CJ and Benji decided to walk home via school to practise some penalties. And also so that CJ could avoid Charlotte, given his neighbour’s current mood was set to NUCLEAR.
Garlic – the school gardener’s dog – sat in goal. CJ and Benji took shots. Garlic made a half decent goalie; he just wasn’t great at giving the balls back, so the Paulveriser’s spot in the team was safe for now, despite probably having more fleas.
Benji had scored three from three. CJ hadn’t managed one just yet. He fired off his fourth shot and it curved like a banana, WAY OFF target. It was more like a boomerang because it bounced back to him.
‘Sweet. That’s not easy to do,’ said Benji.
‘Didn’t mean it,’ said CJ with a sigh. Was his kicking getting worse? He needed a distraction. ‘Give me one of your top five lists, Benji. Make it TOP FIVE THINGS I’D RATHER DO THAN GIVE UP PRANKING.’
‘Okay dude, here we go:
1) Feed myself to an actual shark. I’d even make sure I was marinated.
2) Attend a live performance of Lexi reciting her poems about One Direction and their promising solo careers.
3) Pull out my nostril hair with a clamp / Pull out Highpants’ nostril hair with a clamp. NB Would need to be a VERY sturdy clamp.
4) Eat just the mouldy bits from a piece of blue cheese … that’d been licked by our canine friend, Garlic.
5) Hand wash the Paulveriser’s Budgy Smugglers.’
CJ giggled. Then missed ANOTHER penalty. That was enough football practice for now.
Once they convinced Garlic not to follow them, the two boys walked to Benji’s dad’s newsagency, barely a minute from school. They lingered out the front as Benji tried to squish the sopping wet shark costume further into his sports bag. Water dripped everywhere. CJ tried ramming his foot into the bag, but slipped, toppled backwards and smacked into the newsagency’s front window.
OOOOF!
CJ’s face ended up squished against a poster for the latest Football Weekly Magazine. The headline read, TOMI JURIC’S GOLDEN BOOT!
CJ used to have a golden boot too. Just like Socceroo star Tomi Juric. But not anymore. He sighed. Then he noticed the overgrown grass beside the newsagency. It was moving. There had to be something lurking in the gap between the buildings. Maybe something DANGEROUS!
CJ grinned. ‘Sweet!’ This was going to be interesting!
But Benji yanked him back behind the bins. ‘Dude, nothing sweet would be hiding round there.’
Then the Paulveriser and Lenny Lincoln, the Jets’ former captain, emerged from the gap.
Benji was right. There was nothing sweet about those two.
The Paulveriser and Lenny were still very good friends. Or very BAD friends, really, depending how you looked at it.
The boys squeezed their way out to get to the footpath. The Paulversier was as round as a beach ball and Lenny was the shape of a gorilla, if it weren’t for his mohawk.
Lenny dusted leaves off his tank top. ‘Best thing is, we’ve still got another one kilo bag of lollies left! Nice. No-one will ever find ’em back there! Ha! Always been the perfect hiding spot.’
The Paulveriser grunted his approval as he chewed, with little dollops of drool and lolly snake tumbling from his mouth. Then CJ noticed the pattern on the Paulveriser’s T-shirt was actually just bits of gooey lollies that had fallen and gotten stuck.
‘Here we go,’ whispered Benji.
CJ tensed up, preparing himself for another not-so-fun confrontation with his ex-teammate, but Lenny and the Paulveriser turned away and started walking. They hadn’t noticed CJ and Benji beside the bins.
‘Let’s head to the quarry. Smash some rocks!’ said Lenny.
The Paulveriser grunted again.
Lenny seemed to understand. ‘Yep. Donut shop on the way, man.’
PHEW!
CJ didn’t need ANOTHER run-in right now. Not after Charlotte’s wobbly on the beach.
‘We’ll catch up with those two another time then?’ whispered Benji, moving from behind the bins.
‘Can’t wait,’ replied CJ.
‘Okay, dude. I better sneak Dad’s shark costume back into the storeroom where he keeps all the Drama Club stuff. Catch ya later.’
‘Cool. Oh, and nice pranking, partner!’ CJ gave his best friend a high five. Benji’s bag continued dripping as he entered the newsagency.
But no matter how effective Benji’s prank was, CJ still had that empty feeling gnawing at the pit of his stomach. Had he lost his goal scoring ability for good?
