"Come in. Hurry," Tyra urged. She held open the door, and Howie and I slid past her into the living room. Brian and Brandie were sitting on opposite sides of the dark green leather couch. Despite the blistery weather, Brian wore a NIKE t-shirt and baggy khaki shorts that looked too big for him.
I nodded to them both. "What about Kev?" I demanded, turning to Tyra.
"He got suspended from school," Brian answered the question for Tyra.
"Yeah, he did." Tyra nodded, shaking her head. She nibbled her bottom lip. She looks a lot younger when she does that.
Tyra is short and a little chubby. She has a nice face--nothing special, but nice. But she always reminds me of a shy, fretful twelve-year-old.
"Why?" Howie demanded. "Why'd they suspend him?"
Brandie grinned at us. "Kev rolled up his English term paper and smoked it in front of Mrs. Balsh."
Howie and I both gasped.
"You're kidding!" I cried.
Brandie's grin grew wider. "Yeah, I'm kidding. He got into a fight."
"Can't you ever be serious?" Tyra asked Brandie sharply.
Brandie shook her head no. Brian reached across the couch and slapped Brandie's shoulder.
"You're terrible!" He declared.
"Thanks," Brandie replied.
I think Brandie has an adorable grin. She has awesome hazel eyes that always seem to be laughing. Her hair is almost down to her butt. It's not blond, brown or red-kind of a mixture with natural blond streaks in the front. She was normal weight but doesn't like to look 'sexy,' and that's what guys like about her. She always wears baggy clothes. But guys like to guess what's under those baggy clothes anyhow. To make it short - she's perfect.
She's really funny and cute. I'm basically nuts for her. But I've already mentioned that.
And sometimes I wish, along with Tyra and the others, that Brandie wouldn't clown around all the time. After all, if Kevin really did get suspended from school, it could mess up his entire life.
"Kev got into a fight with Brent Michaels," Tyra explained excitedly.
"After school. In the hallway outside the gym."
"But isn't Brent on the wrestling team?" I asked.
"Yeah. That's who Kev decides to pick on. One of the biggest guys in school. Smart, huh?" Tyra said.
"He should've picked on some shrimp--like you!" Brandie teased Tyra. Tyra growled at her.
"Stop kidding around. What happened?" I demanded impatiently. Brandie laughed.
"Kev punched Brent a couple times with his face!"
"That's not funny," Tyra snapped at Brandie.
"It's kind of funny," Howie chimed in. I was suprised to see a grin on his face.
After all, Kev used to be a good friend of ours. But I guess I shouldn't have been suprised. Not the way Kev had been bullying Howie.
"They wrestled around, that's all," Tyra continued. "Kev got hurt a lot worse than Brent. And when Kev finally did throw a punch, guess you came around the corner just in time to see it?"
"Mr. Burrows?" I guessed. Tyra nodded. "Yeah. The principle. So Kev got suspended and Brent didn't. Permanent suspension. That's what Mr. Burrows told Kevin. His parents are probably on the way to school right now."
"Are they going to be steamed or what?" Brandie demanded.
"Wow," I murmured. I dropped into the dark green leather armchair opposite the couch. "Wow."
"You can repeat that for me," Howie said. He had been standing with his backpack on. Now he tossed it against the side of the couch. Brian stood up and stretched. He rubbed his side under his T-shirt.
When did he have to go home and change from his school clothes? I wondered. And why is he dressed for summertime? Just showing off?
"I can't believe Kevin used to be your friend," Brian said, eyes on Tyra. "I mean, he's such a loser. He's so messed up."
"Yeah, he's messing up his whole life," Tyra agreed.
"Hey," Brandie said, grinning as usual, "if you've only got one life to mess up it might as well be your own!"
Brian rubbed his side again. "I'm starving," he complained. "Is there anything to eat?"
"Sure! No problem!" Tyra cried.
Howie and I exchanged glances. Howie was right. Tyra jumped at Brian's every command.
"I think I saw a bag of those black tortilla chips," Tyra told him. "And there might be a jar of salsa in the refrigerator."
"Did you know that people in the United States buy more salsa than ketchup?" Brandie announced. We all ignored her. Brandie is always spouting these bizarre facts. They're usually true--but who cares?
We followed Tyra into the kitchen. Brian spotted the bag or tortilla chips on the counter. He tore it open, grabbed a handful, then began downing then eagerly. Howie watched Brian grab a second handful of chips and devour them hungrily.
"How do you stay so skinny if you eat all those tortilla chips?" Howie demanded. Brian didn't miss a beat.
"I try to throw up every night," he replied. We all laughed. Sometimes Brian really cracks us up.
Tyra, meanwhile, was struggling with the glass jar of salsa. She strained and groaned, trying to twist the lid off. She turned the jar upside down and pounded it on the countertop.
No go.
She kept glancing at Brian. I think she was embarrassed that she wasn't strong enough to pull off the lid. Girls are weird that way.
"Let me try it," Howie offered. Tyra started to protest. But he pulled the jar from her hands.
He twisted the top off without any effort at all. He grinned triumphantly at Tyra. "Superman!"
Tyra blushed. She shouldn't have been embarrassed by a small thing like that. But I saw she felt really humiliated.
"I loosened it up for you," she grumbled. Howie crooked his arm and made his bicep bulge.
"I'm in great shape. I work out every morning," he bragged.
"He does tongue push-ups!" Brandie joked.
"Ha-ha," Howie replied sarcastically. He dipped a chip into the jar, then passed the jar to Brian.
"You guys should come down to my basement," Howie said. "My dad bought all kinds of workout equipment. I do about a half hour every morning before school. I'll bet I'm in better shape than any other guy at Miami High."
That's so typical of Howie, I thought. He always has to be the best at everything.
Tyra started to say something. But she was interrupted by a loud pounding at the kitchen door.
We all turned to the window at the same time. When I saw Kevin on the back stoop, I felt a cold dread tighten in my stomach.
What does he want? I wondered.
And why does he look so weird?
Chapter 5
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