Chapter Eight
The Truth Comes Out

At school the next morning, Johnny walked down the hall toward his classroom. Through a window of the library, he saw something that made him stop.

He quickly stepped away from the window and flattened himself against the wall.

He peeked around the corner to look in the window again.

And then he ran out to the playground to find Tom.

“Come inside,” Johnny said. “Quick.”

“I’m not falling for that,” Tom said.

“Falling for what?”

“You’re going to play a trick on me. To get me back for the toilet plunger on your back. Which I only did to get back at you for making me lick a bumper.”

“Was it your idea to put the toilet plunger on my back?” Johnny asked. “Or was it Stu’s idea?”

“Stu’s. He said it would make you look bad when Connie saw the video.”

“Guess what,” Johnny said. “It was Stu’s idea to get you to stick your tongue on the bumper. He said it would make you look bad when Connie saw the photos.”

“Why would he want both of us to look bad?” Tom asked.

“I should have known.” Johnny shook his head in disgust. “Two words: free dinner.”

Tom understood immediately. “Stu wants Connie to be his dance partner so he can win the free dinners.”

“Guess what else,” Johnny said. “Right now Stu’s in the library with Connie, helping her with her homework. While we look bad, he’s making himself look good.”

“That rat,” Tom said. “That dog. Making the two of us fight over a girl. It got us in trouble. It made us lose a hockey game. What are we going to do?”

“Whatever it is,” Johnny said, “he’s going to wish he hadn’t messed with us.”