CHAPTER 4

HUDSON WATCHED WOLFE RETREAT to his own table, all smiles. Mrs. Fugelheimer stopped next to him, and Wolfe started talking to her like she was his favorite aunt. Fugelheimer laughed and patted Wolfe on the shoulder. She was shaking her head and still laughing as she headed toward the exit.

“Holy jalapeños, Hudson,” Pancake said. “You smoked him. You better grow eyes in the back of your head. Or take up track.”

The chance to run had passed. Hudson would have to grow eyes. They all would.

Hudson leaned closer. “Are you reporting this?”

Pancake gave him a blank look like he wasn’t sure if Hudson was serious. He glanced at Maggie.

“What a wonderful idea,” Maggie said with a definite sarcasm in her voice Hudson hadn’t heard before. Then again he’d never heard her say much of anything.

“Reporting, as in, to Mrs. Fugelheimer? Or maybe the principal?” Pancake snorted. “Yeah, right.”

Maggie nodded. “I’m glad to see we’re on the same page.”

Clearly Hudson wasn’t even in the same book. He’d never talked with Mrs. Fugelheimer, but he’d talked to the principal on his first day. She actually seemed really nice. “Mrs. Jackson said —”

Pancake waved him off. “Their word against mine. How do you think that will turn out? Tell him, Maggie.”

She shrugged. “I’m not a big believer in snitching.”

“Snitching is about getting someone in trouble,” Hudson said. “Reporting is about avoiding trouble.”

Maggie looked at him. Or, actually, she was looking over his shoulder at some unseen spot on the windows. No direct eye contact. “You open your mouth —to snitch or report —and you become the enemy.”

Spoken like there was a story there.

Pancake gave a single nod. “We don’t want a war.”

It may be too late for that. Had Hudson just made things harder on Pancake and Maggie?

In the space of about ten minutes Hudson’s priorities had taken a massive shift. He’d entered the cafeteria wanting to stay under the radar. Now he needed to get out of enemy territory —and stay off the grid. Which wasn’t going to be easy.

Pancake stuck out his hand. “My name is Pancake. Your new best friend.”

“Best friend? You don’t even know me.” He gripped Pancake’s hand and gave it a single pump.

“I had you figured in about two minutes.”

“How’s that?”

“You’ve got your friend’s back.”

But he had considered walking away. “How do you know I’ll be there if things really heat up?”

Pancake laughed. “You just were.”

Would Pancake think that if he knew that just minutes before he’d thought about ditching them?

The bar had been set, and it was definitely high.

He checked the other table. Would Wolfe’s dogs stay there licking their wounds, or would they circle back hoping to draw blood?

“Do you really like being called Pancake —Carlos?”

“Everybody calls me Pancake. It’s better than Taco.” He grinned and opened his mouth as wide as possible, and stuffed in the last of the pancake-taco. “I actually like it.”

Hudson eyed the other table. The bully committee sat hunkered over, brainstorming payback, no doubt. Terrific.

Maggie nodded toward Wolfe’s table. “What’re you gonna do?”

She was actually asking Hudson a question? “Nothing. I just want them to leave us alone.”

Maggie stared at him. “After what you just did? Tell me you’re not that naive.”

Hudson felt his cheeks fire up, and he took another bite of his sandwich. But she was right, wasn’t she? How could he get them to back off?

“That didn’t come out right.” She stared at her feet.

What was he supposed to say to that? “Do you think Wolfe might retaliate today?”

“Bullying is alive and well at Southfield,” Pancake said.

“And cruel,” Maggie said, barely above a whisper. “Alive. Well. And cruel.”

Definitely a story there. For another time.

Pancake twisted his lunch bag into a short rope. “You’re on their list, amigo. They’ll want to make a statement.”

“List?”

Pancake drew one finger across his throat. “The blacklist.”

“And likely at the top,” Maggie said.

Wonderful. Hudson checked the clock. Fifteen minutes left in lunch period. Of course Wolfe would try something, and quickly, no doubt, to keep his top-dog status.

Pancake whipped off his cap. He ran his hand over his black buzz cut, like he’d just got the haircut and wasn’t quite used to it. He slapped his cap back in place and leaned forward. “I bet you’re good in a fight.”

“Never been in one.”

Pancake stared at him. “Seriously?”

He’d been raised to get along. “Not a single punch. Not a lot of chances to fight in the homeschool crowd.” Now he kind of wished he’d thrown a punch at Dad last night. At least he’d have a little experience. And what was it Dad wanted to tell him just before Mom called them upstairs?

Pancake grinned and shook his head. “I hope they don’t find out.”

Would they? If they sensed he didn’t want to fight, they’d be all over him. He couldn’t let that happen.

The idea of waiting to see what the guys did gnawed at him. He chanced a look. Wolfe. Zattora. Skirt. And five others he recognized, but had no names for their faces. Skirt caught his eye and kept looking Hudson’s way. Oh yeah. They were planning something.

“Let’s stay on offense.” Hudson inhaled his last bite. “Time for a little exit strategy.”

Pancake nodded. Hudson glanced at Maggie.

“Don’t look at me,” she said. “It’s you two they’re after. I’m staying right here.”

Hudson read Mom’s note again and balled up the lunch bag. “We’ll be sitting ducks if we stay here until the period ends.”

“I know exactly where to go,” Pancake said.

“Talk to me.”

“Ever been to Mr. Mann’s room?”

Hudson shook his head.

“The art room,” Maggie said. “Best spot in the entire school. If you guys are going there, I’m in.”

Hudson didn’t care about art or what the room was like, but staying in the lunchroom would be a big mistake. “Let’s do it. But we take it slow and casual.”

Pancake grinned. “I like the way you put that.”

Hudson gave him a questioning look.

“You said we.”