CHAPTER 46

TEN MINUTES AFTER PANCAKE watched the last biker pedal out of the school lot, Hudson pushed through the school doors.

“Finally.” Pancake jogged to meet him. “Everything okay?”

“Way better than I’d figured.” He knelt by his bike and dialed in the combination.

“You gonna tell me, or what?”

Hudson laughed. “As soon as we get out of here.”

“Taco Bell?”

Hudson coiled up the lock and cable and stuffed it in his pack. “A Cherry Pepsi and a bag of cinnamon twists would do wonders right now.”

Fridays were just about the best day of the week. When the final bell rang, it wasn’t just saying school was over for the week. To Pancake, the bell signaled the start of the weekend.

Hudson caught Pancake up to speed while they pedaled to Taco Bell. By the time they slid into a booth, Hudson had pretty much covered everything.

“So,” Pancake said, “they know you were the one in the fight.”

“Oh yeah. They know. I didn’t have much of a choice.”

Actually, Pancake was relieved that teachers were involved. Cutter and Mann made a sort of safety net for him and Hudson. And this was going to make breaking the news about his slip with Maggie a whole lot easier. “And they’re cool with you making a project out of this?”

He nodded. “For now.”

They’d gotten a real break. “What about Operation Bumper Billboard?”

Hudson popped a cinnamon twist in his mouth. “If there’s just one more nasty post about Maggie —we’re doing it.”

“We’ll get things ready —just in case?”

“Absolutely,” Hudson said. “We’ll pick up the labels at Staples and then I’ll print the bumper stickers at my house.”

“And I’ve started mapping out a route.” Pancake carefully unfolded a sheet of paper and smoothed it out on the table in front of them. The address of everyone on the blacklist was printed in the corner.

Hudson studied the sheet for a moment and smiled. “Nice work.”

Pancake felt light. Pumped. So this is what it felt like to have a real friend. “What if they keep bullying —even after the bumper stickers?”

He got a distant look in his eyes. “We ratchet it up again.”

“Any ideas?”

Hudson laughed. “One step at a time. But we’ll use your video clip.”

“I like it already.” Things were going so good, Pancake hated to tell him that Maggie knew about Hudson and the fight. He’d think Pancake couldn’t keep his mouth shut. What might that do to their friendship? But what if Hudson found out before Pancake told him?

Hudson downed a couple of cinnamon twists and slid the bag toward Pancake. “Did I miss anything at lunch?”

This was it. The perfect opportunity. “Funny you should ask.” Pancake had to do this, right?

For a moment Hudson just eyed him. “What happened?”

Pancake took a twist and let it dissolve in his mouth. “Maggie knows you were in the fight.”

“She’s guessing. There’s no way she can be sure.”

“There is a tiny, little way she could.” Pancake held up one hand, forming the smallest gap between his thumb and forefinger.

“You told her?”

Pancake winced. “She cornered me. Honest . . . there was nothing I could do.”

Hudson didn’t look mad, or even disappointed. “Okay,” he nodded his head. “I get that. I had the same thing with Cutter and Mann. Think she’ll tell?”

“Not a chance.” Pancake fished the note from his pocket and handed it to Hudson. “She wanted me to give you this.”

Hudson groaned. “Tell me she’s not a note-passer.” He unfolded the note and read aloud. “Hudson, I definitely have judged you wrong. Sorry for treating you like a jerk this morning. And yesterday. And . . . well, anyway, if you want to hear me grovel in person, call me. Otherwise, I’m asking for a do-over.”

Hudson looked up. “She gave me her number.” He whipped out his phone and added her to his contacts. “She wouldn’t have done that if she was going to the office with her intel on the fight.” He thought for several moments. “But let’s make sure.” His thumbs flew over the keys. “And . . . it’s off.”

Pancake reached for the phone. “What did you say?”

Hudson’s phone dinged before he could answer. He read it, smiled, and thumbed off a response.

“What did she say?”

Hudson held up one finger like he was waiting for her answer.

“Hudz —you gonna tell me or what?”

His phone dinged again, and he nodded. “Okay.” Hudson scrolled back. “I just said a do-over sounds good. Thanks for the number . . . she said friends share their phone numbers.”

“I said —So we’re officially friends?”

“She said, You’re stuck with me. Just like Pancake.”

Pancake grinned. “We’re stuck with her.”

Hudson nodded and looked out the window. “Sounds like a pretty good place to be.”