The Revealers by Doug Wilhelm Page B

us.”
    â€œWhat he did to you ? Like what, finally trying to hit back, after all the crap you’ve done to him?”
    Blanchette’s smile got bigger. “Yeah.” He chuckled. “I mean, we were shocked. We always figured we were just playing around together. He always seemed to like the attention. You know?”

    I stepped back. “Jon,” I said, “just how stupid do you think I am?”
    â€œListen, you little zit,” Burke spat out, stepping into my face a third time. “You go ahead and think you’re the smartest little zit in the world, okay? You and your little zit friend go play with your computers all you want, okay? But you tell your zit friend, No names . You tell him that, okay? No names!”
    He shoved me. “If he broadcasts anything with our names in it, I will personally …”
    â€œYou will personally what?”
    We all looked around. Richie Tucker stepped out from the woods behind the tennis courts. He started coming toward us.
    â€œYou will personally what?” he said, walking up to Burke. He raised his eyebrows. “Hmm?”
    â€œNothing,” Burke said, turning away.
    â€œHey, Richie,” Blanchette said. “What’s up, man?”
    â€œThat’s what I wonder,” Richie said. He tapped his chin with one finger. “I see two guys pushing one kid around. I’m thinking, Is this a fight? It looks like a fight. Looks like fun. Two against one. I’m thinking it would be even more fun if it was … two against two.”
    Burke and Blanchette were already backing away. “You remember what I said,” Burke said to me, not looking at Richie.
    I grinned. Burke’s face clenched up, then he glanced at Richie. He turned around and started walking away.
    â€œWe’ll see you guys later,” Blanchette said, smiling.
    Richie and I watched them go.
    They left their ball.
    Â 
    â€œWhat was that about?” Richie said.
    So I told him. “Those two dropped my friend off that
bridge. My friend had to go to the hospital, and he’s still not back in school. He got mad. So he told the story of what happened and broadcast it to the whole seventh grade.”
    â€œWhat, on the radio?”
    â€œOn KidNet.”
    â€œYou can do that?”
    â€œWe found out you can,” I said. “But Elliot, that’s my friend, he didn’t tell people those guys’ names. Now they’re worried he’ll tell. They’re trying to scare us.”
    Richie looked at the Rots, walking down School Street. Blanchette glanced back at us. Richie snorted.
    â€œThey’re squids,” he said.
    I grinned. “Yeah.”
    â€œThey got nothing.”
    â€œNaw.” I looked at him. “You know, you didn’t have to do that.”
    â€œLook, kid, here’s how it is. You disrespect me, you pay. You piss me off, you get hurt. Okay? You understand that, we’ll do all right. All right?”
    I blinked. It took me a second to realize he was talking about punching me.
    â€œUm … I didn’t mean about that,” I said. “I meant just now—with those two. You didn’t have to.”
    â€œHave to what? Two guys acting like they’re going to take you down? Just one of you? Hey, fair is fair.”
    I shrugged. “Well, thanks.”
    â€œWhatever. Hey, you know what? You stood up to those two.”
    â€œI did?”
    He shrugged. “Not bad.”
    â€œWell … thanks.”
    He shoved his hands in his jacket.
    â€œYou stood up to me, too,” he said.
    â€œWhat?”

    He shrugged. “You asked me those questions. Remember?”
    â€œYeah …”
    â€œIt was okay, you asking me those questions,” he said quickly. “I mean, I didn’t mind it.”
    â€œYou seemed to mind it,” I mumbled. “You hit me.”
    â€œWell … you just got to ask the right questions.”
    I said,