3

INTRODUCING MENZIE TEN

We wrap our chains around the bikes three times and double-check the locks before leaving the bike racks. We are totally out of breath. As we walk towards our classroom, the bell rings. An unmistakable voice calls out behind us.

‘Hey, you two! Wait up!’

It’s Menzie Ten, a boy in our class. He comes from Papua New Guinea and lives with his uncle and aunty. Menzie’s mum and dad sent him here to study while they run their mining company back in PNG. In PE class, Menzie has deadly skills in everything — footy, tennis, cricket and swimming. He could represent our state for almost any sport, but science and inventing stuff are what he does best.

A little while ago, Menzie’s neighbour got the fright of his life. The neighbour was always throwing his dog’s morning poo over their fence until Menzie had an idea. He invented a motion-sensor, remote-control poo catapult. This was how it worked:

Dog does poo.

Neighbour throws poo over fence.

Remote-control car with motion sensor drives to poo.

Remote-control car uses robotic claw to pick up poo.

Spring-loaded claw launches poo back to neighbour like a missile.

You should have heard what happened. Menzie set up the poo-tracking car and the next time the neighbour threw the poo over the fence, it came straight back. So the neighbour picked the poo up and threw it back again. You guessed it — Menzie’s remote-control car drove over to the poo. The claw picked it up and launched it back over the fence, but this time it landed in the neighbour’s morning coffee. The neighbour never threw another poo again. Menzie named his invention the ‘Poomerang’. No matter how many times you throw it, the poo always comes back.

‘Hi, Menzie Ten,’ says Justice, as he catches up to us. Justice always calls him by his full name, I don’t know why. Menzie has dark brown skin, a bit like mine. His face is strong — in fact his whole body is strong.

‘You looked like crazy people on the way to school. My aunty nearly ran you guys over! What was the hurry?’ he asks.

‘Umm … they were giving out free facelifts and Dylan wanted one,’ Justice says. I elbow him in the ribs. Worst lie ever.

‘Well, whoever was driving that orange van must have wanted one too!’ laughs Menzie.

Justice and I look at each other. He must have seen the whole thing. The less we say, the better.

‘Anyway, I have science club at first break,’ continues Menzie. ‘Why don’t you come have a look?’

‘Sweet, bruz,’ I reply, wondering what he’s up to.

‘Sure, Menzie Ten,’ says Justice, as we walk to class.