A Small Victory

By Damian Cloud

A Small Victory is a high school suspense story that revolves around Turner Kingston, an average senior who is, for some reason, hated by his peers. One evening he meets Charlie Ratliff, a mysterious young man who warns him about malicious students plotting a heinous act against him. But he refuses to release the names and details unless Turner agrees to aid him in a plot to punish the conspirators, as well as the entire school for three years of hateful rejection.

Given time to make a decision, Turner finds himself torn between the hatred for his classmates and basic morality. And as he begins to uncover the truth about the conspiracy and Charlie's true motives, he is ultimately forced to find courage from within, seek out his true friends, and battle his inner demons to finally achieve his victory.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Damian Cloud
• Release date: Sep 15, 2022
• ISBN: 9780996062527

Damian Cloud

Damian Cloud is a native of Charlotte, North Carolina where he studied literature and creative writing at the university. When not writing a new book, he is writing for his blog. He is also a longtime wrestling fan.

Book preview

Justin Uso – the best friend

Dana Singleton – the deceptive girlfriend

Jill Rosenthorn – the new love interest

Moni Clifton- the mean girl

Terry Gallip – the bully

Donald Desario – the archrival

Courtney England – the archrival’s girlfriend

Roy McManis – the disturbed friend

Trip Zordan – the clown

Cody Smith, AKA Smitty – the mentor

Charlie Ratliff – the boy in black

and Turner Kingston – the pawn

PART ONE

The Warning

Chapter 1

The teenage girl kept turning her head around all evening to the guy sitting alone four empty stands above her and her friends. He appeared to be sleeping with his eyes opened while reclining against the guard rail, gazing at the football field with a blank stare, looking past the line of players and into an unknown reality. His body had not moved an inch since the start of the pep rally—almost one hour ago. There did not even appear to be the slightest rising motion coming from his chest. The girl was two seconds away from freaking out.

She knew Turner Kingston from several of her classes, but she never bothered to speak to him. No one did. It was just the way things were for him at Victorycrest High. He was an outsider.

As Turner shifted his eyes in the direction of the girl for the first time, she quickly turned back around, pretending to have never looked his way.

He had a more important matter to worry about. Turner had a new girlfriend, Dana Singleton, one of the most popular girls in the school, and she had just stood him up for the fourth consecutive date.

It didn’t surprise him, yet he had trouble accepting the harsh truth—princesses did not date outcasts, only in the movies. He assumed she was hiding from him amongst the crowd in the stands. She had to be. No one would miss the most important event in school history—the opening of the new stadium and the introduction of the school’s first football team, the Tiger Sharks. The only reason Turner decided to go was to be with Dana; the one in the relationship who made the arrangement for them to meet; the one who asked him to be her boyfriend. Now he had missed the new episode of Criminal Minds, and his butt was sore from sitting on the hard, steel bleacher for an hour.

YOU’RE ALL A BUNCH OF MINDLESS SHEEP! he shouted in frustration to the crowd of screaming students. The announcer had just called out the name of the team’s promising star player, Terry Gallip, who had zipped out of the tunnel, flaunting his black and orange football jersey. When he arrived at his position, the audience chanted his name, TERRY! TERRY! as he pumped his fist in the air.

No one heard Turner—not even the girl who had kept staring at him. Or maybe she did but was too afraid to turn around. Nevertheless, he had finally had enough of the mind torture and decided to go home.

The chants ended as he stepped into a dark and deserted vestibule where even the concession stand was closed. He made his way to the front gate where he and Dana were supposed to meet. There he took out his smartphone from his pocket and prepared to call her.

After a lifetime of rings, Dana’s voice came in loud and clear through the tiny speaker.

Hey, it’s Dana. You know the drill. Wait for the beep; leave a message; yada, yada, yada. (giggling) GO TIGER SHARKS! (beep)

You bitch.

Short and to the point was the way he wanted it this time—not another plea to call him back. He imagined smashing the phone against one of the two brick structures that supported the gate. But that would only make her laugh, he thought. Instead, he slipped the phone back into his pocket and headed to the parking lot.

The crowd noise faded to a whisper as he entered the crushed granite lot where his old yellow Volkswagen Beetle stood two rows back. Immediately he noticed a folded piece of paper strapped under the rusty windshield wiper closest to the driver’s side. Two theories entered his mind: it was either a note from one of his immature peers reminding him that he owned an ugly car, or it was a breakup note from Dana. He believed it to be the latter. He thought about ripping the note into a million pieces without reading it, so when he breaks up with her the next morning, she would not savor the satisfaction of believing that she made the first move. Of course, he could not help himself. He had to find out what was inside the folds whether it was good or bad.

Looking for Dana?

Come to the junkyard alone and I will tell you everything.

At first, he could not comprehend its meaning. It was as if each word was a fragment to a puzzle in which he had to piece together to reveal the big picture.

A moment later, his head jerked to the bursting sounds of fireworks shooting through the black sky from behind, signifying that the pep rally was ending. The alarming noise awakened him to the realization that someone knew of Dana’s whereabouts, and finding out was now his number one priority.

Turner was on Black Stone Road in a matter of seconds, driving at a blazing speed. The darkness due to the absence of streetlights could not stop him from slowing down. Luckily, there were no other cars on the road.

So many questions boggled his mind. Who sent the note? Was Dana in some kind of danger? Why meet at the junkyard? His intuition continued to warn him that there was a deeper meaning behind the note, a hidden purpose for meeting the sender other than to learn of Dana’s whereabouts. At one point he invented the notion that Dana was being kidnapped. With that in mind, waves of guilt fluctuated inside his head as he thought about the insulting message he delivered to her voice mail, believing that she had deliberately stood him up just to bring him down. It never once occurred to him that the girl he loved could be in danger. Not because the thought sounded unlikely, but because he refused to consider it a possibility. Each second that passed by caused the knot inside his stomach to tighten.

Coleman’s Junkyard was bordered by a wooden picket fence. Turner arrived in just under five minutes. He parked on the curb in front of the entrance and crept out with his flashlight in hand. The door to the junkyard was cracked opened. Lying in front of it was a pile of chain that once kept it locked. As he slowly opened the door, he became ensnared into a physical world of near-complete darkness. He turned on his flashlight and could see various salvageable items piled outside the dirt path.

A short distance later, he found himself at an intersection where an old shack stood on the right side.

HELLO! I’M HERE! he shouted. His call seemed to have deepened the silence.

He walked up to the wooden stairs leading to the shack to try to open the door. It was locked. Not knowing why, he banged on the door and waited a few seconds for a response. He then realized the pointlessness of letting the inviter know he had arrived. Whoever sent the note was in control of the game. He or she would find Turner.

As he turned around to proceed with his search, he found himself face to face with another person who seemed to appear out of thin air.

Turner let out a loud gasp as he jerked backwards, falling against the side of the building. Staring back at him was a tall teenage boy with a ghostly-white face and wearing thick, wide, black-rimmed glasses. His hair was black and appeared to be in the shape of a bowl hairstyle that covered his forehead and ears. The rest of his outfit from the chin down was clad in black.

Good to see you made it, said the stranger, speaking with a friendly Australian accent. He extended his hand out for Turner to shake it. I’ve waited a long time for this.

Who are you? said Turner, refusing to shake his hand.

Ratliff. Charlie Ratliff.

Where’s Dana?

Business before proper formalities, eh? Alright then. I’ll let it slide. Follow me.

They took the left path of the intersection which led them deeper into the junkyard. Turner followed from behind and stayed on guard as he switched the light of his flashlight from the back of Charlie to the junk surrounding them. He noticed that Charlie was also wearing a black turtleneck sweater, black twill pants, and black boots. He felt dumfounded. He was so focused on meeting the messenger, but he never expected to meet a Goth-like teenager who blended so well with the night. They stayed quiet the entire time. Charlie never turned around to check on him. He appeared calm and in control of the game.

They soon arrived at a wide-open area surrounded by a circular wall of scrap metal compacted into large squares stacked twenty feet high.

Over here, said Charlie as he pointed to an old Cadillac sitting in the middle. Get in.

Turner climbed into the passenger side while keeping both eyes on Charlie, noticing the feel of leather as he sat down.

After Charlie took his place in the driver’s seat, he flipped a switch from the ceiling and the inside of the car lit up. The light revealed more of Charlie’s face. His skin was albino without a hint of undertone color. His hair was jet black. He also possessed thin lips, which at the moment displayed a devious smile.

So, Kingston, how ya been?

Another display of politeness caused Turner to wonder whether this guy was serious or playing some twisted game.

What did you do to Dana?

I didn’t do anything to her.

Then where is she?

I don’t exactly know.

What do you mean, you don’t exactly know? Do you remember this? Turner shoved the note in Charlie’s face and let it fall into his lap. You wrote this, right?

That I did.

You told me to come here alone. Well, I’m here. Where’s Dana? If you’ve hurt her…

Oh come off it! You planning on beating me to a pulp? Chill out, Turner. The note was part bait to lure you here. And it worked perfectly, if I do say so myself.

"What are you saying? You didn’t kidnap Dana?"

Where on this piece of paper does it say that I kidnapped Dana? Huh? Where?

Okay, fine. But you said you knew where she was tonight. So I did what you asked; I came here alone. Now tell me what I need to know?

Wow. I can tell you really care for her. My poor, dear boy. I don’t think you’re ready for the truth yet.

What are you talking about?

"Turner, you ever ask yourself, why is Dana Singleton, the brightest and most beautiful creature at Victorycrest High, going out with a douche like me? That’s how they all see you, ya know—the student body, AKA, the vultures. And believe me, she’s definitely part of the flock."

Who are you to judge our relationship? Dana and I share a bond that neither you nor anyone else could ever understand. You don’t know anything about us.

I know more than you think.

Yeah? Well I think you’re jealous.

Jealous? Charlie chuckled.

Yeah, jealous. Jealous that I’m dating the hottest girl at school while you sit at home on Saturday nights watching Golden Girl reruns with your grandmother.

Are you effin kidding me? I wouldn’t date Dana even if she could change into Megan Fox.

Then what’s this all about? Why did you make me come here, to tell me lies about Dana?

The only one who’s lying is you, mate. Have you already forgotten that she stood you up on the most important night in school history? And for the previous three dates too, I might add. Did you ever wonder why she didn’t ask you to pick her up? And when was the last time you two spent more than five minutes together other than during first period?

Turner paused for a moment, wondering how Charlie knew about his personal life and hoped he did not know more. What are you, a stalker?

Actually, I’m just an excellent sleuth.

Then tell me where she was all night.

I can’t tell you yet.

Stop playing with me!

I don’t feel it is the right time to tell you. The truth might kill you, literally.

Is Dana in some kind of trouble? If she is, I want to know.

You don’t get it, Turner. You shouldn’t be wasting your energy focusing on her safety. Trust me on this. She is not, I repeat, NOT worth it.

Then I say you’re full of it!

I know it’s tough to believe, mate, but you gotta let go of those feelings. If you didn’t get the message before, I’ll just say it straight up. She-does-not-love-you!

Shut up.

The relationship is nothing but a lie.

If you say one more word…

A lie! A lie!

Enough of this crap! Turner stepped out of the car with his flashlight in hand. Charlie copied him.

Hold it, Turner. We’re not done yet.

What are you, some psycho loser with nothing better to do than to stalk people?

No. I am an observer who sees the ugliness portrayed every day at that hellhole known as Victorycrest High. I see how bad they treat you. They walk by you in the hallways without even glancing in your direction. But they know you’re there. And as you go on your way, they talk behind your back, calling you freak, loser, outcast. Some even say those things to your face. They discriminate against you as if you were some foreign insect carrying a deadly disease that would expose anyone who came within an inch distance. And what exactly is wrong with you? Nothing. What did you ever do to them? Nothing! They’ve been treating you like an outcast ever since you arrived three years ago. They don’t want you in their school.

Do you honestly believe I care what those assholes think about me? Screw them.

You’re okay with that now because you think you have friends who support you. Well I got bad news for ya mate, they’re not really your friends—and that includes your so-called best friend, Justin Uso. I know you guys have been mates for a long time, but that’s all about to change. He’s dating Moni Clifton now ya know.

He never told me that.

I guess he was too busy making out with her at the pep rally. Some friend. While you were sitting alone in the agony of solitude, he was tongue wrestling with that fake boobed bitch. And now that she’s got him in her clutches, it won’t be long before he reveals his true colors.

Why am I still talking to you? said Turner while staring in the air, ready to walk away.

Because you know I’m right. Look Turner, you need a friend, and that friend is me. You have to understand right now that I’m the only real friend you’ve got.

So this is why you brought me here, so you can persuade me to be your BFF? You should see a shrink.

Charlie let out another chuckle. Shortly after, he became serious. You wanna know the real reason I brought you here?

It’s about time, said Turner sounding restless. "So what does a freak like you need to say?"

There was an eerie moment of silence surrounding the two before Charlie began to talk. Turner, there are people at Victorycrest High conspiring against you.

What?

Don’t interrupt me! The stage is already set. As soon as they see that you are at your most vulnerable state, they will strike like there is no tomorrow. They have no compassion for you. No concern for your well-being. Their only goal before the year ends is to ensure the demise of your spirit.

Who is conspiring against me? What are you talking about?

I won’t go into any further details unless you agree to side with me.

Side with you?

Yes. I will help you through this. If you pledge allegiance to me, I promise that your enemies will never hurt you again.

Wow. That is such an enticing offer, said Turner sarcastically. Thanks, but no thanks.

"Don’t be a fool, Turner! What I’m telling you is the truth! There’s no one else you can turn to. I know I come off like a lunatic, but I really want to help you. I can see the outer portion of your soul becoming thinner after each ridicule, each harassment, each insult. Soon the delicate core that stores the purity of a human being will be exposed. And when that happens, a chain reaction will go off and do significant harm to you mentally and physically.

You can’t let them get away with this. Three years of being treated like an outcast ends now. He once again extended his hand out to him. Please Turner. Together, you and I can punish your enemies before they have the opportunity of harming you.

Why are you so interested in…helping me?

Because you’re one of the good guys—an innocent victim fallen prey to an evil faction that wants to destroy all that is good. I want to help the good guys.

Are you for real? Is this a joke? Did Justin put you up to this?

This is no joke, Kingston. I’m dead serious. You and I must act now if we are to wipe out your enemies.

Wipe out? What exactly do you mean?

You know exactly what I mean. Go ahead. Say it.

You mean… You can’t be serious.

SAY IT!

The alarming shout accelerated Turner’s heartbeat. Sweat began dampening his forehead. He tried to get a hold of himself before he would lose his mind.

"You are serious. You’re planning on killing people."

It’s time for you to get your revenge, Turner.

How many? Who exactly is part of this conspiracy?

There are key figures organizing the entire operation. But why kill the queen when we can wipe out the whole colony.

Turner took a step back, and at the same time, Charlie took a daunting step forward. Charlie stood like a picturesque statue: legs joined together, shoulders broad, his head lowered. Although Turner could not see Charlie’s eyes through the shadowy lenses of his glasses, he could sense his stone-cold gaze piercing right through him. The sight of Charlie’s presence freaked him out as much as hearing his disturbing desire to create mayhem.

I haven’t got all night, Turner. Are you with me or are you against me?

Charlie, you’re sick. You need help.

You’re thinking like the enemy! Rid your mind of what you assume is logical and listen to the voice within! It’s telling you I’m right. The wrongdoers deserve to be punished.

It was futile for Turner to contradict Charlie’s message, for he knew he was right. Ninety-five percent of the student body did not seem to care if he existed or not, and the feeling was mutual. It was as if they all shared a common hatred towards him for some unknown reason.

What if I say, no? said Turner.

You won’t.

What makes you so sure?

I wouldn’t have gone through all this trouble to bring you here if I had any doubt.

What if I call the police?

You won’t. And don’t make me repeat myself again.

Turner stared at the hidden face of the boy in black, feeling scared, helpless, and confused. He wanted to do something, anything to end the dangerous conflict.

In an act of desperation, he gathered all the energy stored inside and punched Charlie in the face.

He watched Charlie’s glasses fall off as he crashed to the ground. It was the first time he ever hit someone. A feeling of triumph pleased him, yet his fist began to throb with pain. As Charlie was putting his glasses back on while keeping his face to the ground, Turner could hear him grinning quietly, and then the noise increased to sinister cackling. In seconds, Charlie was standing up.

Ya know, I never thought you’d stoop low enough to hit a guy with glasses on. Maybe I don’t know you as well as I thought. But that only makes it more interesting.

Turner was dumbfounded as he watched Charlie dust off himself, seemingly unfazed by the punch. His confidence began to wither.

I see you’re gonna need some time to think this through, said Charlie. No problem. I’ll give you a couple of days, maybe a week or two. You’ll see what I mean. Justin and Dana will soon reveal their true colors, and you’ll wish they were dead—all of them.

Turner punched Charlie again, this time in the gut. Charlie fell to his knees and continued taunting Turner by laughing hoarsely.

"Right now, you see me as the bad guy. One day, your eyes are going to open for the first time. And I’ll be there with open arms, eager to hear you say, Charlie old man, you were right."

You stay away from them, Charlie. I’m warning you.

Nothing will stop the extermination of the vermin! It has been preordained! Before the year ends, they will all be dead!

Turner gave up using brute force. He decided to do what he should have done the second he read the note on his car.

What are you doing, calling the po po? said Charlie as he watched Turner dial numbers on his smartphone while walking away. You’re not being a good friend, Turner!

Turner ignored him as he held the phone to his ear. He was finished trying to reason with him. All he wanted now was for the bizarre night to be over.

Ya know, I wonder what Dana and Justin are doing right now?

As soon as the operator answered the phone, Turner pressed the end call icon as he felt a panic attack race through his blood. He turned around, ready to inflict a more severe beating, but to his dreaded surprise, Charlie was gone. All he could see through the thick darkness was the old car standing in the middle of the opening, and of course, the wall of compacted scrap surrounding him.

***

Turner raced to his car where he pulled his smartphone back out from his pocket and pressed Dana’s speed dial icon. The first ring sounded like a chime of uncertain doom. When he heard Dana’s soft, happy-go-lucky voice seconds later, a jolt of nervousness shot through his system as he recalled the cruel message he left her earlier. He could not pronounce a single word, not even to inquire why she did not show up for their date, which was suddenly erased from his mind. It relieved him in knowing that she was alive and well, but fear and embarrassment compelled him to hang up on her and turn off his phone.

While sitting there gathering his thoughts, he recalled the lie he told Charlie, mentioning how he and Dana shared a bond that many would not understand. In actuality, not even Turner understood their relationship.

***

The main suburb of Ruckerton slept in peace under the blanket of darkness. Cars rested in driveways or were sheltered inside garages. Not a shred of light peeked through any of the windows, signifying that everyone was in their beds. Nevertheless, Turner had to make sure Justin was all right.

A minute after he rang the doorbell, a shirtless young man wearing only red boxers appeared on the other side of the door. Turner immediately recognized the aggravation on Justin’s face, yet he was relieved that his best friend appeared to be okay.

Yo man. What are you doing here? said Justin gruffly.

Hey man. Didn’t see you at the pep rally. Just wanted to make sure you were okay.

Justin stared confusingly at him with his eyes half closed. Yeah. Everything’s good. You okay?

No complaints here.

Good to know. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.

Okay. Well, I guess I’ll see ya. Before Turner could finish, Justin had already slammed the door in his face. Just like with Dana, he did not want to appear paranoid over nothing or expose Justin to any possible dangers.

The world did not seem real to him anymore. His once quiet life had landed on the track of a wild roller coaster just finishing several loop-de-loops and now rolling on a flat surface. So many questions entered his mind, none of which he could provide a precise answer. Was Charlie serious about orchestrating a school massacre? Were there really others plotting to do him harm? Would Justin and Dana actually betray him in the near future?

He also assumed the possibility of this entire ordeal being a prank organized by some devious classmates who were jealous of him dating one of the most popular girls in the school. However, Charlie spoke about committing murder, a crime never discussed, witnessed, nor performed within the peaceful walls of Ruckerton—ever. He wanted to call the police or inform someone more than anything, but after Charlie hinted he would come after Dana and Justin, and then disappearing almost instantly, he did not want to take any chances of putting their lives in danger. Not to mention his own life.

He had nowhere to turn, no one to talk to. The only thing he could do was wait and think.

When he arrived at his car, which was parked by the front curb, he noticed another folded piece of paper strapped under the windshield wiper on the driver’s side. He rotated his head in search for Charlie, although knowing it would be hopeless to find a person who blended so well in the dark. The neighborhood was quiet—not a soul roaming about.

The message read:

Don’t worry about your so-called friends. They will be safe as long as you keep our meeting a secret.

I will contact you again when the time is right. Until then, know your enemies.

CR

Chapter 2

Turner woke up early the next day after getting only three hours of sleep. Although he could feel every nerve about to explode, he nonetheless proceeded with his morning routine.

The morning shower lasted longer than normal as thoughts of the previous night kept repeating in his head. For almost twenty minutes he stood under the shower with his head pointed at the ceiling, allowing the water to rain down on his face in hopes it would wash away the anxiety built up from the previous night. Unfortunately, it only washed away dead skin cells.

On his way to the kitchen after getting dressed, he heard loud snoring coming from the living room, and there was his father knocked out cold on the couch wearing his white, short-sleeved dress shirt with the tie loosened. He had just come home from working the graveyard shift at the mattress factory.

Dad? Turner called out to him. The rhythm of the snores did not falter in the least. He grabbed a glass from the kitchen cabinet and shut the door, making a loud thump. The snores became louder.

He walked over to him and stood over him with his glass of orange juice in hand. Just when I finally need some fatherly advice…

Turner continued staring at his father who was no doubt dead to the world. He gave him a smirk and finished his drink. He then grabbed his backpack and headed out the door, slamming it along the way.

***

Victorycrest High was located in the heart of the small town of Ruckerton, which was located somewhere on the east coast next to the Atlantic Ocean. This year, it housed a little over three hundred students from grades nine through twelve, all of whom were teenagers living in Ruckerton.

Most of the students drove or carpooled to school, while the others walked a short distance or rode the only bus. Turner arrived by car in less than five minutes just as students were entering the building. He braved through the doors despite the improbable threat of a school massacre. Of course, he still worried about the lives of his friends, and the thought of a conspiracy against him continued to intrigue him in an unsettling way. But there was nothing he could do except wait for another note as Charlie instructed.

Before the start of class, he went into the library to search the student directory for Charlie Ratliff’s name. There were no results.

Wuddup, T? said Justin Uso, standing over him.

Turner was relieved to see him happy and well. Next to Justin with her arm wrapped around his waist was a girl whose face Turner saw almost every day, but the two never spoke during his three years at Victorycrest High. She had long, dark red hair hanging loose on her slim shoulders. She wore a forest green, long-sleeved V-neck top that exposed her cleavage teasingly. Even while standing next to Justin, guys sitting in their chairs were taking in all of her attractive features.

You know Moni Clifton, right?

Who doesn’t?

Everyone in the school knew Moni Clifton, for she was the number two most popular girl at Victorycrest High—number one in her opinion. Of course, everyone had their opinion of who was the coolest girl there. Half of the students preferred Dana, and the other half preferred Moni. Turner was shocked, primarily because he could not believe that his best friend had managed to snare one of the hottest girls in the school—just like he did.

Nice to meet you, Turner, said Moni as she shook his hand. Justin’s told me so much about you.

I wish I could say the same, said Turner.

"Well actually we got better acquainted at the pep rally last night. To be honest, I’ve been eying him since the start of the school year. But since he never came up to talk to me, I decided to talk to him."

Almost missed out on something special, said Justin.

So Turner, I understand you’re dating Dana Singleton. You must feel honored. I mean she’s the most popular girl in the school, next to me, and you’re just…well…a nobody.

Excuse me?

Come on. Let’s not kid ourselves. You’re nowhere near her level of social status. It truly is a mystery as to why she chose you out of over a hundred guys. Turner and Justin stared at each other. Both were speechless. Well I think I’ve humiliated you enough for now. I’ve got to meet some friends before class starts. It was nice meeting you, Turner. And Justin. Moni leaned towards Justin’s face and they shared a kiss on the lips. I’ll see you at lunch.

Might be sooner than that, said Justin.

Turner and Justin observed Moni leaving the scene as her hips swung side to side. And of course, they weren’t the only ones watching.

Uh. That was interesting, said Turner.

Sorry about that, man. Imma talk to her later.

Hey, don’t let me come between you and Moni Clifton. Besides, I’m used to it. Oh, and congratulations by the way.

Thank you, brother. So what were you doing at my house last night? Is everything all right?

It wasn’t important. I didn’t see you at the pep rally. Just wondering if you were okay.

You could’ve just called, dude.

I know. Sorry. Listen, did you see Dana last night?

Sorry man. I was too occupied with Moni.

So I’ve heard, Turner said in a low voice.

I beg your pardon?

Nothing. Dana stood me up again. I tried calling her, but I only got her voice mail.

Yo dude, you gotta keep up with your girl twenty-four seven.

Tell me about it. So anyway, how was your first date with your new lady?

Justin looked left and right to make sure no one was around, and then he whispered into Turner’s ear.

No way! said Turner.

I tell you no lie, T!

No wonder you got rid of me so quickly last night.

I guess. But hey, all kidding aside, you sure you’re all right? I know she just pressed your buttons, and I don’t condone that.

It’s cool. It is what it is. Dana is going out with a loser.

You’re not a loser, T.

Thanks. But what I meant was, I think Dana would like me more if I had more going on in my life—like being in a school club.

You got marching band.

Yeah, but marching band is for dorks.

"Excuse me? Man, you are in a bad mood this morning."

Sorry. I didn’t mean it like that. Present company excluded, of course. Turner had almost forgotten that Justin was in the school marching band also.

"Yeah, okay. But you know,