| |
The next day was cold and rainy again, making getting up even harder.
Toby was eating breakfast when, “Oh, crap!”
“What?” Dad said.
He didn’t want to say, hoping to avoid a lecture this soon into his ‘vacation.’ Dad’s expression didn’t give him many options. “I forgot to finish that paper on Ivanhoe again.”
Dad only nodded and let it go.
He walked to the bus stop but didn’t have an umbrella, so he wore his old poncho that kept his head partly dry, but not much else.
He got on the bus, soaked from the knees down, and saw Ear-stud, Cavities, and Pimples, but no Raymond.
When they arrived at school, Toby was off the bus and into the school building before the enemy could catch him.
Classes went well, except for English class: the instructor gave him an extension: she’d read about the attack in the paper.
He avoided the cafeteria bathroom altogether; why go looking for trouble?
After school, he got to the bus without incident, but the gang was salivating. He noted two fresh faces.
With Ear-stud in command, they waited for Toby’s stop. Two of the five moved forward before Toby spotted the trap.
Toby stepped off.
They surrounded him, and the oblivious bus driver pulled away.
“It’s payback time, Crybaby,” said Ear-stud.
“Big talk with five against one.”
Ear-stud laughed. He looked at his gang. “This is all mine.”
The gang backed away, and the leader started moving in a circle, spewing a string of foul language.
Toby kept his eye on the leader and slowly put down his book bag.
Pimples had the bruised nose, Cavities had a nasty black eye, and the two others.
The leader growled and charged. Toby blocked his grab. The boy threw several punches, but Toby stayed just out of range.
“Get him!”
Toby lashed a sidekick into Cavities. One of the new ones hesitated long enough for Toby to throw a wheel kick toward his head. He blinked. Toby pulled the kick and punched him in the solar plexus. The boy folded up and stayed down.
Pimples and the other goon moved closer.
“Caw!”
Hermes savagely pecked Ear-stud on the top of his head.
The bird turned on Pimples.
Sufficiently distracted, Toby smashed heel of his hand into the boy’s already bruised nose.
Pimples staggered back as blood covered his hands.
Hermes climbed and wheeled on the last boy, who tripped on the curb, bounced his head on the pavement, and moaned.
Toby was face to face with Ear-stud; a trickle of blood ran off his head. He twitched as his wide-eyed gaze shifted from Toby to the sky and back.
“Caw!” Hermes circled overhead.
He flinched and covered his head.
The prone boy on the sidewalk groaned Pimples and Cavities helped him up. The other one staggered away.
Ear-stud considered his options.
“Caw!”
The boy flinched and retreated as well.
Toby picked up his bag.
Hermes landed in a tree. “Caw.”
“Um, thanks.”
The old woman, who lived across the street, looked out her window at him. She was on the phone. Her eyes darted back and forth, looking first at the retreating gang and then back at Toby.
Toby didn’t need to read lips. She was calling the cops.
Toby walked into the house and dead-bolted the door.
Moments later, he heard a car door close. A police officer was across the street at the old woman’s house.
He could shift out, but he couldn’t disappear.
The neighbor pointed toward the bus stop, toward the main road, and at Toby’s house.
The officer was nodding and jotting some notes. He walked across the street, up the walkway, and went toward the door.
Doorbell.
Toby flinched.
What should he do? One stupid slip and...
His family had protected him all these years.
The doorbell rang again.
If he waited too much longer, the officer might call for backup.
He walked down the stairs and opened the door. “Yes, sir?”
“You okay?”
“Pardon?”
He pointed across the street. “Your neighbor saw a group of boys give you some trouble.”
Toby looked across the street, and she waved at Toby. He waved back. “Oh, yeah. Thanks. I’m...” He rubbed his arm. “I’ll be fine.”
“You need a doctor?”
His mind screamed ‘No!’ but he caught himself. “No thanks. I’m okay.”
“You want to press charges?”
No. Even when his family was innocent, any interaction with the law is risky. “Um, no. I’m not sure who they were.”
“They go to your school, right?”
“I guess so, but I don’t know their names.”
“I can get their names.”
“I don’t think they’ll bother me again.”
The officer reached into his pocket and pulled out a card. “You can call me.”
Toby looked at the shield on the card.
“Thanks.”