FANS

Question: How did my mom feel about the detention when I told her?

Answer: How do you think?

She wanted to make me quit football on the spot, but I talked her into a warning instead. One more screwup and I was going to be the world’s next former Falcon.

After dinner, Mom told me to go to my room and do my homework. Which I did. But first, I went online and checked my Art-Gunk account. Loozer was up to forty-two fans by now. I also had eighteen new comments waiting for me. And eleven of them were good!

That blew me away. It was like the cherry on the sundae. Or forty-two cherries!

You know what’s better than having one secret identity? Having two secret identities! It was like my new hobby or something. Now I had R. K. Whatchamacallit online and SAM at school. Which was way better than being plain old Rafe Khatchadorian all the time.

Leo was into it too.

“We’re famous!” he said.

“You’re famous,” I told him. “I’m anonymous.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t forget about you when I’m making movies and millions all at the same time.”

“Better not,” I told him. “You’re going to need me to open a bank account. They only give them to real people.”

“Good point,” Leo said. “And speaking of good points, was I right about taking it easy, or was I right?”

“You were right,” I said. “But does Operation: S.A.M. count as taking it easy?”

“Sure, it’s not causing any trouble, and it might even be doing some good. Sometimes you’ve just got to relax and let the good stuff happen,” he said.

I couldn’t argue with that. It had been a pretty amazing couple of days.