and Oscar would arrive any moment. For he had typed in his laptop:

Oscar Brown and Lorraine Whitmore walked into the high-class joint, La Soupe á la Carte, for a fine soup-and-salad lunch. And a shrimp appetizer. Because, let’s face it, Oscar is loaded.

After Matt, Lamar, Gill and Alfonzo arrived, they made sure they found the perfect place to sit: in a horseshoe booth, which was connected to another horseshoe booth—just right for Oscar and Lorraine. It was especially appropriate since between the two booths was white latticework with green ivy that blocked any view of the boys sitting right next door. It was the ideal place to type a story and change it as needed. Matt typed:

Oscar Brown and Lorraine Whitmore sat in the booth beside the QoolQuad when they arrived.

Matt smiled. All too easy. Now they just had to wait.

“Ello,” said a tall waiter in a white shirt, black bowtie and black slacks. As he spoke, Matt surmised that his French accent was created just for the job. “Welcome to La Zoupe á la Carte. My name is Jean-Luc and I am your waiter today. Our five zoups of ze day are La Zoupe à l’Oignon, La Zoupe au Pistou, La Bouillabaisse, L’Aïgo Boulido and La Potage des Poireaux et Pommes de Terre.”

The boys blinked.

“While you zink about zat, I can take your order for drinks.”

He nodded to Gill.

“Uh, water.”

Matt. “Water, please.”

Lamar. “Water.”

Alfonzo. “The same.”

“Ah,” the waiter said, “you’ve all made fine choices. Our premium bottled water comes straight from ze flowing springs of Zwitzerland.” He started to turn when Matt corrected, “Uh, no, we just want regular water.”

The waiter bit his lip and looked at the four boys’ faces. They each nodded agreement. His mouth made a popping sound and then he said, “OK, exzellent choice. Four tap waters, flowing straight from ze aquifers of ze city zewers. May I interest you in an appetizer?”

The boys shook their heads.

“Of course not,” the waiter said flippantly. He spun on his heels and walked away.

“Maybe we should order something,” Matt suggested.

“The soup is like fifteen dollars a bowl!” Lamar whispered as though it were a secret. “Anyone have that kind of cash on them?”

The boys shook their heads.

“OK, four zewer waters,” Matt kidded. They laughed.

A moment later, Gill asked, “Where’s the bathroom?”

Matt rolled his eyes. “Mention water and Gill’s gotta go.”

“Do not! It’s just…what if Sam shows up?”

“Sam’s not gonna show up.”

“How do you know? Aren’t you afraid he might show up when you least expect it…again?”

“No. And if he does, I’ll be ready.”

“With what?”

“My wit.”

“Oh, what a relief.”

“They’re here!” Alfonzo shouted. The four boys’ heads swung around to the entrance of the restaurant, where they saw Oscar and Lamar’s mom talking to a hostess. Oscar was in a blue suit this time, without any noticeable bulge in his pocket. Matt didn’t notice any sunglasses or expensive gold on his person, either. He almost looked like a different man: lighter, nicer and without a care in the world. It was as if he left his evil twin at home. Complementing him, Lorraine Whitmore wore a conservative purple dress with ruffles at the ends of her sleeves.

“Menu’s up!” Matt ordered. The four boys popped their large menus up in front of their faces. Matt put his up in front of his laptop and hunkered down behind it.

Matt felt prickles crawl down his neck as he heard Oscar and Lorraine sit down behind him. Once they were seated, the boys set down their menus, since they were well hidden behind the latticework and ivy.

Oscar ordered Raspberry Tea for he and his date…and a shrimp appetizer.

“So far so good,” Matt said quietly.

“Here’s your tap water!”

The four boys jumped as Jean-Luc the waiter clanked four glasses down on the table. He pushed aside the cloth-covered cart he used to roll them over and asked, “Have you decided what you want for lunch?”

“Where’s the bathroom?” Gill asked.

Jean-Luc pointed to the back of the restaurant, rolling his eyes.

Gill started to get up, but Matt grabbed his arm.

“Actually,” Alfonzo whispered to the waiter, “I think the waters will be enough for now. But don’t worry. We’ll give you a 20 percent tip.”

“Wonderful,” Jean-Luc muttered, “I can’t wait to see what 20 percent of nothing will be.”

“That waiter has a real attitude problem,” Gill noted after he left with his cart.

Matt asked his friends, “So what’s going to happen?”

“What do you mean?” Lamar asked nervously.

“I mean what are we gonna make happen?”

“You don’t know? You’re the writer!”

“Do I look like I’ve had time to outline? Develop deep plot points? Examine the souls of my characters?”

“I thought you did that last night,” Lamar said.

“I had chores.”

“You’ve got to be kidding.”

“So what’s going to happen? Let’s brainstorm.”

“Yeah, and fast,” Gill said as the waiter brought Oscar and Lorraine their shrimp cocktail on a cart. “I gotta go.”

Matt thought for a long moment, trying to apply one of his best creativity starters. What if the restaurant caught on fire? What if a tornado suddenly blew into town? What if…

“We can’t be mean,” Lamar said. “I just want to turn my mom off to him.”

Matt twisted his lip. “You want me to give him gas?”

“You can do that?”

Matt shrugged.

“No, that’ll make us suffer, too. Something simpler.”

“I got it,” Matt said. Quickly, he typed,

Right in the middle of a bite of shrimp, Oscar sneezed a nasty sneeze.

Matt hit the key with the clock face on it and at once, the cursor changed to a golden clock face that ticked forward like lightning. The four boys leaned over and peeked through the ivy.

“…took him to the market, he might enjoy the jazz,” Oscar was saying.

“Maybe, maybe. He just needs time,” Ms. Whitmore replied. “He’s never faced it before. Lord knows it took me fourteen years.”

Gill whispered, “Well?”

“Patient!” Matt whispered back.

Oscar picked up a shrimp, inspected it and then stuffed it in his mouth. As he started to chew, his face began to contort.

The boys’ eyes opened wide.

“Ah-CHOOOOOO!”

Fwop! At once, the shrimp shot out of his mouth. It sailed through the air toward Lorraine, who dodged it. It flew over her shoulder and smacked right into the arm of Jean-Luc.

Matt, Lamar, Gill and Alfonzo jumped away from the screen and tried to keep from bursting out with laughter.

“Zank you,” Jean-Luc said flatly to Oscar.

“I apologize,” Oscar said to him. “I do not know what came over me.”

Jean-Luc headed toward the kitchen.

Lorraine looked shocked. “Use your napkin, child!” she finally said, and then burst into laughter.

Matt looked at Gill. Gill looked at Alfonzo. Alfonzo looked at Lamar. Lamar looked back at Matt. “This isn’t working,” Lamar said. “She thinks he’s adorable.”

Matt shook his head. “I don’t get it. I spill chocolate cake on Isabel and she gets furious. Oscar spits shrimp at Lorraine and she thinks it’s cute.”

“Yeah, but you ruined her dress,” Alfonzo said.

Matt shrugged. “OK. I’ll heighten the stakes.” He typed,

Right in the middle of a bite of shrimp, covered in cocktail sauce, Oscar sneezed a nasty sneeze.

The boys pressed into the ivied latticework.

“Anyway, I’m just saying, he’ll come around,” Ms. Whitmore said to Oscar.

The man nodded and dipped a shrimp into a small bowl of red cocktail sauce and sloshed it around. When it was thickly covered in the sauce, he shoved it into his mouth.

Suddenly, his jaw froze.

The boys’ eyes opened wide.

He reached for his napkin, but before he could get it to his mouth, “Ah-CHOOOOOO!”

Fwop-pop-pop! Like a bullet, the shrimp flew out, this time toward the table. It bounced twice and ended up in Lorraine’s lap. She jumped and let out a little scream.

Matt, Lamar, Gill and Alfonzo jumped away from the screen.

Lamar’s mom tried to smile this time, but it wasn’t very convincing. She lifted her napkin off her lap and used it to remove the shrimp from her purple dress. A blotch of shrimp sauce didn’t come off so easily.

Suddenly, Matt didn’t feel so good. He tried to remind himself that they were doing this to save Lamar’s mom from heartache, but giving her trouble didn’t seem to be the best route.

“I am so sorry, Lorraine,” Oscar apologized.

“It’s all right,” Ms. Whitmore replied. “But I think we’ve had enough of the shrimp.”

“Oh no!” Alfonzo nearly shouted aloud.

“What?” Matt, Lamar and Gill asked at the same time, their heads swinging to him momentarily.

“Papa and Iz are here!”

“Isabel’s here?” Matt asked.

Lamar pointed to the laptop. “Concentrate!”

Isabel and her father were on their way out, when Isabel looked over and saw the boys. She was dressed in black jeans and a red blouse that accented her midnight black hair, tumbling down her back like a waterfall. Isabel and her father waved to them and Alfonzo waved back. Isabel excused herself. Her father exited the restaurant and she headed over to the table.

Lamar cried, “Alfonzo! What are they doing here?!”

“Today’s their date!” Alfonzo exclaimed in a hush. “They always go to fancy places on their dates!”

Gill hopped up. “If this is intermission, I’m going to the bathroom.”

Matt grabbed his arm. “It can’t wait? You always have to go in difficult situations! Remember the bank? Remember what happened?”

“I have no control over my bladder’s whims!”

“Obviously,” Matt retorted, letting go. “Just stay down, OK?”

Gill nodded and took off in a hunched position, passing Isabel. He smiled at her as he continued on his way.

When she stepped up to the table, Matt slammed the laptop shut and covered it with his menu.

“Hey Iz!” Alfonzo greeted quietly.

“Hey guys!” she said rather loudly. She didn’t look at Matt.

“Shhh!” Alfonzo hushed his sister.

Isabel glanced at Matt, then looked at Lamar, then Alfonzo. “All right, what’s going on?” she demanded. Her arms folded across her chest.

Suddenly, Ms. Whitmore stood up. Alfonzo’s eyes grew wide and he jumped up and pushed Isabel into Gill’s space, beside Matt. She yelped and Matt shoved Gill’s menu in her face. “Read the menu!” he ordered.

“I’ve already eaten!” she shot back. Then Isabel flipped the menu to the back as Ms. Whitmore passed. She was too busy studying the shrimp sauce stain on her blouse to notice them.

“Oh look!” Isabel said rather loud. “The dessert menu! I could have chocolate cake!” Then she turned to Matt. “Oh, never mind. I have some of that on my dress at home already.”

Matt just stared at his menu. Ms. Whitmore entered the bathroom and the boys set the menus down.

“What’s going on?” Isabel asked again. Her deep brown eyes caught Alfonzo’s brown eyes. “Tell me or I’m telling Papa.”

Alfonzo conceded. With a whisper he said, “You remember me telling you about the dangerous guy Lamar’s mom is dating?” Isabel nodded. “They’re in that booth!”

Isabel’s mouth dropped. Her eyes grew wide and she leaned back, looking over. Then she leaned forward and whispered something in Spanish to Alfonzo. He whispered back. She said something else and he responded.

After a few more interplays, Lamar requested, “English, please—this is my mom, remember?”

Isabel held Alfonzo’s stare for a few more moments and then she whispered to Lamar, “Your mom isn’t going to drop him just because he’s clumsy.”

Matt turned to Isabel. “She won’t?”

Isabel turned to Matt and her eyes swallowed him up. “No,” she said. “A girl’s heart is stronger than that.”

Matt felt his mouth upturn. “I knew it was.”

Then she added, “But that doesn’t mean clumsiness won’t upset her.” Isabel turned back toward Lamar. “If you’re going to get her out of this, she’s got to see that she judged him wrong. She needs to realize she made a serious mistake.”

Lamar didn’t say a word. Isabel stood up, her arm brushing Matt’s. “I have to go. Papa has the car by now. Lemme know how it goes. Have fun.”

Matt watched her leave, each step more graceful than the last. After she exited the restaurant, Matt asked Alfonzo, “You didn’t tell her about the laptop did you?”

“No,” Alfonzo promised. “I just told her we were hoping to trip him up—make him look clumsy.”

“Good,” Matt responded.

Gill came out of the bathroom and walked half way to the table when Ms. Whitmore exited the women’s bathroom. The menus went up and Gill looked around to see what the alarm was. When he spotted Ms. Whitmore, he dived down, taking refuge under one of the cloth-covered rolling carts.

Ms. Whitmore stepped past him, and past their table, turning and sitting at her own. Oscar immediately broke into a series of apologies, all of which Lorraine accepted.

“What are we going to do?” Lamar asked.

Matt looked at his laptop and threw his hands up in the air.

Suddenly Jean-Luc the waiter placed his hands on the cart Gill was under and rolled it across the room. Matt, Lamar and Alfonzo’s eyes grew wide as he wheeled it right in front of Oscar and Lorraine’s table.

“Oh no,” Lamar said.

“Oh no,” Alfonzo echoed.

“Just stay under there!” Matt whispered to no one in particular.

Jean-Luc removed the shrimp and napkins from Oscar and Lorraine’s table and set them on the cart.

Suddenly, like there was an earthquake, the cart began to shake, a cackling sound coming from underneath.

“Ha-ha!” Gill’s laugh filled the restaurant, the cart rumbling.

Jean-Luc flipped the cloth up and jumped back when he saw Gill underneath, laughing and pointing to the beeper on his side. “Make it stop! Ha-ha! Make it stop!”

Ms. Whitmore hopped up and shouted, “Gill Gillespie?!”

Matt, Lamar and Alfonzo jumped up.

She turned and saw the boys. “Lamar?! Boys! What are you doing here?!”

Lamar looked at Oscar. “Trying to save you from a serious mistake!” Lamar blurted out to his mother.

“Try to get to know me,” Oscar pleaded, standing up.

Jean-Luc took the beeper off Gill’s waist and Gill calmed down.

“Lamar Taylor Whitmore, you go home,” Ms. Whitmore ordered. “We’ll discuss this later.”

In a huff, Lamar pushed Alfonzo out of the booth and exited the restaurant. Alfonzo looked at Matt and Matt grabbed his laptop. They exited, awkwardly waving to Lamar’s mom and Oscar.

Still underneath the cart, Gill grabbed his beeper back from the waiter. He pulled down the sheet and wheeled himself out.

—     —     —

Feeling as dreary as the cool, evening weather, Matt waddled down his driveway, tin garbage can in front of him, ready to drop the junk at the curb and call it a day. A very bad day.

Matt thunked the can at the corner—and that’s when he saw her, standing across the street at her mailbox. Isabel Zarza.

Matt felt his breath escape slowly as he stood up straight and wished there was something nearby to lean on and look cool. Isabel smiled softly and waved weakly, her fingers tumbling one after another. Matt waved back in similar fashion.

“So are you going to come over and talk to me or are you going to make me yell across the street?” she shouted with a smile.

Matt returned a smirk. “I, uh, was just on my way over.” He started across the street, the butterflies in his stomach fluttering faster with each step. Matt rubbed the goose bumps off his cold, exposed arms and stopped in front of her.

Isabel brushed a lock of her long, straight, midnight black hair that tumbled down her back like a waterfall out of her eyes. She wore blue jeans and a pink t-shirt advertising a Latino band Matt had never heard of.

“So…” Matt began, not sure what else to say. He looked at the ground.

“I heard about what happened,” Isabel said.

“Yeah,” Matt said. “Gill’s mom just had another false alarm. Gill is so upset. I think it’s just big brother jitters, but—”

Isabel giggled. “No, I mean I heard what happened with Lamar.”

Matt cracked a smile. “Oh, right. Yeah, he’s sentenced to help out at church for the next month, I think. Pastor Ruhlen will be thrilled.”

“You really haven’t had a lot of success at eating out lately, have you?”

Matt looked up. “Not funny.”

“I never said I was a comedian. I’m a realist.”

“Same difference.”

For a long moment both were silent, staring at the ground. Then, at the same second, they both looked up and said, “I’m sorry.”

Isabel giggled. Matt chuckled. Then he said, “Thanks. So you, uh, really forgive me for being clumsy?”

Isabel smiled. “If you’ll forgive me for getting so angry.”

“I deserved it.”

“I know.”

Isabel’s eyes twinkled. Matt laughed. “OK, yeah, I did deserve it. I’m really sorry about the chocolate cake.”

Isabel looked down the street and let out a long breath. “It wasn’t the chocolate cake. There’s…more to it.” She breathed deeply. Her voice cracked. “I think you just struck a cord from—”

“I know,” Matt interjected. “From your mom leaving and all. No sweat. I understand.”

“You understand?”

“Oh, yeah. I know—”

“You don’t know. There’s a whole lot more to me than what you know.”

“Don’t get upset,” Matt defended.

“Well, don’t turn all Dr. Phil on me, then.”

“Why are you getting so mad?!”

“Mad? You haven’t seen mad!” Isabel turned on her heel and headed back to her house.

For a moment, Matt just stood there stunned. The flash of shock was broken when his dad pulled into the driveway in his Ford F-150. Just as Isabel entered her house and slammed the door, Matt’s dad stepped out of his pickup and watched Matt cross the street, kicking the curb on his way in. As Matt passed him, he said, “Hey, Ace, how come every time I see that girl, she’s walking away from you?”

“Apparently,” Matt responded, “it’s because I don’t know.”

Matt’s dad nodded. “Girls.”

5 - Intervention

“Dudes!” Pastor Ruhlen shouted. “The only thing good about you gettin’ in trouble is that I get to see ya more!”

Lamar stuffed a tuft of blue tissue into an octagon of chicken wire. “Yeah, but helping you build your float isn’t helping me forget about my problems.”

“Point taken!” Pastor Ruhlen said with a wink. He bobbed his head, his sky blue Chia-pet hair bouncing forward. The surfer-turned-youth pastor was always a sight to behold, with ever changing hair. Matt just wondered: Where does the guy get parachute pants?

“Though bro,” Ruhlen added, “this is the church’s float, not mine. I’m just the one knock-knockin’ it together.”

Matt looked at the boxes of blue tissue paper lying on the ground like a toppled tower of bricks. There must have been a hundred of them. “So what’s the float gonna be?” Matt asked.

“That’s a surprise!” Ruhlen replied. “Haveta wait to see.”

“Hey losers!”

The four boys and the pastor’s heads snapped to the sidewalk leading up to Pastor Ruhlen’s apartment complex.

“What’re you doing here, Hulk?” Pastor Ruhlen asked when Hulk joined the group.

“I jus’ wanted ta help my fellow churchgoers,” he replied, sounding like Rocky.

Pastor Ruhlen pulled his wire-rim sunglasses down his nose, his green eyes piercing Hulk.

Hulk buckled. “K, I got caught givin’ swirlies ta some nerds in school again. Dad said I hadta come.”

Lamar held out his hand. “Nice to be serving penance with you.”

Hulk ignored the handshake. He added, “Not dat I do whatever my dad says.” He grabbed the nearest tissue box and pulled out a blue tissue. He blew his nose in it and then stuffed it into the chicken wire.

“Dudes!” Pastor Ruhlen shouted, making everybody jump. “Why don’t you join me on this float, man? We can rock the parade!”

Lamar stuffed another blue tissue into the wire.

“Dudes! It’ll be a rockin’ blast-o-rama! I’m gonna sing a short duet with Suzie Brantley, and then I’m blastin’ music and throwin’ out candy!”

“Doesn’t sound so bad,” Matt admitted.

“Yeah! But to win most exciting float, I need more! See, what I want is background dancers who can amaze the crowd as they do the Macarena!”

“That sounds bad,” Matt added.

Pastor Ruhlen thumped the side of his head with his finger. “I got the vision up here,” Ruhlen said. “OK, maybe not the Macarena, but some sort of choreograph-ied dance. Hey, if ya wanna do it, we can practice in the Youth Hall at church. It’ll be fun. Dudes, the stage is still set up from the winter play. Just pop in a CD, turn on the spotlight and you’ll be jammin’, sweatin’ to the oldies, like TobyMac on the track!”

Hulk protested. “No way I’m dancin’ on dis float. Last time I was in da spotlight, I got puked on.” He glared at Gill who shrunk back.

“It could make you famous again,” Matt toyed with Hulk. “I’m sure a lot of people would get a good laugh out of your dancing.”

Hulk’s head swung in Matt’s direction. His eyes narrowed to slivers. “Ya don’t even know if I can dance. Think ya know all about me, do ya, Calhan? Pegged me as a dumb bully, have ya?”

Matt shook his head. “This coming from the guy who pegged us all as losers the second he laid eyes on us.”

“Yeah,” Hulk admitted, “but I was right.”

Pastor Ruhlen nodded. “You’re right, Hulk. We should give you a chance to prove yourself. You can dance if you want.”

“Not in a gazillion years.”

“You guys!” Lamar shouted, jolting everyone. “Forget the parade! We have more important things to deal with!”

The room fell quiet for a long moment until Lamar grabbed a new box of tissue and started stuffing again.

Pastor Ruhlen smiled wide. “Yeah, let those emotions out, dude. Let it flow. Get rid ‘o that anger.” Then to Matt he said, “What’s he talkin’ ‘bout, Willis?”

Matt knew Lamar wouldn’t mind it if he explained. “He’s not too thrilled about Oscar.”

“You talking about the cat your mom’s datin’? The dude who paid for all the snot rags for this float?”

Alfonzo nodded. “That’s who he’s talking about.”

“Yeah,” Matt said. “Hey, what do you know about him?”

The youth pastor propped a foot up on the back of the float. “He seemed like a pretty decent hombre to me. I don’t know him too well, I guess.”

“He’s a sheep in wolves clothing,” Lamar responded frankly.

“Can you keep a secret?” Matt asked the youth pastor. He nodded. Matt said, “We can’t say how, but we know he’s snowing everyone.”

“Well,” Pastor Ruhlen said, “you know, people ain’t always what you expect. Jesus said in Luke 6:37, ‘Do not judge, and you will not be judged.’ Dude, we have to leave the judging to the Big Guy upstairs.”

“But people judge others all the time,” Matt said.

“Right-e-o,” Pastor Ruhlen replied. “But you’re a writer, Matt. You know you have to know what’s inside a book before judging it. You can’t get careless with your thoughts and judge a book by its cover.”

Matt shifted his feet. “Yeah, but how do you know what’s inside?”

“Oh, yeah!” Pastor Ruhlen exclaimed, “Jesus said you can recognize people by the fruit they bear, man—that’s Matthew, chapter seven. Look at a guy’s actions. Listen to his words. See how he lives his life.”

Lamar stopped stuffing. “That’s just it, Pastor Ruhlen,” he said. “We’ve seen the truth—we’ve seen his actions…even though he doesn’t know it.” He grimaced. “I just don’t know how we can get him to fess up to my mom.”

Pastor Ruhlen stuffed another blue tissue into the chicken wire. “Well, have you guys tried talking to him?”

—     —     —

Peddling their bikes at full speed, the boys headed straight to Lamar’s house.

“You sure this is what Pastor Ruhlen meant?” Alfonzo questioned.

“Sure,” Matt assured his friend. “It’s called an intervention. I’ve seen them in the movies. We need to confront him—lay everything out on the table.”

As the boys rounded the corner onto Oleander Street, they saw Oscar standing behind his car in Lamar’s driveway. When he spotted the boys, he quickly closed the trunk and pocketed the keys.

The four boys came to a screeching halt in front of Oscar, the back tires of their bikes streaking the ground with black marks.

“Whoa!” Oscar exclaimed.

The boys straddled their bikes and faced Oscar.

“Hi boys,” Oscar said cautiously. The boys didn’t say a word.

“Hey, about yesterday at the restaurant,” Oscar said, his eyes on Lamar. “Do you really feel like I am a mistake for your mother?”

“I do,” Lamar said firmly. Matt saw him grip the handlebar of his bike to keep his hand from shaking.

Oscar bit his lip. “I see.”

“I thought you said you were a loan officer,” Lamar challenged.

Oscar’s eyes shifted to the house and back to the boys. “I am.” Then he smiled. “Boys, I don’t know what this is about, but…”

“We know your secret,” Matt stated matter-of-factly.

Oscar’s lips tightened. “What?”

“Your secret,” Matt repeated. “We know all about it.”

Oscar was quiet for a long moment as his mouth turned down. Then he asked, “What secret?”

“Your little act here,” Lamar said boldly.

Oscar let out a short breath. “How did you find out?”

“We followed you,” Alfonzo said.

Oscar nodded slowly. “That was you…back at the school?”

“Yes,” Lamar affirmed. “So it’s time you ‘fessed up to my mom.”

Oscar narrowed his eyes. “Why should I? I don’t want her to know.”

Lamar didn’t find Oscar humorous. “I’m sure you don’t. But if you don’t tell her, I will.”

“Lamar, you cannot force me to do this.” Then Oscar’s face changed, as though a shadow fell over it. “Do not tell her.”

“Or what? You’ll start using contractions?”

Cooly, Oscar slipped his hand into his jacket. Matt’s eyes grew wide. He was going for the gun.

Bam!

Everyone jumped. The boys nearly fell over like dominoes. Oscar’s hand flew out of his jacket. Ms. Whitmore stood in the doorway of her house, the screen door slammed open against the siding.

“Lamar Taylor Whitmore!” she shouted, her voice loud and sharp. “What’s going on?!”

“Maybe Oscar should tell you,” Lamar said firmly.

Oscar whispered to Lamar, “My secret stays a secret, you understand?”

Lamar looked at the bulge in Oscar’s jacket. He reluctantly nodded. Oscar smiled to Lorraine and then popped the driver’s door to his black Cadillac. “Everything is fine,” he said, slipping in. He gave the QoolQuad one last stare and then closed the door. A moment later, he backed down the driveway. Another moment and his car disappeared around the corner.

“What on earth is going on, Lamar?” Ms. Whitmore demanded again of her son.

“I don’t like him,” Lamar muttered.

“What?”

Lamar’s voice shifted up a notch. “I don’t like him.”

“Lamar, I will not have you drive him off. You need to give him a chance.”

“He’s not a good man, Ma.”

“Boy, do not judge someone you don’t know.”

“I’m not, ma. I know what you need—and it’s not someone like that.”

“No one’s gonna replace your daddy,” Ms. Whitmore said, her left hand on her hip.

“It’s not that!” Lamar exclaimed. “Why does everyone think it’s about that?! You have to trust me, Ma,” Lamar shouted, trying to get through to her without revealing something he couldn’t prove. “You’re misjudging that guy!”

“That guy’s name is Oscar,” Ms. Whitmore said plainly, raising her voice. “And outside of you, boy, he’s the best thing that’s happened to me in the last fourteen years. You will not run him off because you’re judging him without knowing him!”

“Me not—you don’t know him, Ma!” Lamar’s face was tightened with anger. “You don’t know him because you don’t want to know him! You want to believe the best because you want to replace Dad! Well, I don’t! Not with someone who’s just going to take your heart and break it!”

Lamar jumped on his bike, knocked the kickstand up and took off down the street.

“Lamar! Lamar Whitmore! Come back here!” Ms. Whitmore shouted. Lamar didn’t turn around. He just kept pedaling as fast as he could.

Lamar’s mother’s hand slipped to her mouth as tears formed in her eyes.

“I’ll find him,” Matt promised her. He nodded to Gill and Alfonzo and the three jumped on their bikes, riding out of the driveway.

—     —     —

The “sewer station” as Matt and Lamar called it, was a small, bricked building a block and a half away from their houses. It had one solid door, no windows and if you listened closely, you could hear water rushing through the pipes inside. With his bike propped up beside him, Matt sat in the gravel at the rear of the building, waiting. It didn’t take long for Lamar to show.

When his best friend came coasting into the secluded hiding place, he slid to a stop and looked at Matt.

“How’d you know I’d come here?” he asked.

Matt grinned. He tilted the screen of the laptop, sitting in his lap, out so Lamar could read it.

At precisely 5:45, Lamar biked to the sewer station.

Lamar let out a long breath. “I hate it when you use that thing on me.”

Matt shrugged. He shut the laptop and slid it into his backpack. Lamar rolled his bike beside Matt’s, propping it up beside it. He crashed on the gravel beside his friend and stared forward into the chain-link fence rooted in wayward weeds and rubble.

“You’d have come here anyway,” Matt said.

Lamar nodded. “Probably right.”

A good ten minutes passed without either of them saying a word. They just stared ahead, and down at the gravel.

“Where are the guys?” Lamar finally asked.

“Alfonzo had to go to dinner. Gill went to see if there was any new news on his little monster.”

Lamar smirked. He shuffled through the gravel for a rock. He found one with sharp corners and pitched it at the fence. It hit a chain-link and bounced back. “You remember the first time we came here?”

“Like yesterday,” Matt said.

“Second grade, right?”

“Yes. Hulk’s first day of school with us. He came in and terrorized all the guys. Kept pushing us into the urinals.”

Lamar chuckled. “Yeah, until you stepped in.”

“Yeah, I waited until he got behind me and then stomped on his foot.”

“I’ll never forget it. He screamed like a girl.”

“And then he came after me. I ran all the way here—six blocks—and lost him somewhere along the way.”

“Man, Miss Fritel was freaked. All she knew is that you took off out of school like your pants were on fire and no one could find you.”

“You found me.”

“And you’re lucky. You were gonna stay here all night.”

“I didn’t want a knuckle-sandwich,” Matt admitted.

“You didn’t get one.”

“I know. Fortunately for me, Tony Nedbit hit Hulk in dodge ball the next day and Hulk forgot all about me.”

“Short attention span.”

“Still, I’m glad we found this place.”

Lamar nodded. “Me too. No telling how many times we came here and dreamed about being football stars.”

“So much for that,” Matt said flippantly.

“And how many times have we sworn we’d never get married because—”

“Girls stink,” both of them said in unison. They laughed. Then Matt added, “Now I actually think some of them smell good.”

Lamar threw another rock. “Things change. Ma always said things get harder the older you get.”

“What’s up with that?”

“I don’t know. I guess we’re growing older. How does Pastor Ruhlen say it?”

“Deep, wise, mighty and engaging.”

“Yeah,” Lamar said. “Luke 2:52. ‘And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.’ We’re growing deep, wise, mighty and engaging just like Him.”

“You’re a walking Bible. You think Jesus faced junk like we do?”

“Worse—but He didn’t give into the fear. And that made all the difference.” Then Lamar asked, “So what are we gonna do?”

Matt leaned his head back on the brick wall, his black hair sticking to the brick texture. “I don’t know. He’s dangerous, but we have no proof. It’s his word against ours.”

“And he’s slick.”

“Yep. Every scenario I play in my mind ends up with us wearing cement on our feet at the bottom of Lake Windham.”

“If my mom marries this guy, I’m going to have to enter the witness protection program.”

Matt smiled. “We won’t let it get that far.”

Lamar asked, “You scared?”

“Well, when something affects you, it affects me.” Then, after a pause, he added, “But you know, for what it’s worth, I think she’s telling the truth when she says she’s not trying to replace your dad.”

“I know. It’s just…I always thought when she dated, it’d be some great guy. You know, a guy on fire for God. Someone who lives the Bible. She deserves that. Instead, she’s lured to Grumpy.”

“Dopey.”

“Sneezy. And that’s not right. It’s not fair. And the more I warn her about him, the more dead-set she is to stay with him.”

Matt nodded.

“So was Ma mad?”

“I only counted two bulging veins—one in her neck, the other on her forehead.”

Lamar nodded. “Yeah, I’d better get home.”

—     —     —

Later that night, Matt sat at his laptop, fingers on the keyboard, wondering what to do. He was in the middle of typing out his thoughts, outlining what if’s, when his Instant Messaging program beeped.

Bing!

* Lamar is online. *

Lamar:           hey matt come up with any ideas?

Matt let out a long breath.

MattC:            Nope. Fresh out. You?

Lamar:           nope

MattC:            You’re still alive?

Lamar:           yeah but mas really hung on this guy. she was crying and everything

MattC:            L

There was a long pause and Matt went back to brainstorming. What if… What if… What if…About ten minutes later, the program beeped again.

Bing!

* ALF is online. *

Matt chuckled. He typed.

MattC:            You gonna leave that as your username? You sound like a cat-munching alien.

Lamar:           ROTFL

Another long pause followed by:

ALF:               Hi Lamar, it’s Isabel.

Matt’s eyes grew wide. “Guess you never know who you’re really talking to,” he whispered. She continued to write.

Lamar:           hey isabel. what’s up?

ALF:               Not much. Alfonzo said you mighht be dannig on the church float

ALF:               * dancing

Matt typed:

MattC:            Not if I can help it

Isabel ignored him.

ALF:               If you want, I can teach you some doncing moves so you won’t look so sily. I can good at dancing.

Matt’s eyebrows shot up.

MattC:            You can dance?

ALF:               I told you their was more to me than you know

ALF:               Alfonzo wants to know if you thaught of anything to save your mom fronm this guy??

Lamar:           well we have a few tricks up our sleeves

Matt looked at his laptop. “We sure do.”

ALF:               Well I can see wy he didn’t come clean. It makse sesne. No one wants to have their secrets expsosed for eth world to see.

ALF:               I mean We all have struggles. things that are deeper than just out side appearances

Matt blinked. He reread what Isabel had written.

MattC:            Lamar! That’s it!

Lamar:           what?

MattC:            What Isabel said!

Lamar:           about us all having struggles?

MattC:            No! Before that!

Then Matt added,

MattC:            Isabel—can you really teach us to dance?

6 - In the Spotlight

“So what changed your minds?” Pastor Ruhlen asked Matt, Lamar, Gill, Alfonzo and Isabel as he flicked on the switch to the youth hall. As the florescent lights buzzed to life, the QoolQuad took in the youth stage, which was decorated with snowflakes, holly and other Christmas icons. Bales of hay and wreaths peppered the stage and walls.

What changed their minds? Oscar, Matt thought. And a brilliant plan. Matt was glad he thought of it. Well, Isabel sparked the idea, but…

The plan was simple: They had to expose the horrible truth about Oscar for Lamar’s mother to see. But they had to do it publicly, so Oscar couldn’t retaliate. His hand shot to his coat a little fast when they confronted him the other day. He was obviously unpredictable, so they needed to keep themselves—and Lamar’s mother—safe.

The only question left was where to find the perfect setting. And thanks to Isabel, Matt conceived a radiant idea. Half the city of Enisburg would attend the upcoming annual parade. So Matt quickly convinced the guys that all they had to do was win the parade with Pastor Ruhlen’s float. When the victory announcement was made, Matt would make sure Oscar was called up on stage since he paid for the float…and then all masks would be removed for the world to see.

Lamar didn’t answer Pastor Ruhlen’s question, but instead said, “Hey, for now I’m just glad to get my mind off everything.”

Pastor Ruhlen clicked his tongue against his jaw a few times. “Still havin’ troubles getting settled in with ol’ Oscar?”

Lamar nodded.

“It’ll be fixed soon,” Matt replied. “But right now we need to get our dancing down.”

Pastor Ruhlen’s face lit up. “Right-e-o! It is so sa-weet that you dudes are gonna dancer-oo on the float with me! We’re destined for first place for sure!”

“Well, we’ll certainly try to do our best.”

Pastor Ruhlen pointed the group to the stage, and then retreated to the sound booth. He slipped a CD in the sound system, cued it up and then grabbed a remote control. He ran up to the stage where the boys and Isabel now sat.

“OK. The tune is a pop/rock mix I created on my keyboard. But before it starts, Suzie Brantley is singin’ a slow duet with me. It’s that worship song—‘Search Me.’”

“Oh, I like that song,” Isabel said.

Pastor Ruhlen winked. “Yeah, good stuff, Maynard.”

Isabel squinted. “And it goes from the worship song into a pop/rock mix?”

Pastor Ruhlen smiled and his eyebrows hopped up. “Yeah.”

“Hmm. That’ll be interesting.”

Pastor Ruhlen lifted the remote and pressed a button. A few seconds later, the song blared from the speakers. It was a peaceful, hollow sound, with synthesized wind instruments and rolling percussion. Isabel closed her eyes, listening to the worship tune. Matt watched her take in the music. She seemed to settle into the worship tune easily. Oddly enough, when her and her brother first moved to Enisburg just a few months prior, neither had ever attended a church like Matt’s. Now, occasionally, they came to youth group. Isabel always sat on the other side of the room with some other girls from her school, so Matt hadn’t seen her like this. But he could see her heart was really softened to God. He smiled. Now if he could just get her to talk to him. She hadn’t said too much to him on the way over, though she seemed to have cooled off from his latest blunder. Matt wondered how much better friends they’d be if he could just keep his mouth shut.

A minute later, the song kicked into high gear with a not-so-easy transition, picking up with a funky, pop/rock beat. Pastor Ruhlen handed Isabel the remote and said, “Go for it.” After listening for a few more seconds, she hit the stop button.

She backed the song up and stood up after she started it again. “OK,” she said. “Here’s what would be cool. Let’s start with your backs to Pastor Ruhlen and—what’s her name?”

“Suzie,” Pastor Ruhlen answered.

“OK, start off with your backs to Pastor Ruhlen and Suzie, heads down.”

Isabel turned around and put her head down. “Like this. Then wait until the fast part starts up…here.” Right when the pop/rock segment started pumping, she spun around, her black pony tail swishing behind her head. “Then start moving back and forth like this, to the beat. Let’s go right hand cross, left hand cross, clap, clap, stomp, stomp, spin, repeat. Like this.” She performed the dance segment all the way through a few times, spinning around and repeating. As she moved, she said, “See? Easy. You can do this in your sleep.”

Matt looked at Lamar. Lamar looked at Gill. Gill looked at Alfonzo. Alfonzo looked at Isabel.

“Anything my sister can do, I can do better,” Alfonzo assured his friends.

The boys stood up and Isabel skipped the CD back to the beginning of the song. She turned around and the four boys followed suit, standing behind her like shadows in four different spots.

When the fast part came, they all spun around. Matt crossed his hands, Lamar stomped his feet, Gill spun around and Alfonzo did all three. Pastor Ruhlen twisted his lip. Isabel giggled aloud, her voice sounding like newly-spun honey. “Wait! Stop! Stop!” she cried. She restarted the segment. “Like this. One, two, three, four. One, two, three, four.” She danced to the beat as she had instructed. “OK, join in.”

This time Matt spun, Lamar crossed his hands, Gill stomped and Alfonzo still did all three.

Isabel giggled again and put her hand on her forehead. “Can’t you guys hear the beat?”

“You mean the drums?” Matt wondered.

Pastor Ruhlen’s forehead wrinkled. Isabel re-cued the song and said, “OK, from the top.”

The four boys tried time and again to follow Isabel. A half hour later, she stopped the CD. “OK!” she exclaimed. Then she muttered something under her breath in Spanish. Alfonzo chuckled. She looked up. “Is there room on the team for me, too?” she asked Pastor Ruhlen.

The guys all looked a little surprised.

Isabel responded with a look of shock. “What? No girls allowed?”

“Hey!” Pastor Ruhlen shouted. “The more the merrier! Maybe we could put you out front.”

Matt, Lamar, Gill and Alfonzo all nodded. “We need all the help we can get,” Lamar admitted.

Isabel returned a smile. “Great. I’ll take the center spot and you can all follow me.”

The QoolQuad nodded agreement.

Pastor Ruhlen looked at his watch. “Hey, I gotta make a telly call, dudes. Be right back. Don’t lose your rhythm while I’m gone!”

As he left, Gill shouted, “Shouldn’t be tough—we haven’t found it yet!”

“Let’s all take a break,” Isabel suggested. “I need a drink. You all want one?”

Matt said, “Pepsi.”

Lamar said, “Dew.”

Gill said, “Dr. P.”

Alfonzo said, “Orange.”

With a smile, Isabel said, “I’m getting water. Water for everyone!” and exited the room.

The youth hall quiet, the four boys sat down.

“We’re hopeless, aren’t we?” Alfonzo wondered.

“You guys are,” Gill said, “but I was born for the spotlight.”

“You and Hulk,” Matt teased.

Lamar said, “Guys this has to work. It’s the only way to save my mom.”

“We’ll get it,” Matt encouraged.

“Yeah, but we have to be good,” Lamar said.

Click! At once, the lights turned off. The room fell black, save dim columns of light sneaking through the rectangular windows on the side doors.

“Iz!” Alfonzo shouted. “Cut it out!”

Boom! With the power of the sun, a spotlight beamed in the boy’s faces, making them jump up in surprise. Matt threw his right hand in front of his eyes. He squinted through his fingers, trying to see who was playing with them.

“Iz! That’s bright!” Alfonzo shouted to his sister again.

Matt’s heart skipped a beat when a familiar, eerie metallic voice said, “Hello, Matt.”

Matt gulped.

“W-who is that?” Lamar asked.

Matt could see the light from the doors playing on the now-familiar pair of thin cowboy boots worn by…

“Guys, meet Sam,” Matt responded. “Sam, the guys.”

Gill slapped Matt on the arm. “I told you he’d show up!” Then he whimpered, “Is he gonna kill us?”

Matt shook his head. “Not yet.”

Sam spoke through some sort of electronic device, disguising his voice. “Your friends know, don’t they, Matt?”

Matt nodded. No use in hiding the truth. Then he said, “I thought you knew they knew.”

“Matt, this must stay a secret. You can’t trust anyone.”

Matt stepped forward a pace and pulled his hand down. “We’ve been over this,” he challenged. “But I don’t agree. I have friends I can trust. People are better than you think.”

“Are they?”

“What do you want?” Matt demanded. He felt like he’d been scared out of his wits enough lately. “I’m being secretive with the laptop, just like you asked. No one’s going to be able to trace it back to me.”

“Don’t underestimate them, Matt.”

“Who?”

Sam didn’t answer the question. Instead, he said, Don’t get careless with the laptop, Matt.

Matt continued, “Look, we’re only using it to expose scum.”

“And make dreams come true,” Lamar added, weakly.

“Yeah,” Matt agreed. “And help people like Gill’s pregnant mom.”

“Shhhh!” Gill hushed Matt.

“Just be sure you know what you’re doing,” Sam pleaded. “Remember, some things aren’t what they seem.”

“Like you?” Matt asked, stepping forward another pace.

“There’s a lot you don’t know,” Sam suggested. “A lot more you’re about to know. All of you. I’ll call on you when it’s time.”

Gill piped up, “Um, just for the record, you don’t have to call on me.”

Boom! The light popped off and the boys heard footsteps.

Click! The florescent ceiling lights buzzed on and the guys screamed. A door at the back of the room slowly closed. Isabel dropped her handful of bottled waters when she noticed her friends’ ashen faces.

“D-did I miss something?”

7 - Can’t Do Just a Du

Matt wasn’t sure what to do with Lamar. For the past half hour, he had paced back and forth in front of Matt like a crazed sentry. “You’re going to weaken the pavement,” Matt warned him. He just kept pacing.

For the past week, leading up to the parade, nothing had changed. Isabel and the boys practiced their choreography. Endlessly. Pastor Ruhlen and Suzie Brantley practiced their worship song. Lamar was over at Matt’s more than usual, and when he went home, he said he usually just went to his room. He said it was like torture seeing his mother going out on dates with Oscar, knowing what he was really like…knowing what they had seen. Matt kept encouraging his friend to be patient—stick it out—and soon they would put the laptop to work.

Now it was Saturday morning—parade morning—and the crisp downtown air was sure to promise a hearty turn-out. On their way in, Matt gazed up at the tallest buildings—Mochrie Financial, the Enisburg Hospital, Security Bank Headquarters and a Hilton hotel. They were about to march past each one of them, and Matt wondered what the view would be like from a top floor.

Now, stopped on Sydney Avenue, waiting for the parade to start, Matt sat on the curb with his laptop in his lap. Like the other boys and Isabel, he wore a white dress shirt and black slacks. They looked like such a well-dressed quintet.

“What’re you writing?” Lamar asked, puffing warm air into his cupped hands.

Matt tilted his laptop’s screen out so Lamar could see.

Without a doubt, the QoolQuad put on the most entertaining performance possible so the Enisburg Community Church float has a great chance at winning the float contest at this year’s annual parade.

“Isn’t that a run-on sentence?”

Matt quizzically looked at the screen. Then he decided run-on sentences were the least of his concerns.

“Where is Pastor Ruhlen anyway?” Matt asked as he hit the clock key. On screen, the cursor changed to the golden clock that swiftly ticked forward, somehow ensuring a sure future.

Lamar shrugged. “I don’t know.”

Matt closed his laptop. “Well,” he said, “we’ll put forth our best effort, but this should help give us an edge. We don’t need any misunderstandings.”

“No, we certainly don’t,” Lamar agreed. “This is our one chance. Nothing is more important than getting it right. You know what happened last night?”

“Your mom and Oscar went out on another date?”

“No—just the opposite. It was Friday night and Oscar had ‘business.’ Can you imagine that? A ‘loan officer’ working on Friday night. I told my mom that was fishy, but she wouldn’t hear of it. Then this morning, before he drove us here, he reaches into his pocket for his keys and guess what falls out.”

“A rubber band, a nickel and a half-eaten Snickers bar.”

“Three one-hundred-dollar bills.”

Matt’s eyebrows shot up. “Whoa. What’d your mom say?”

“She didn’t see. Oscar just looks at me and puts his finger over his lips. Shhhh.”

Matt’s eyes narrowed. “He’s goin’ down.”

“Yes, sir.”

Matt glanced down the sidewalk and watched Isabel going over the dance steps with Gill and Alfonzo one last time. They were doing most of it on their own. Isabel turned out to be a great teacher. He didn’t even know she could dance. It’s not that Matt didn’t think she could, it’s just that he never expected it.

Lamar let out a long breath. “Still, I wish it didn’t have to be like this. Why couldn’t he just come clean?”

“We gave him more than enough chances,” Matt assured his friend.

“I guess. It’s just gonna break my mom’s heart.”

“Better now than later.”

Lamar agreed.

“Hey dudes!”

Matt and Lamar turned to see lanky Pastor Ruhlen bounding up the sidewalk. His outfit was fiery red from neck to toe, matching his red hair. Hulk Hooligan, Hulk’s dad, and Hulk’s brother Nate all walked up behind him. Matt shoved his laptop into his backpack.

Pastor Ruhlen put out his hand and when Matt stood up and shook it, he pulled Matt’s hand in, knocked it, lifted it and swirled it around. Some kind of secret handshake of the eighties, Matt guessed. He forgot it as quickly as he could.

Hulk’s little brother Nate ran over and gave Matt a hug. Despite being Hulk’s brother, he was the sweetest little kid Matt knew.

“Hey, dudes, what’d’ya think of our rippin’ float?” Pastor Ruhlen pointed down the way.

The boys walked backward a few steps. Matt squinted. “Where? We’ve been looking for it.”

“Right behind the Wiz Plumbing float!” Pastor Ruhlen exclaimed.

Matt’s mouth dropped. “You…you mean the float with the gigantic surf wave on top?”

“Fer sure!” Pastor Ruhlen responded. “What did you think all those blue tissues were going to build? That’s the biggest wave to ever crash down the Enisburg streets!”

Lamar squinted. “So surfing…going to church… Am I missing the connection?”

“Fun in the Son, dude! Get it?! S-O-N!”

Matt winced. “Very…punny.”

“Yeah, anyway, so Mr. Hooligan, Hulk and Nate are gonna drive for us. We just hooked it up to his pickup. It’ll be fun, won’t it, Hulk?”

Hulk grunted.

“Yeah. That was a yes,” Ruhlen interpreted. “Anyway, I got a stage set up around the wave, with mics, speakers and plenty o’ candy. You can put your pack in the front with Hulk.”

Matt and Lamar caught eyes. Then Matt said, “Is there a sound booth on the float?”

“It’s more of a box,” Pastor Ruhlen said. “But yeah, it’s up near the cab.”

Matt nodded. “OK, I can just put my backpack there.” He looked at Hulk. “No use making you guys scrunch up to fit my junk in with you.”

Hulk belched.

Pastor Ruhlen looked at his watch. “Where is Suzie?” he wondered. He spied a pay phone across the street. “I’ll be right back.”

“Should we go down to the float?” Matt asked Mr. Hooligan. He nodded. They turned.

Pop! Pop! Pop!

Everyone’s eyes bugged when Lamar’s mom stopped them in their tracks, snapping pictures like a crazed photo-journalist. Oscar was right beside her.

“Aw, Ma!” Lamar cried, shaking his head. “Warn us next time.”

Ms. Whitmore and Oscar were both dressed for warmth. She wore a gray coat, he had on a woolen black jacket. Ms. Whitmore checked her son over, from head to toe. She started picking fuzzies off his shirt.

“Ma, you’re embarrassing me,” Lamar muttered.

Gill, Alfonzo and Isabel approached the group, each of them watching Oscar closely as they moved around him. He watched them warily.

Alfonzo said to Lorraine Whitmore, “My dad and Gill’s parents and Matt’s parents are about three blocks down on the corner of Beams Avenue if you want to join them.”

“Of course!” Lorraine responded.

“My mom’s out to here with Godzilla,” Gill added, holding his arms in a wide circle around his stomach. “You can’t miss her.”

“Sounds wonderful, darling.”

Matt lifted his backpack over his shoulder and stepped into the street. He stood on his tiptoes looking for Pastor Ruhlen. He saw him on the pay phone, talking intently. Matt twisted his lip. They didn’t need a wrench in their plans. He was about to remove his laptop when he felt a presence beside him. He nearly jumped when he realized it was Oscar, standing there, looking down at him. Matt gulped. His eyes drifted down to the bulge in Oscar’s coat. Matt knew it was the gun. He had it with him.

“You boys are not planning on letting out our little secret to Lorraine, are you?”

Matt tried to act as if nothing was up. He shrugged. “What gave you that idea?”

“I do not understand why you boys insist on meddling in my affairs,” he said gruffly.

“We don’t want to do this,” Matt responded. “We’re not your judges. But we are going to protect Lamar’s mom.”

Oscar opened his mouth to shoot something back, but their conversation was interrupted when Pastor Ruhlen jogged up. Worry plastered his face.

“What’s wrong?” Matt asked. The group gathered around.

“Dude! This is terrible!” Pastor Ruhlen exclaimed, his Chia-pet hair bobbing.

“What is it?” Ms. Whitmore pressed.

“Suzie!” the youth pastor shouted. “She’s got…laryngitis!” he punched.

“Oh no!”

“I can’t sing a duet alone! Then it would just be a Du!”

“You mean a solo?” Matt questioned.

Pastor Ruhlen bit his lip. “Well, I guess we can still throw out candy, eh?”

“Well, we can still dance, right?”

Pastor Ruhlen shook his head. “I guess, but we’ll have a long, meaningless intro now and…it just won’t be the same.”

“Well, we can’t win with just candy throwing,” Matt said. He knew they couldn’t just let their plans go down the drain. He slowly looked at Lamar, who slowly looked at Gill, who slowly looked at Alfonzo, who slowly looked at Isabel.

No one knew quite what to say until…

“OK, I’ll do it,” Isabel stated, stepping forward.

“You’ll do what?” Matt wondered.

“I’ll sing. I know the song inside and out. I can do it.”

“You can sing too?”

Isabel just smiled.

Matt’s eyebrows popped up. “You’re just full of surprises.”

Alfonzo whispered into Matt’s ear, “She used to sing in the bathroom when she was little. In the shower, on the—”

“I get the picture,” Matt interrupted, throwing up a hand.

“Aw, man!” Gill protested. “But we practiced our dance movies with five dancers! We can’t lose Iz! What happens when we do the thing and then the other thing and then the spin and the thing? With only four dancers, it’ll mess up our steps!”

Matt quickly looked at Lamar, who quickly looked at Alfonzo, who quickly looked at Isabel, who quickly looked back at Gill. Who looked at…

“Oh no! No way!” Hulk cried. “Dere is no way on eard I’m gonna—”

“Hulk!” Mr. Hooligan shouted, his voice raspy, but firm.

“But Dad!”

Mr. Hooligan frowned even more than he usually did. A long, tense moment was broken when Hulk finally asked, “All right, where do I sign up?”

“You sure?” Matt said to Pastor Ruhlen. “He’s wearing a grey t-shirt and jeans…and he can’t dance.”

Hulk huffed.

“I can teach you!” Gill offered. “It’s cool! You just do this thing followed by another thing and then the spin and the thing!”

“How hard can dat be?” Hulk asked.

“Well,” Matt admitted, “You’ll certainly make our float more exciting…”

8 - Not Another False Alarm

Like a procession of snails, the parade moved along at a crawl. Matt, Gill, Lamar, Alfonzo, Isabel, Hulk and Pastor Ruhlen sat impatiently atop their float, waiting to get far enough down the street to see anyone at all. Sitting beneath a towering tidal wave, Matt was convinced they looked more like a surfer club than a church group. Pastor Ruhlen said they were attraction number 10 of 26 in the parade filled with floats, marching bands, rare cars and other anomalies.

Directly in front of them was a walking mime studio, bustling with 25 silent artists. Then came the token loud and obnoxious “clowns on go carts” feature, upstaged only by last year’s winner: The Wiz Plumbing Co. float, led by the Enisburg High School marching band. This year, Mr. Wiz had a whole entourage of Wizard of Oz characters promoting his plumbing business. Other than the name, Matt was trying to figure out how Dorothy and plumbing were related. Then again, he thought, a bucket of water did save Dorothy.

Pastor Ruhlen and Isabel were actively discussing the song they were about to sing. Gill was rushing Hulk through the CliffsNotes version of their dance moves. Matt could already tell that was a lost cause. But the distractions gave him the time he needed.

Matt slipped over to the makeshift sound booth and set his laptop up beside the soundboard. He flipped open the lid and got it ready. It blended quite well with the sound equipment, not looking out of place at all. Lamar nodded at Matt. They were ready. All they had to do was win the contest and they would have the opportunity to expose Oscar safely—yet bold enough for Lamar’s mother to see. Matt took a deep breath of air and released it slowly. Yeah, that’s all we have to do.

Ten minutes later, as they finally forged their way into a cheering crowd, Matt hauled four pails of candy, one after another, to the four corners of the stage. The boys took turns chucking candy into the crowd, challenging each other to see who could throw the farthest. Hulk wasn’t much into giving out the sweets—he preferred to eat them. That is, until a couple little boys in the crowd called him a pig—at the top of their lungs. Then Hulk got the spirit. He started whipping fistfuls of candy into the crowd. He guffawed every time he hit someone in the head. A great attraction, Matt thought, for a church float. “Come to Enisburg Community Church and learn about walking in love. Now take this!” Whump!

“Psst…Matt!” Lamar whispered at one point, “Can’t we make this more exciting? We have to win, remember? We have to save my mom!”

“We’re just getting started,” Matt assured his friend. “We typed it into the laptop. It’ll happen. Just wait until our act starts.”

Once their float was well into the crowd, Pastor Ruhlen said it was time and the boys quickly took their places. Pastor Ruhlen zipped back to the sound box, nearly giddy, and queued up the CD. “Ready, guys?” he asked with his thumbs up. The boys and Isabel returned his thumbs up.

Pastor Ruhlen ran back to the group and took his place beside Isabel. He grabbed a microphone. Matt, Lamar, Gill, Alfonzo and Hulk turned their backs to them as they had practiced. Hulk said, “This is stupid,” more than once, but they just shushed him. They waited for the song to start. Matt glanced over his shoulder at Isabel. She was squeezing and releasing her fist at her side.

“I’m a little nervous,” Lamar whispered.

“I’m not,” Hulk responded.

Gill said, “You ought to be—you still don’t know the moves!”

“Sure I do,” Hulk retorted. “Da ding and da spin and da ding.”

Gill huffed. “This is going to be a disaster. Look, if you want to back out, we’ll understand.”

“Too late,” Hulk replied. “I’m in dis for da long haul. At least till noon.”

The music started, a soft instrumental, slow and steady. The boys fixed themselves in place. Pastor Ruhlen began singing,

Search me…search me…

Father, search the depths of my heart.

Test who I am inside,

In the place where I am set apart.

A short bridge played, and then it was Isabel’s turn. Matt smiled as he watched her lips part. But then…her voice barely came out.

Search m…search m…

Matt whispered to Alfonzo, “Should I help her out with the laptop?”

Lamar, on Matt’s other side, pushed Matt. “Yes! We have to win this!”

Matt took a step out of the line, and then froze. Isabel’s voice came back on her second line.

Search me…search me…

Father, search the depths of my heart.

Hear my worries, my prayers,

The secrets I won’t let depart.

Matt didn’t mean to; he involuntarily whirled around. His mouth dropped. Isabel saw him and blushed, her eyes dropping. Matt was speechless. Her voice was like an angel.

Lamar forced Matt to turn back around.

“What are you doing?” he cried.

“It’s like…newly-spun honey,” Matt muttered.

Lamar shook his head. “I really don’t want to know.”

Together Pastor Ruhlen and Isabel sang,

Lord, be the Judge

Of my words and all I do.

Lead me in Your higher ways

That all may worship Yooooou.

Then booom-ba-da-boom-ba-da-boom-boom-boom!

That was their cue! As they practiced, the boys broke the soft moment with a right hand cross, left hand cross, clap, clap, stomp, stomp, spin—all at the same time. Hulk, in the middle, did his own thing, but somehow it worked. It actually worked!

“I didn’t know you had it in ya!” Alfonzo shouted to Hulk. “Guess we shoulda believed ya!”

“Told ya!” Hulk shouted. The big lug spun around, wiggling his rear-end, which Matt was sure would lose them votes.

Pastor Ruhlen and Isabel laughed hysterically with the crowd as the boys put on their performance for two minutes solid. Each time they spun, their synchronization lessened. By the time a minute had passed, they were all pretty much doing their own thing.

“It’s a surfin’ party!” Pastor Ruhlen shouted.

And at once, the song ended. The crowd laughed and clapped gracefully. Matt, Lamar, Gill, Alfonzo, Isabel, Hulk and Pastor Ruhlen bowed. Matt turned and spotted his parents, Gill’s parents, Lamar’s mom, Oscar and Mr. Zarza in the crowd, cheering them on. Lamar’s mom was taking pictures, of course.

“Is that it?” Lamar asked Matt, sounding slightly worried.

“Not a chance,” Matt replied. “This time I had time to outline a plot.”

As the group bowed and threw more candy, Matt ran back to the laptop. Knowing they would soon start their number again for another part of the crowd, Matt thought he’d spice up their act. He typed,

The QoolQuad delivers a perfectly orchestrated performance.

Then he added,

And Hulk dances unbelievably.

Then he hit the clock key, watching to make sure the laptop went to work. He closed the laptop lid just as Pastor Ruhlen popped up behind the sound box. “Hey, Matt! Ready to go again?”

“More than ever,” Matt said with a smile.

Matt jogged back to the base of the tidal wave and joined his friends who were already in formation.

“Ya hear everyone clap for me, Calhan?” Hulk boasted.

“Yeah,” Matt said. “You were…something.”

Alfonzo laughed.

As they started the song for the second time, Matt closed his eyes and listened to Pastor Ruhlen sing his introduction.

Search me…search me…

Father, search the depths of my heart.

Test who I am inside,

In the place where I am set apart.

And then the angel…

Search me…search me…

Father, search the depths of my heart.

Hear my worries, my prayers,

The secrets I won’t let depart.

And then together…

Lord, be the Judge

Of my words and all I do.

Lead me in Your higher ways

That all may worship Yooooou.

Yes, Matt found himself praying, Lord, You know Oscar’s heart. Expose it for what it is.

Booom-ba-da-boom-ba-da-boom-boom-boom!

Right hand cross, left hand cross, clap, clap, stomp, stomp, spin—all at the same time. They were actually in perfect sync!

Until…

“Ha-ha-ha!”

Gill dropped to the ground like his body was made of lead. He started shaking like clothes in a washer.

Pastor Ruhlen’s eyes grew big as saucers. “Wipe out!” he cried. He laughed.

“Ha-ha-ha!” Gill laughed hysterically.

“You’re ruining our act!” Lamar cried, trying to keep the dance going. Right hand cross, left hand cross…

Hulk kept dancing, oblivious to Gill.

“Make it stop! Make it stop!” Gill shouted, his eyes watering.

“What?!” Matt cried.

Gill pointed to his stomach. His pager. It was vibrating.

The crowd laughed.

“Dey love me!” Hulk cried, dancing wildly.

Matt grabbed Gill’s pager and turned it off. He ran to the side of the float and looked back in the crowd to where Gill’s parents stood with his own. He saw Mrs. Gillespie sitting down, the pavement wet beside her. Her water had broken. She was going to have her baby this time. For sure. It wasn’t just hiccups.

“It’s gonna happen!” Gill shouted, lying on the ground, turning white. “We have to help my mom! Godzilla could hurt her! Matt! Help her!”

Matt grabbed Gill’s shoulders. “Gill! Listen to me!”

“What’re we gonna do?!” Gill cried.

Matt shook Gill. “Gill! Gill! Listen to me!” Matt could only imagine how crazed he must have looked, his eyes wide, staring into Gill’s. “It’s going to be all right!”

“But—”

“Gill! Stop running scared! You don’t know what’s going to happen! Stop expecting the worst! Look for the good and you’ll see the truth!”

Gill stared back at Matt for a long moment. Lamar looked over Matt’s shoulder.

“It…it’s gonna be all right?” Gill asked, as if Matt had said something deeply profound.

“It’s gonna be all right. You’re going to be a brother. A good brother.”

“I’m gonna be a brother.”

“You’re gonna be a brother! You can teach the baby stuff…and…and tell him jokes! I bet he’ll even laugh at them!”

“I can tell him jokes!” Matt pulled back as Gill pushed himself up. “I’m gonna be a brother!” he repeated.

Then he grabbed Matt’s arm. “But…Oscar…”

Matt’s head snapped to Lamar. Lamar ran to the edge of the float and looked back at Gill’s mother, sitting on the pavement, gripping her fingernails into Mr. Gillespie’s leg. Matt ran up beside Lamar.

“We gotta help her,” Lamar whispered to Matt.

“What about our plan?” Matt asked.

Lamar’s eyes drifted to Oscar, who stood beside Lamar’s mother, frowning at Mrs. Gillespie.

“We gotta help her,” Lamar repeated. “It’s more important right now.”

Gill ran up behind Matt, nearly knocking him off the side. “I’m gonna have a brother!” he shouted. “My mom’s having a baby!”

“I knew you’d be excited,” Matt said plainly.

Pastor Ruhlen, Alfonzo and Isabel all ran up behind Gill.

“She’s having a baby now?!” Isabel wondered.

“Yes!”

Pastor Ruhlen’s eyes grew wide. “Dude! Where is she?!”

“Back there!” Matt cried, pointing back and into the crowd.

“We have to help my little buddy!” Gill shouted.

“Your little buddy?! You sound like the Skipper!”

“Dude! This is a happinin’ of colossal proportions!”

“The colossalist!” Gill shouted. Then, “I’m comin’ little buddy!”

Hulk just kept dancing, ignoring them all.

“We have to get her to the hospital!” Alfonzo shouted, throwing his leg over the side of the float.

“What are you gonna do?!” Matt cried.

“You’ll think of something!” Alfonzo exclaimed with a wink.

“I’m right behind ya,” Lamar said to Alfonzo.

“I’m helping too!” Isabel shouted, climbing down the side behind her brother and Lamar.

“Gill!” Pastor Ruhlen ordered. “Get on the microphone. I’ll get in the driver’s seat with Hulk’s dad and get him to put the pedal to the metal!” Pastor Ruhlen jumped off the side of the float like Batman into a dark alley. He ran up to the truck pulling the float and jumped in, pushing Mr. Hooligan aside. He immediately leaned on the horn, causing the parade to split like a cheap pair of pants.

Matt ran to the laptop.

Gill grabbed a microphone. “My mom’s having a baby!” he shouted. The crowd cheered. “No!” Gill clarified. “I mean, right now! She needs to get through to the hospital!”

Matt rubbed his hands together. He closed his eyes and tried to block out the chaos. He placed his fingers on the home row of his laptop keyboard and typed,

Immediately emergency vehicles rushed in to pick up Gill’s mom.

Then suddenly, just as Matt was about to hit the clock key, he felt his stomach tighten. He realized Hulk was within eyesight—and might be watching what he’s doing. He looked at Hulk. And then he laughed. Hulk was oblivious to everyone, still dancing and whirling to the beat of his own drum. It was truly unbelievable.

Matt smacked the clock key.

Brrrrrrrrrrr! Immediately, the clowns on carts changed course and, in formation, they sped past the mimes, throwing the silent souls into silent turmoil. Mimes literally scattered everywhere as the growling vehicles cruised around their feet, dodging them by mere inches. Pastor Ruhlen and Hulk’s dad honked the horn and revved the engine, causing multi-colored clowns and black-and-white mimes to create swirling patterns on the pavement.

“She’s back there!” Gill shouted in the microphone. Lamar, Alfonzo, Isabel and all the parents jumped up and down, waving their hands. The clowns spotted the crew—it was pretty hard not to—and sped right over. “Help my little buddy!”

“Emergency vehicles,” Matt muttered, staring at his laptop. He typed,

The clowns stopped clowning around and swiftly helped Mrs. Gillespie and friends on their way.

The clowns came to a screeching halt in front of Mrs. Gillespie. The one closest to her screamed, “She’s having a baby!”

“We know!” everyone around him shouted back. Alfonzo said something to the clowns and, one after another, they formed a straight line. One cart with a sidecar shot to the front.

“Yes!” Gill shouted into the microphone. Isabel and Alfonzo helped Mrs. Gillespie into the sidecar and then the clown sped away. Mr. Gillespie jumped onto the clown’s lap in the second cart, followed by Lamar and Alfonzo, who jumped into the next two carts. Seconds later, the clowns-in-carts were off. Matt about fell over as Pastor Ruhlen smashed the gas pedal to the floor and their float jerked forward. He suddenly wondered if the tidal wave might fall on him, but it stayed steady.

The carts hosting Gill’s parents pulled in behind Pastor Ruhlen’s float, trusting he had the best chance of clearing the road fast. Lamar and Alfonzo instructed the clowns in their carts to pull ahead and chase out the mimes, who never verbally protested. With the mimes clear, Pastor Ruhlen blared the horn as they pulled ahead, paving the way to the Enisburg Hospital. Everything was clear for a few moments until…

“Munchkins!” Matt shouted.

“Move it, Munchkins!” Gill shouted into the microphone. Twenty pint-sized Munchkins who were dancing around the Wiz Plumbing Co. float screamed as the go-carts and threatening tidal wave approached. Like ants, they fled in twenty different directions. The rest of the cast followed suit. The lion jumped out of the way, the tin man seemed less than enthusiastic and the scarecrow atop their float did the dumbest thing imaginable; he ran right into the house in the center of the float. Literally. It capsized and fell on someone. Matt couldn’t tell who, but two green feet wiggled for help.

The road cleared fast and a path was opened all the way to the hospital.

With the Wiz out of the way, the kids in the high-school band looked surprised to see the approaching entourage. At once, the tuba players blew the cheerleaders out of the way. The baton twirlers spun aside. The drummers pounded the pavement as fast as they could.

Then it wasn’t long. Four turns and a screeching halt later, Pastor Ruhlen stopped the giant wave in front of Enisburg Hospital, the clowns-on-carts whirring before and behind him. Nurses rushed out and helped Mrs. Gillespie exit the sidecar and get into a wheelchair. Gill ran to the side of the float, then stopped. He turned around and ran back to Matt. Putting his hands on each of Matt’s shoulders, he said, “Thank you.”

Matt smiled. “It’s the least I could do for your mom.”

“No,” Gill said. “I mean—thank you—for helping me. I’m gonna be a brother!”

Matt smiled wider. A warm feeling rushed through his body. “Just remember me when you’re rich and famous.”

Gill laughed and then ran to the side of the float. He hopped off and joined his parents inside the hospital.

Matt, Lamar, Alfonzo, Isabel, Hulk, all their parents, Oscar and Pastor Ruhlen gathered at the foot of the float, in front of the hospital as the clowns-in-carts sped off.

And then they waited.

And they waited.

And they waited some more.

And then Pastor Ruhlen said, “Why are we waitin’, dudes?”

Matt’s eyebrows shot up. “Gill’s having a baby.”

“That’d be funny,” Hulk snorted.

“You know what I mean,” Matt retorted.

“You know what I think?” Pastor Ruhlen asked. “I think Gill would want us to win this parade.”

Lamar blinked. “You mean, you think we should try to get back in it?”

“How hard would it be?” Pastor Ruhlen asked Mr. Hooligan.

Unenthusiastically, Hulk’s dad said, “I can detour us back through Decker Street. We might be able to jump right back in where we came out—just a couple blocks later.”

Matt looked at Lamar. Lamar looked at Alfonzo.

“But we lost Gill,” Alfonzo said. “Who’ll dance for him?”

Hulk blurted out, “I can take the place of two people.”

“That’s the truth!” Pastor Ruhlen exclaimed. “So we’re still on?”

Matt’s smile spread to his friends’ faces. They collectively turned their heads to Oscar.

“Yes, we’re still on,” Matt said, trying not to let his double-meaning sound too thick.

Pastor Ruhlen leaped in the air. “Whoo-hoo! Let’s go!”

9 - Exposed

Like a rocket, Mr. Hooligan shot them through the city streets, trying to catch up with the parade. Cars pulled aside as the giant wave cruised through one avenue after another. Matt wanted to use his laptop, but there were too many people around. The crew held on tightly as they cornered onto Decker Street. Just as Hulk’s dad anticipated, it was the perfect entrance. They put on the brakes as the wounded Wiz Plumbing Co. float passed in front of them. Mr. Hooligan honked the horn and Pastor Ruhlen shouted, “Move aside, please!” into the microphone. The crowd parted and a couple police officers slid aside a barricade. In front of them, the clowns-on-carts waved as they passed, as did the mimes. Matt noticed quite a few members seemed to be missing from both groups; casualties of the surf. When the break opened, Mr. Hooligan hit the gas and they shot back into the parade. The crowd cheered at the surprise arrival.

Pastor Ruhlen started the CD. He and Isabel sang another encore and the boys danced…as did all their parents. Even Oscar reluctantly joined as the boys watched him out of the corners of their eyes. Hulk definitely danced enough to take Gill’s place. When Matt saw his own mother and father bumping hips, he put his hands over his face.

They continued their act for quite a while longer, until they reached the final stage of the parade. When they passed the last barricade, they pulled into their assigned parking space and waited for the rest of the floats and attractions to arrive. A crowd of several hundred formed around a small stage decorated with radio station and soft drink advertisements and speakers facing all directions.

As they waited, Matt, Lamar, Alfonzo and Isabel nervously kept their eyes on Oscar, eager to see him forced to come clean.

“Ladies and gentlemen! May I have your attention, please!”

Matt and his friends whirled around to see the mayor of Enisburg tapping the microphone. He was a plump man with a mustache and brown suspenders. The kids and their parents gathered around.

“This is a most joyous occasion!” the mayor exclaimed. “Quite different than the parade we all expected.” Then he added, “Well, as you all know, we have a tradition. We have a prize to reward!”

The crowd cheered.

“And this year, for the first time in Enisburg history, the judges are unanimous! This year, there is only one float that could truly be considered the ‘most exciting.’”

The crowd laughed. Matt, his family and his friends nervously awaited the announcement.

“For an excellent—and perfectly orchestrated—performance…Mick Ruhlen are you out there somewhere?”

The crowd cheered as Pastor Ruhlen’s face lit up. “Right-e-o!” he shouted. With a skip and a jump, Pastor Ruhlen pushed his way up to the stage and took his place beside the mayor. He slung his arm around him as though they were old friends. Matt was pretty sure they’d never met.

Matt looked at Lamar. Lamar looked at Matt. The same thought flew through both their minds: Time to write!

Matt excused himself and cut back to their float. He climbed up the back, discretely made his way to the sound box and fired up his laptop. As it booted, Matt listened to Pastor Ruhlen’s acceptance speech.

“Well, I just want you to know this is super-nif in all respects. And anytime you wanna surf on down to Enisburg Community Church, we’d be ecstatically enthusiastic to have y’all visit!” He accepted a plaque from the mayor and shook his hand. The mayor made an off-handed comment about how he was glad they decided to come back and join the parade. Pastor Ruhlen concurred. He was about ready to walk away when Matt opened his word processor and quickly typed:

Pastor Ruhlen calls up Oscar for helping. And soon the treachery is revealed!

Matt hit the clock key and at once the mayor suggested, “Mick, you couldn’t have done this all by yourself! Why don’t you bring up your crew!”

The crowd laughed. Pastor Ruhlen laughed. “Yah! What was I thinkin’? Boys! Isabel! Get up here!”

Lamar looked back at Matt, catching his eye. Matt threw his hands up in the air. He hadn’t expected that. Matt twisted his lip. Misunderstandings. He should have been more clear. Pastor Ruhlen motioned toward the boys and Isabel. Quickly, Matt typed,

Oscar’s true intentions—his secret—is exposed! And so is his gun! For the world to see!

Matt quickly hit the clock key. The icon changed and put things into motion. Matt let out a short breath and closed his laptop. He hid it under the sound box. He climbed down, pushed his way through the crowd and joined his friends on stage.

Pastor Ruhlen had a big, cheesy smile on his face. He pointed to each of the friends, introducing them.

“This is Lamar, Matt, Alfonzo, Isabel and—”

Hulk grabbed the microphone. “Hulk Hooligan!” he shouted. “Da name is Hulk Hooligan! How many o’ ya liked my dancin’?!”

Many members of the crowd cheered.

“Autographs afterward!” Hulk shouted.

The crowd laughed. Pastor Ruhlen laughed. “Yeah, OK, he’s not very timid. And our last member, Gill, is back in the hospital. But he’s a bit busy right now. He’s having a baby.” The crowd laughed again. Hulk snickered again.

“In fact,” Pastor Ruhlen said at last, “can we have all the parents and Oscar come up here? They were with us during the last part of the parade.”

Matt exchanged glances with each of his friends. They stepped back and let their parents through. Pastor Ruhlen introduced Matt’s mom and dad, Alfonzo’s dad, Mr. Hooligan, Nate and Ms. Whitmore. Then he said, “And this is Oscar Brown. He financed our float this year. Let’s hear it for Oscar.”

The spectators clapped their hands.

Lorraine Whitmore stood back and took a picture.

Oscar waved. And as he did, Matt spotted the shiny gun handle in his pocket. Matt tightened his lips, muttering a prayer.

Oscar put his arm down and stepped back. Then he headed for the end of the stage.

He was walking away.

Matt’s eyes grew big. He looked at Lamar. Lamar turned to Alfonzo, who promptly stuck out his foot. Oscar’s shoe caught on Alfonzo’s and Oscar lost his footing. He hit the stage with a crash.

“Oh! Sorry!” Alfonzo apologized, not-quite-convincingly.

When Oscar hit, his jacket popped open and at once, his gun shot out, flying across the stage. It came to a stop at the mayor’s feet.

The mayor gasped.

Each of the parents gasped.

Even Hulk gasped.

When the mayor picked up the gun, murmurs shot through the on-looking crowd. A few women screamed. Lamar’s mother stood in silence, her hand over her mouth.

“What is the meaning of this?” the mayor demanded, inspecting the weapon. Then his eyes narrowed as Oscar stood. “Hey…don’t I know you from somewhere?”

Panic hit Oscar’s face and he quickly looked back at Lorraine. He peered out at the crowd, then back at the mayor.

Lorraine Whitmore whispered, “Oscar…”

“Go ahead, tell him,” Alfonzo said.

“No more secrets,” Lamar said boldly.

“Well?” the mayor demanded.

Oscar looked at Lorraine and let out a sigh.

“Tell her,” Lamar demanded. He grabbed his mother’s hand. “Tell her about the lie you’ve been living. Tell her about the gun. Tell her about the—”

“I know where I’ve seen you!” The mayor shouted. “You’re the Crowley Mobster!”

Lorraine Whitmore’s mouth dropped.

“He’s been lying to you, Ma,” Lamar said. “He hasn’t been working at the office on Friday nights at all. I told you.”

Lorraine Whitmore’s eyes watered up. They shifted to Lamar and back to Oscar. “Is…is that true? You’re a…a…”

“A great actor!” the mayor shouted. “When this guy played the Crowley Mobster, I was on the edge of my seat!”

Matt blinked.

Lamar blinked.

Alfonzo and Isabel blinked.

“Actor?” Matt said.

“Actor?” Lamar said.

“Actor?” Alfonzo and Isabel said.

“Yes!” The mayor cried again. “He’s in ‘The Street Men,’ right?” The mayor punched the air. “No alarm folks,” he said into the microphone. “He plays a gangster in the new play down at the Playhouse. Just a plastic gun!” The mayor squeezed the trigger a few times and the crowd chuckled. He slapped the gun into Oscar’s hand and then started talking to the crowd again, relaying one announcement after another. Matt and everyone in his group slowly moved to the back of the stage, dumbfounded.

Matt stared at the ground in disbelief.

Lamar couldn’t take his eyes off Oscar.

Alfonzo and Isabel’s mouths were scratching their heads.

Oscar shrugged and humbly said to Lorraine, “I wanted it to be a surprise when I invited you. Still working out the kinks.” He shoved the gun into his pocket. “I have been carrying this thing around with me all week to practice my draw. I am not very good.” He tried to pull it out, but it got stuck. “See?” Then he added, “Please, do not tell my brother and sister. I want to surprise them anyway.”

“But…but we saw you!” Lamar pushed his way forward. “At the school!”

“I know. Not one of my better practice sessions. I told you I wanted it to be a secret.”

“Dis is da guy ya thought was big trouble?” Hulk said. “Duh, Whitmore. Look at ‘em. He couldn’t hurt a fly.”

Oscar chuckled. “Of course not.” Then, he looked at each of the boys and Isabel. “Wait… did you think…?”

Lorraine grabbed her son’s shoulder. “Oh, this explains a lot.”

Matt felt a sharp pain in his stomach. He stepped backward. He could feel his head spinning. His eyes shot to his laptop, sitting blamelessly in the distance, at the sound box on his float.

Treachery was revealed…true treachery…the treachery Matt and his friends had created. They had no right to judge him. They didn’t even know the true facts. At all.

Sam was right. They were getting careless with the laptop.

Pastor Ruhlen was right. They were getting careless with their thoughts.

Matt was right. Stop running scared, he had said to Gill. You don’t know what’s going to happen. Stop expecting the worst. Look for the good and you’ll see the truth. If only he had lived it himself instead of just preaching it to Gill.

Matt’s eyes drifted up to catch Lamar’s eyes. They looked as sick and stunned as his own. Misunderstandings, Matt thought, They never were as funny as they were in the sitcoms.

“We’re sorry,” Matt said, his voice barely escaping. “I’m sorry. Just after seeing the gun and your performance and then the cash…well, I guess I expected you to be something you weren’t.”

Oscar nodded, putting his hand on Matt’s shoulder. “I really am a loan officer, that is all,” Oscar assured. “Well, and an actor-wannabe who gets paid by the performance.”

Matt reeled. Oscar wasn’t the only actor. Matt realized he and his friends had been acting, too…acting out of fear. They’d given into it. And with a mob mentality, he and his friends had judged an innocent man. Matt suddenly felt like he was drowning, his feet anchored in the cement of his own foolishness. He heard himself silently pray the words he had heard an angel sing earlier that morning. Lord, be the Judge of my words and all I do. Matt added, Lord, be my Judge… know my thoughts and help me to not judge others.

Lamar looked at Oscar a long time then offered his hand forward. “Will you forgive me?”

Oscar grabbed Lamar’s hand and pulled him in. He didn’t say a word more, and neither did Matt or Lamar. They didn’t need any more words. They didn’t need any more misunderstandings. Judgment was best left to the One who had the right to judge…and no one else.

Epilogue

“It’s a boy!” Gill shouted, bursting into Matt’s room.

“Yes!” Matt, Lamar and Alfonzo shouted. Matt sat at his desk, Lamar and Alfonzo sat on the edge of Matt’s bed. They each gave Gill a high-five.

“Good thing,” Lamar said. “After Isabel moved in, I was concerned the neighborhood might get overrun with girls.”

“Not a chance,” Matt said with a smile.

“Yeah, you guys have to come over and see him. He looks just like me.”

“You were adopted,” Matt said.

“Well, ok, his hair is brown and his eyes are brown, so that’s different, but otherwise…”

“In other words,” Lamar said, “he looks nothing like you.”

The boys laughed.

“Hey,” Gill said, “thanks again for helping at the parade. You certainly topped yourself with that story, Matt.” Then he asked Lamar, “So what happened with Oscar? Did you nab him? Did you bring that good-for-nothing criminal down?”

“He’s an actor,” Lamar said loudly.

“You mean he’s not—”

“No.”

Gill whistled. “Next time you guys should investigate better. If there’s one thing I’ve learned from detective shows, it’s—”

“Enough with the detective shows,” Lamar ordered.

Matt said, “Hey, serves us right for judging.”

For a moment, the room grew silent. The quietness wasn’t broken until Lamar and Alfonzo started chuckling. They were flipping through pictures Lamar’s mom had taken the day of the parade and had come to one of Gill shouting into the microphone. Alfonzo said, “Move it, Munchkins!”

Gill laughed. Matt looked at the picture and smiled wide.

“Oh, here’s a one of Isabel singing,” Lamar said. Matt snatched it out of his hand.

“Ha-ha,” Matt replied. The picture was just a crowd shot.

Then Matt froze. “Guys…”

Lamar, Gill and Alfonzo were already onto the next picture.

“Guys…”

“What?” Lamar asked not looking up.

Matt spun around to his desk and pulled out a magnifying glass. He held it over the photograph and pulled away. His stomach churned. The picture was fuzzy, but the image was unmistakable. It was a figure, standing…watching. In a trench coat and thin cowboy boots.

“Guys! It’s Sam! I can see him!”

The boys all looked at each other and then jumped up and gathered around Matt. They squinted at the fuzzy picture.

“You sure?” Alfonzo wondered.

Matt nodded. “I’d know him anywhere.”

“Except, that doesn’t look like a him,” Gill noticed.

Matt couldn’t believe it; Gill was right. Sam had long blonde hair…and though it was out of focus, the face certainly looked female. “Sam’s a…Samantha?” Lamar asked.

The room fell silent.

Pop!

The four boys spun around when they heard the bedroom door pop open. Matt’s dad stood in the doorway, his hands behind his back. If they had guilt written all over their faces, he didn’t seem to notice. He just asked, “Alfonzo, when does your dad get home?”

Alfonzo shrugged as his voice broke. “Maybe an hour.”

Mr. Calahan nodded. “Because I was just working on remodeling your basement and I found a loose floorboard. I pulled it out.”

“That’s no problem,” Alfonzo said. “He won’t care.”

Matt’s dad swallowed hard. “Actually, I think he will. I found this underneath.” He pulled his hands out from behind his back. Laying in them was a heavy, dusty bar. Of gold.

To be continued…

About the Author

For two decades, Christopher P. N. Maselli has been sharing God’s Word with kids through stories. He has authored more than 50 books, including the Amazing Laptop series, the Commander Kellie and the Superkids Adventures and more.

With a Masters of Fine Arts from Vermont College, Chris lives in Fort Worth, Texas, with his wife, Gena, and their three children. His hobbies include running, playing hide-and-seek with his kids, collecting It’s a Wonderful Life movie memorabilia, and “way too much” computing.

Visit his website at ChristopherPNMaselli.com.

Other books by Christopher P. N. Maselli

The Amazing Laptop series:

1 – Reality Shift

2 – Double Take

3 – Explosive Secrets

4 – Power Play

5 – Dangerous Encounters

6 – Hot Pursuit

7 – Choke Hold

8 – Shut Down

The Commander Kellie and the Superkids adventures:

1 – The Mysterious Presence

2 – Quest for the Second Half

3 – Escape From Jungle Island

4 – In Pursuit of the Enemy

5 – Caged Rivalry

6 – Mystery of the Missing Junk

7 – Out of Breath

8 – The Year Mashela Stole Christmas

9 – False Identity

10 – The Runaway Mission

11 – The Knight-Time Rescue of Commander Kellie

Want to write a children’s book?

Chris teaches writers regularly through an interactive system on the Writing Momentum website, as well as at writer’s conferences nationwide. Visit WritingMomentum.com for details!

Table of Contents

1 - Another False Alarm

2 - Skirting the Issues

3 - America’s Most Dangerous

4 - Gill A La Carte

5 - Intervention

6 - In the Spotlight

7 - Can’t Do Just a Du

8 - Not Another False Alarm

9 - Exposed

Epilogue

About the Author

Other books by Christopher P. N. Maselli

Want to write a children’s book?

Table of Contents

1 - Another False Alarm

2 - Skirting the Issues

3 - America’s Most Dangerous

4 - Gill A La Carte

5 - Intervention

6 - In the Spotlight

7 - Can’t Do Just a Du

8 - Not Another False Alarm

9 - Exposed

Epilogue

About the Author

Other books by Christopher P. N. Maselli

Want to write a children’s book?