Buchanan Bandits

by Marcus Emerson

  I heard Zoe’s voice through the crowd. ‘So what’s his job?’

  When I made it to their table, I saw what my friends were talking about. Brayden was sitting next to some guy wearing a giant wolf costume. At least I wasn’t the only one who got a strange career mentor.

  ‘Wearing a wolf costume,’ Brayden answered.

  ‘How’d you manage to get that?’ Faith asked. ‘What’d you say on your test?’

  Brayden paused. ‘I was trying to manipulate the test so I’d get paired with a werewolf hunter…’

  ‘But instead you got a guy in a wolf costume?’ Zoe asked. ‘How’s that even a career?’

  ‘Hey!’ the guy in the costume snipped. ‘I didn’t choose to wear this wolf costume; it chose me!’

  ‘Could be worse, dude,’ I said. ‘At least you didn’t get a clown.’

  I glanced over my shoulder at Miko, who was still wearing that creepy grin. A chill ran down my spine.

  Gavin was sitting with his mentor, who looked like he was dressed for something sporty.

  ‘I’m not saying ya shouldn’t be here, I’m just sayin’ that maybe there was a mistake with my test! I was expectin’ to get some sort of soil job,’ Gavin said. ‘Y’see, my daddy was a soil man, just like his daddy before that, and his daddy’s daddy before that! I come from a long line of soil men … Men proud of soilin’ themselves.’

  ‘There’s gotta be a better way of saying that,’ Zoe groaned.

  ‘Sorry, dude,’ Gavin’s mentor said. ‘Your test results don’t lie. You got stuck with a rock climber.’

  ‘You mean you rock climb professionally?’ Gavin asked.

  Gavin’s mentor nodded. ‘Yessir. Been doin’ it since I was a tiny kid.’

  ‘I didn’t even know that rock climbing was a career,’ I said.

  The man gave me a half smile. ‘Technically, it’s not. I mean, there are some people out there killin’ it with their climbing skills, and those are the guys who are sponsored by soft drink companies and stuff. Those guys can call it a career.’

  On the table in front of him were a few of his climbing tools. There were bundles of rope and a bunch of carabiners. You know, those metal things that keep rock climbers from falling off the side of a mountain (or thing that hipsters use as a keychain).

  ‘So you wouldn’t say rock climbing is your job?’ Gavin asked, confused.

  The man leaned forward with a serious look and stared deep into Gavin’s eyes. ‘Rock climbing is a way of life, brother. It’s my reason for living. It’s the blood in my veins.’

  Gavin didn’t even try to argue. ‘Okay then, I guess I can respect that.’

  From the corner of my eye, I saw Wyatt, but I knew it was because he wanted me to see him.

  ‘I’ll be right back, guys,’ I said taking a few steps away.

  Faith stood up. ‘Wait, where are you going?’

  ‘I, uh, have to go to the bathroom!’ I said. ‘Okay? BRB!’

  I didn’t like keeping secrets from them, but if they knew I was working with Wyatt, they’d probably beat me up.

  I met up with Wyatt on the other side of the room, but had to make it look like I wasn’t talking to him. He was sitting at one table, facing the west wall, so I took a seat at the table behind him, facing the east wall.

  Naomi plopped herself down in the chair across from me. ‘What do you think you’re doing?’ she asked.

  I scanned the room to see if anyone had noticed us.

  ‘Nothing, alright?’ I said. ‘I got this under control.’

  ‘Yeah,’ Wyatt said from behind me, still facing the opposite direction. ‘Beat it, will ya?’

  Naomi leaned over and stared past me. ‘Really? You’re doing this?’

  ‘We’re not doing anything wrong,’ I said. ‘Wyatt’s helping me catch the bandit.’

  Naomi shook her head. ‘Nuh-uh, not alone.’

  ‘C’mon, Naomi,’ I pleaded. ‘This isn’t something you want to get mixed up in.’

  ‘But you do?’ she retorted.

  I nodded. ‘Seriously, we can take care of it ourselves.’

  Naomi folded her hands and looked at me like I was a child. ‘I’m not going anywhere. You two are going to play nicely, and I’m going to make sure of it.’

  Wyatt shook his head, growling in frustration. ‘Fine! Whatever! Just keep out of our way, and you can tag along, alright?’

  ‘Deal,’ Naomi said with satisfied smile.

  Just then Sebastian entered the cafeteria with Principal Davis trailing behind him. Sebastian gestured as he spoke to the principal, pointing toward the back corner of the cafeteria. Principal Davis laughed at something and nodded his head.

  ‘What’s that all about?’ I asked.

  Wyatt peeked over his shoulder. ‘Oh, remember how I said Principal Davis loves the fact that Sebastian has created a mini business during careers week?’

  ‘Yeah,’ I said.

  ‘Well, he loves it so much that he’s letting Sebastian sell them in the Pit,’ Wyatt said. ‘They hope to have the Pit fully stocked by Friday.’

  ‘No way,’ Naomi said. ‘Good for Sebastian, I guess. He seems to be a really successful kid, doesn’t he?’

  ‘He just knows the right people,’ Wyatt said. ‘In this school, it’s all about who you know.’

  ‘So Sebastian made those little erasers?’ Naomi asked. ‘Heads are exploding over those things.’

  Wyatt sighed. ‘Listen, we don’t have much time, and it’s going to start looking strange if anyone sees us talking to ourselves so let’s make this quick, shall we?’

  ‘What’s the plan?’ I asked.

  ‘Tomorrow morning,’ Wyatt said. ‘Be here at 7:30 sharp, and bring a pack of gum.’

  ‘7:30?’ I said. ‘But I don’t even wake up until 8:30!’

  ‘What?’ Naomi said. ‘That gives you less than twenty minutes to get dressed and get to school on time.’

  ‘Correct,’ I said, pointing finger guns at her.

  Naomi frowned. ‘Your parents must hate you in the morning.’

  ‘Correct again!’ I said, pointing my finger guns again. I turned my head slightly so Wyatt could hear me. ‘Is there a little wiggle room in this schedule of yours? Like, maybe we can just meet after homeroom or something?’

  Wyatt didn’t answer.

  When I looked over my shoulder, he wasn’t there anymore. ‘Did you see him leave?’ I asked Naomi.

  She shook her head. ‘Say whatever you want about that kid, but he’s got serious ninja skills.’

  My gut twisted. The way Wyatt was able to disappear like that made me uncomfortable, and I hoped that teaming up with him wasn’t the biggest mistake of my life.

  Naomi looked over her shoulder, watching Sebastian across the room. ‘Do you think the rumours are true?’

  I had no idea what she was talking about. ‘Huh?’ I grunted like an ape. ‘What rumours?’

  ‘Y’know,’ she said, lowering her voice. ‘The rumours about the Scavengers. Do you think there’s any truth to their existence?’

  I leaned back, confused. ‘What are you talking about?’

  Naomi looked at me, slightly surprised. ‘You haven’t heard about them? How long have you been at this school?’

  I ignored her question. ‘Isn’t a scavenger, like, an animal that feeds on things that are already dead?’

  Naomi nodded and kept looking over both her shoulders like she was paranoid someone was there. ‘Yeah,’ she said. ‘But they’re also people who collect stuff that others throw away.’

  I was beginning to feel a bit paranoid too. ‘What do you mean? Is there a group of kids around here like that?’

  Naomi shrugged her shoulders. ‘Nobody knows for sure,’ she said. ‘But nobody ever talks about it either.’

  ‘Why not?’

  Naomi paused. ‘Because the rumour is that the Scavengers are the ones who really control what’s going on at Buchanan. They’re the ones in charge. Supposedly Sebastian is one of them, but it�
�s never been proven.’

  ‘Does everyone know about this rumour?’ I asked.

  ‘No,’ Naomi said. ‘But I figured that maybe you’d have at least heard about it since, y’know, you’re the leader of a secret ninja clan.’

  Great. As if the red ninja clan wasn’t enough for me to worry about, now I’ve got another secret club that’s apparently so secret almost nobody even knows that they even exist. If this was how sixth grade was, I didn’t even want to think about what horrors seventh grade possibly held.

  I got my mum to drop me off a few minutes before Wyatt wanted me to meet him. This meant waking up at the butt-crack of dawn when the sun has barely risen. You ever wake up before the sun has? It’s really weird.

  Once I was in the school lobby, I took a left and started down the hall. Principal Davis was already in his office typing away on his computer. Most of the other office staff were doing the same.

  The school was so quiet that I could hear the basketball team practising in the gym. The sound of squeaking tennis shoes and balls echoed in the hallways.

  There was something pleasant about how quiet and empty the corridors were. I think my dad would have called it tranquil – it means peaceful. Metal lockers loomed silently over me as I walked between them. I could even hear my shoes squish into the carpet with each step.

  It felt really strange to be in the building before anyone else was. I felt … free. Whenever I walk these halls, I always make sure I don’t accidentally bump into someone, or I have to walk at a turtle’s pace because a group of kids are staring at their phones and texting each other. But this morning, I could run as fast as I wanted without having to worry about anyone else.

  And that’s exactly what I did.

  I clutched my book bag straps tighter and took off like a fox. Cold air streamed past my ears as I pushed myself harder to make it to the end of the corridor. The lockers on both sides of me became a blur, and for a second I imagined myself travelling back in time to when I first started at Buchanan.

  I remember the first time I stepped into the humongous lobby out front, and the sense of fear and excitement that came over me. I didn’t recognise a single person in the crowd that day. I wonder if Faith or Brayden were there too, and if they were, did they notice the new kid?

  The end of the hall was coming up fast, but it connected with another hallway that I could easily turn into. I figure a couple of laps would probably be a good way to jolt my system awake, so instead of slowing down, I sped up.

  Big mistake.

  Just as I turned the corner, I felt a sharp pain in my knees. The floor disappeared from underneath me and the entire hallway flipped upside-down as I slammed into the wall. Maybe zooming around corners without looking both ways was a bad idea.

  There was a sound like a cardboard box hitting the ground, and then several colourful little bricks bounced around me.

  ‘What’s the matter with you?’ an angry boy shouted at me, holding one of his shins. ‘You almost busted my leg!’

  I sat up and leaned against the wall. ‘Sorry about that,’ I said as I rubbed my eyes.

  The little bricks around me were Sebastian’s erasers. There were tons of them were scattered down the hall.

  ‘Really, I’m—’ I stopped when I realised who was on the floor next to me.

  It was Jake, leader of the wolf pack.

  Oh yeah, and he’s also a member of Wyatt’s red ninja clan. I could see the red wristband.

  I didn’t want any trouble, so I scooped up a few of the erasers and held them out to Jake.

  He batted my hand away, knocking the erasers out of it.

  ‘Keep your meat hooks off of those! You want one, you can buy it from the Pit!’

  I was surprised. ‘So they’re letting him sell these through the Pit for sure?’ I asked.

  Jake rolled his eyes at me as he tossed the tiny coloured bricks back into the box. ‘Uh duh, why else would I tell you to buy one there? Try using your brain sometime, it really helps conversations move forward rather than in circles.’

  I stayed quiet. If I kept talking, it was only going to make things worse. I’d probably toss an insult, and then he’d toss one back, and it would keep going like that until he snapped and came at me like a banshee. Sometimes it is better to say nothing.

  Jake dumped the rest of the erasers back into the box and hoisted it into his arms. With one last dirty look, he continued towards the lobby.

  Sebastian must have been making a fortune with those erasers, especially if he’s got a few people working for him. First it was Wyatt who needed to deliver a box of erasers to the front office, and now Jake was doing a delivery.

  I felt a cold breeze on my back and heard the side door to the school seal itself shut.

  Naomi’s voice came from behind me. ‘Good morning.’

  I turned and saw her walking toward me, both hands pushed into the front pouch of her hoodie. ‘Whassup,’ I said.

  ‘Seen Wyatt anywhere yet?’ Naomi asked, peeking down the hall.

  I shook my head. ‘Nuh-uh, but he also didn’t say where to meet him. He just kinda vanished.’

  ‘Or maybe I’ve been here the entire time,’ came an eerie voice from one of the classrooms in the hall. The door was open about a crack, and there was an eyeball pressed against the opening.

  ‘Do you live here?’ Naomi asked sarcastically.

  The door swung open and Wyatt stepped into the hallway. ‘Maybe,’ he said, grinning. ‘Maybe not. The key to being a good ninja is being mysterious.’

  Naomi curled her lip. ‘How long have you been hiding in that classroom? Minutes? Hours? Did you sneak in there when you saw me and Chase talking? That means you had to sneak into the room from the other side and then tiptoe in the darkness until you made it to the door, which also means you had to silently unlock it so we wouldn’t hear it, all so you could be creepy and say, ‘Maybe I’ve been here the whole time.’ Dude, seriously? If you’re doing all that just so you can look cool, then you need to re-evaluate how you spend your time.’

  Wyatt’s grin faded. ‘Maybe,’ he hissed, probably because he couldn’t think of a good comeback. ‘Maybe not.’

  Naomi stuck her tongue out, scrunching her face to mock him. ‘Maybe. Maybe not,’ she said in a little kid’s voice.

  Wyatt took a step toward her, but I stood between them.

  ‘Can we just get to the part about catching the bandit? We’re wasting time.’

  The muscles in Wyatt’s jaw twitched. ‘Agreed,’ he said. ‘Did you bring a pack of gum?’

  I pulled out a rectangular pack of cinnamon gum from my pocket. My mum let me take one of her packs – she’s got a million of them in a junk drawer that reeks of cinnamon.

  ‘Excellent,’ Wyatt wheezed as he tapped his fingers together. ‘We’re going to set a trap for the bandit this morning and use your gum as bait.’

  I was confused but curious. ‘Like, we’re gonna tie a string to it or something? We’re gonna go fishing for the bandit? Bandit fishing?’ My jaw dropped, excited. ‘Oh, dibs! Band name! Called it! You can’t use Bandit Fishing as a band name!’

  Wyatt stared at me. ‘No,’ he said, annoyed. ‘We’re not tying a string to it. We’re just gonna set it down and watch it until someone nabs it.’ I folded my arms, and grumbled, ‘I liked the fishing idea better.’

  ‘What do we do when we find the bandit?’ Naomi asked. ‘Just run after him?’

  Another brilliant idea came to my mind. ‘Oh!’ I said. ‘Once we figure out who the bandit is, we could find them during lunch! And then we can hide in the ceiling right above them until they open their milk carton. Once their milk carton is open, we’ll lower a thread down into his drink, and then send a single drop of truth serum down the thread until it drips into their milk. After that, we’ll confront the bandit in front of Principal Davis, and because of the truth serum, he’ll spill his guts. Boom. Day saved again by the super handsome Chase Cooper. You lose, bandit, but thanks for playing.’


  Naomi and Wyatt looked at me in disbelief.

  ‘Sweet idea, right?’ I asked, smiling smugly.

  Naomi held her hand out and raised her index finger. ‘One – hanging out in the ceiling of the cafeteria is probably asking for broken bones.’ She put up a second finger. ‘Two – even if truth serum was a real thing, we don’t have access to it.’ A third finger. ‘Three – it would be way easier to just nab this crook instead of the plan you came up with.’ Naomi’s pinky finger joined the rest. ‘And four – I’m concerned that if I wasn’t here to put a stop to your bonkers plan, you and Wyatt would probably try to actually carry it out!’

  ‘I think we’d stop once we couldn’t get our hands on the truth serum,’ Wyatt said.

  I folded my arms and glanced to the side. ‘Fine,’ I said. ‘I guess we’ll just try to catch the kid.’

  ‘Good,’ Naomi said. ‘Let’s get started then, shall we?’

  Since the bandit was able to strike anywhere at any time, we figured there wasn’t a bad place to set our trap. We chose the short hallway that wrapped around the front office. It was out of the way enough that we could remain hidden, but in an area where traffic was still pretty thick. It was perfect.

  ‘Okay, one more time,’ I said, staring into the bottom of the rubbish bin. ‘We put the gum on that water fountain over there while I hide in this nasty bin over here, and when the bandit strikes, I jump out and catch him?’

  We were behind the door to the janitor’s closet, safely hidden from other students. Their shadows danced in the small opening at the bottom of the door.

  Wyatt held his palms out. ‘What’s so difficult about that plan? Why do you keep repeating it like that?’

  ‘It’s just, I mean,’ I said, trying to find the words. ‘There’s gotta be a more ninja way to do this.’

  ‘What’s more ninja than hiding in a rubbish bin?’ Wyatt asked.

  Naomi pressed her lips together and nodded at Wyatt. ‘He’s got a point.’

  ‘Really?’ I whined. ‘You agree with him?’

  ‘Honestly, I just want to see you sit in that rubbish bin,’ Naomi laughed.