In the days and weeks following the dismissal of Long Nose, most kids were in awe of me. They kept asking about what happened in Feebletop’s office that could have made Long Nose lose it like that. I got good at keeping them guessing. Even with Rishi and my closest friends, I would just say, “Hey, us New Yorkers know how to get things done.” If they wondered how I really did it, or secretly feared I did something awful, they didn’t mention it. They were too busy enjoying themselves. Lunch and recess were much more pleasant when you didn’t get yelled at and made to stand in line.
The fact that I might be capable of black magic cast just the right spell when it came to Josh. Although I knew that every part of him wanted to use my face for a punching bag, he stayed away. Maybe he was afraid I’d turn him into a toad.
Even better, ever since I rescued her from Long Nose, Jessica and I were spending lots of time together. I was still trying to get up the nerve to formally ask her out, but things were good. And as for Greg, well, he never regained Jessica’s attention, although he got plenty of it from Kayla. “Did you wet your pants today on the basketball court, Greg? What’s the matter? Do you want Jessica to protect you?” Poor Greg. He had no comebacks, and his popularity eventually faded . . . along with his tan. He was so pathetic that I even forgave him and wound up including him in my group of friends.
Yes, in the weeks after Long Nose left, things were just how I liked them. There were even brief moments when I believed things were as good as they seemed, but try as I might to be happy and content, there was a black cloud on the horizon. Its name was Rocco Ronboni, and it was about to rain down hard on me.
I knew what was coming before my mother even told me. It was that look on her face—a happy, excited look that usually spelled disaster for me. I could feel the hairs rising on the back of my neck. Penny sensed it too and perked up in her chair. My dad just kept shoveling french fries into his mouth.
“Donald, you’re going to choke,” my mom commented.
“Hugfgsj,” he replied with a full mouth.
“Can you slow down for a moment? I want to make an . . .”
“When do they get here?” I said, standing up from the table.
My mom looked confused, then she giggled. “I don’t know how you knew it, but the Ronbonis are flying in tonight! I’m showing them around town tomorrow. Rocco is visiting school the day after tomorrow and . . .”
“I need to be excused,” I interrupted.
“What about your dinner?” my mom asked.
I didn’t answer or stick around to hear any more good news. If Rocco beat me up at school, everything in my life would go from great to rotten in about two minutes. I had to come up with a plan. Actually, for two months I had been trying to come up with a plan, only I kept drawing blanks. Now there was no time left.
I went into my room and sat down on the bed. “Think!” I commanded myself. For the next hour or so, a steady stream of plans entered my head—each one dumber than the next. I could buy a costume and disguise myself. I could rob a bank and bribe Rocco with millions of dollars. I could dig an escape tunnel under Baber Intermediate. . . .
“You’re scared about Rocco, right?” My sister was standing in the doorway. She was the only other person in the entire state of Ohio who knew about my beatings back in New York.
“What? Me scared? I’m sure you’ve heard at school how I’m like the toughest . . .”
“Rodney, I don’t know how you’ve been tricking everyone, but I know you’re afraid of Rocco coming.”
I couldn’t tell if she wanted to help me or if she was about to start gloating, but I didn’t want to take a chance.
“Okay, out of here!” I jumped up off the bed. “The last thing I need is my little sister . . .”
“If you’re not there, he can’t do anything.”
My hand was on her back, pushing her out into the hallway. I stopped. “What is that supposed to mean?”
“I mean, if you’re not there, Rocco can’t do anything to you. You should just disappear for the day.”
“What do you want me to do? Drink a magic potion that will make me invisible? Penny, go watch TV. . . .”
I shoved her out the door and flung myself onto the bed, my sister’s silly words echoing in my head. “If you’re not there, he can’t do anything.” What a dopey idea, I thought.
Or was it? Maybe Penny was on to something.
Rocco was only visiting Baber for one day before heading back to New York. If I wasn’t in school that day, what could he do? Even if he told everyone stuff about New York, no one would believe him.
But where could I hide for a whole day? The mall? Someone would report me. The library? Same problem. I settled into the pillow and closed my eyes. I figured I’d worry about it tomorrow. After all, I wouldn’t be seeing Rocco for another two days. At least, that’s what I thought.
• • •
The next day at school I tried to act as normal as I could, but it was tough. I had a hard time joking with my friends or annoying Mrs. Lutzkraut. I still didn’t know what I would do when Rocco showed up. The more I thought about it, though, the more I liked the idea of hiding. First of all, we were supposed to be reading out loud in class the next day and I was dreading that. In fact, probably because I was so worried about everything, I actually told Jessica about my fear of reading or speaking in front of a group. She laughed and told me I would do fine, which made me feel better, but that still left my other problem.
As the day wore on, I made the decision to definitely spend the next day in hiding. Sure, I’d probably get into trouble. The school would call home, my parents would be mad, but that would be far better than a visit from Rocco. Only one question remained—where to hide?
My brain finally sharpened when I climbed off the bus in the afternoon. I had always noticed a path that led off from the bus stop into some thick woods. That’s it. I could spend tomorrow in those woods instead of getting on the bus. I would already have my lunch with me. . . .
“Rodney, what are you thinking about? You seem out of it,” Rishi said.
He was looking off into the trees trying to figure out what had grabbed my attention.
I wasn’t about to confide in him. “Oh, nothing much. Let’s go home.”
Together we walked along the sidewalk. The streets were empty and the air was still. We were approaching a three-way intersection down the street from my house. Suddenly, something felt wrong.
“Well, look who’s coming,” Rishi said, smiling. I glanced down Clark Street and frowned. Josh and Toby were trudging along with their heads down. Toby looked up and the two of them stopped about fifteen yards from us. This was a potentially dangerous moment and sweat began to run down my rubbery spine.
“Who’s that?” Rishi asked.
“Josh and Toby. Did you go blind?”
“Not them. Over there.”
My eyes turned from Clark Street and looked down the third street that met the intersection. I grabbed Rishi’s arm to keep from falling to the pavement. I couldn’t believe it, but there he was. Rocco Ronboni. He looked meaner than I remembered and bigger, too.
He was shuffling along with his patented strut. A silver NYC flashed on his black sweatshirt and his hair stood straight up on his head like a black porcupine. Seeing me, he stopped walking and gave me a wicked grin.
And there we stood, all five of us. A breeze blew and the sweat on my back ran cold. My eyes shifted from Rocco to Josh and Toby and then back to Rocco.
“Yo, Ratboy. Ya miss me?” Rocco called and walked toward me. “Been lookin’ all over for yuh.” Josh and Toby, their evil noses smelling potential violence, strode up too.
My mouth stammered, “Uh yeah, I thought you were coming tomorrow, though. I was going to throw you a surprise welcome party. In fact, why don’t you turn around and run along. Try to act surprised tomorrow.”
“That mouth of yours still runnin’, huh? So dis is Ohio? Smells bad, like da country. I miss New York already.” Rocco looked over at Josh and Toby. He paused for a moment, taking in Josh’s size. “Dees yuh friends?” he asked me.
“We ain’t friends,” Toby spat.
“No doubt,” Rocco laughed, adding, “I like da looks of yous two. I betcha yous been handing Rodney some beatdowns. But don’t worry. I’m movin’ into this town, and poundin’ dis kid is my job.” Josh looked confused by this, but Toby’s eyes shone as he listened.
Rishi spoke next, and the second he opened his mouth I knew we were in trouble. “Are you like the dumbest kid in New York?” he asked. “No one messes with Rodney Rathbone and gets away with it.”
Boy, is he going to be disappointed in a minute, I thought.
Rocco shifted quickly and got into Rishi’s space. “Dat’s gotta be the funniest thing I ever hoyed. And now, afta I’m done smackin’ him around for old times’ sake, I’m gonna give you a liddle taste of da Big Apple.” He smiled and looked back over at Josh and Toby. Toby was smiling, enjoying every second of this. Josh just looked confused.
Rishi wasn’t done, though. “Like I’m supposed to be scared. I almost feel bad for you! Rodney’s going to tear you apart! Rodney here . . .” he gripped my shoulder for effect.
“Rishi, quiet,” I whispered.
“. . . well, Rodney took out four grown men with his bare hands. And do you know what else he did?”
“Not now, Rishi,” I whispered. I felt real bad knowing what was coming. After watching his supertough friend get beaten up, Rishi would be next. Unaware that he was digging his grave deeper, he kept right on talking.
“The first day of school, Rodney punched out that guy!” Rishi’s finger pointed at Josh.
“Awright, now I’ve hoyed it awl! Dis is one wacky town.” Rocco laughed and strutted toward Josh. “Rodney knocked you out?”
“I broke his nose, too,” I added, trying to get the attention off Rishi.
“Really?” Rocco laughed even harder and slapped his knee. Josh stiffened, but didn’t answer.
Once Rocco gained control of himself, he looked Josh in the eye. Although Rocco was real big, even he had to glance upward to meet Josh’s gaze. “Who are you?” Rocco continued, “the town’s big-boy cream puff? You let him beat you up? You gotta be the biggest wimp I’ve ever seen. What’s your name? Nawww wait, let me guess. Is it Jennifer? Or Marcy? Or . . .”
Rocco didn’t get a chance to think of any other girls’ names. Josh grabbed him with both arms and hoisted him up in the air.
Rocco’s face looked shocked. He struggled but couldn’t escape from Josh’s mammoth hands.
“Ooh, this should be good,” Rishi gasped, taking out his camera.
“Put me down!” Rocco screamed.
Josh said, “Sure.” Walking closer to the curb, he body-slammed Rocco into some garbage cans.
Toby, ever helpful in these situations, said, “Welcome to Ohio,” and dumped garbage from another can onto the visiting tough guy. Rocco eventually scrambled up and ran, crying, down the block while Rishi’s camera clicked away.
Josh and Toby high-fived each other, and I almost joined them, but Rocco had said a lot and I wasn’t in the clear just yet.
The four of us straightened up and squared off. Josh spoke first. “That wimp, he said he used to beat you up. That true?”
“Yeah, right,” Rishi jumped in. “That kid’s obviously got some mental . . .”
“I ain’t talking to you. Rathbone, is it true what that kid said?”
Now, I knew I had only one chance. I rolled my head back and forth and cracked my knuckles. “Why don’t you come over here and find out?” Other than the shaking knees and a sudden urge to wet my pants, the bluff seemed convincing.
“Yeah,” Rishi added. “Why don’t you go over to Rodney and find out!”
Oh great.
“Rodney’s not afraid of anything or anyone!”
Shut up.
Josh stood there thinking, which looked difficult for him. Toby nudged him on, but he shoved Toby off. “Okay. That was enough for one day. Come on, Tobe.”
They walked on by. I could see Toby’s disappointment. Once they had gone a block, I exhaled slowly through my teeth.
“Well, that was fun,” Rishi said, punching my arm. “Let’s go get a snack.”
We headed back to my house. Penny, who was watching her after-school shows on TV, actually put it on MUTE when she saw us. That was a first.
“Did Rocco find you?” she asked. “He stopped here before. He was looking for you.”
“Yeah, he found me,” I told her. “No big deal.”
She looked surprised. “Really?”
“Really.”
Rishi joined the conversation. “And you should have seen Rodney scare off Josh!”
Now Penny looked really confused. “I don’t get it. . . .”
“That’s because you’re still young,” I teased her. “Come on, Rishi. Let’s hit the kitchen.”
• • •
That night, before going to bed, I made a decision. No hiding for me the next day. I didn’t want to miss seeing Josh teach Rocco another lesson, but that was only part of it. Suddenly hiding in the woods seemed kind of dumb, like something you would do if you were . . . well . . . a coward.