On Friday at three o’clock, Tyler Yu and Charlie Hitchcock stood together just inside the back doors of Blackstone Middle School.

Each of them clutched a packet of bright yellow paper. All around them, other students took books from their lockers, packed their bags, and made plans for the weekend.

It was an ordinary Friday afternoon. There was nothing at all unusual about the scene.

Except that Ty was the biggest bully in school, and Charlie was a bookworm best known for his photographic memory, and they weren’t supposed to be friends.

“Okay,” Ty said, looking down the hall. “This is where we split up.”

Charlie nodded.

“I’ll hand out flyers to the eighth-graders,” Ty went on. “I’ll also hand out flyers to the jocks, the cool kids, the cheerleaders, and the crew in detention.”

“Who does that leave for me?” Charlie asked, looking up at Ty.

“The dorks,” Ty said. He shrugged. “And the nerds.”

Charlie rolled his eyes. “Don’t forget the geeks.”

“Them too,” Ty agreed. He pointed toward the science wing. “You go that way.”

“Obviously,” Charlie said. He walked off into the crowd.

“And remember—you don’t know me,” Ty called after him.

Charlie reached the first corner and stopped. Then he turned and saw Ty across the main hallway, handing some yellow sheets to two eighth-grade girls.

“I think everyone will figure out that we know each other,” Charlie hollered, “when they realize that we’re handing out the exact same flyers!”

Smiling, he headed down the science hallway.

He would never have tried something like that a few weeks ago, but ever since Charlie helped Ty solve two magic mysteries at the Abracadabra Hotel, the two boys had become something like friends.

Ty would probably deny that.

Actually, Charlie was sure Ty would deny that.

But he knew it was true.

Thirty minutes later, the boys met up at the front of the school. All the flyers were handed out, except one, which Charlie still held in both hands.

“Why did you save that one?” Ty said. “Did you give one to every kid?”

Charlie nodded.

“Chess club?” Ty asked.

“Yup,” said Charlie.

“Computer club?” Ty asked.

“Of course,” said Charlie.

“What about the chemistry club?” Ty suggested.

“Got ‘em,” Charlie said. “I promise. I got everyone. This one is to hang up.”

Charlie led the way to the office bulletin board. He handed the flyer to Ty. “Hold this,” he said. Then Charlie pulled two tacks from his pocket, took the flyer back from Ty, and tacked it into place on the bulletin board.

“There,” Charlie said. The boys stood back and looked at the flyer.