by Felice Arena
'He was a pretty good shot actually,’ Andy muttered.
CRASH!
Police wearing black helmets and bulletproof vests burst through the front door of the bank, shouting, guns drawn. They rushed over to the guard and Andy saw Judd explaining to them what had happened.
Andy pulled his shirt further down over the hole in his leg.
‘Hey, you were amazing!’ said Gabriella, walking over to see Andy and Reggie. ‘That was so brave of you.’
‘It was nothing really,’ Andy said, trying hard not to be the centre of attention. Everyone was looking at Judd, he thought, feeling relieved. No one saw me run towards Reggie. No one saw me take the bullet.
‘Judd was the hero,’ he said. ‘He disarmed the guard. And Reggie was the one that got away from him.’
‘True,’ said Gabriella, placing her hand gently on Andy’s shoulder. ‘But Judd’s, like, a black belt in karate or something. You’re just a regular guy who risked your life for your friend – that’s really amazing.’
Gabriella took Andy’s hand and squeezed it tightly, just as an ambulance officer moved in to drape a blanket over his shoulders.
Gabriella has no idea how wrong she is, thought Andy, shaking his head.
Reggie looked at Andy as if to say, ‘She really likes you’, and Andy felt his face going red. He hadn’t seen this coming. Neither had Judd and Hunter. Across the room, Judd looked totally gutted. And Hunter was glaring angrily at Andy, punching his fist into his other hand threateningly.
Oh, boy, Andy thought. What have I got myself into now?
By the time Andy’s class got back to school, they were the hot topic of the day – actually, the big story of the year. They were on all the radio and TV news bulletins. Reporters had swamped them at the bank once the medical team and police said it was okay for them to return to school.
Andy had convinced the ambulance crew that he didn’t need to be checked out. He could walk, but he was limping, and he was terrified that someone would see the wires hanging out of his leg.
Thankfully most of the attention went to Judd. His photo even made the headlines: Kid Saves Classmates from Gun-Wielding Bank Robber!
Miss Taylor also got a lot of airtime, although all she did was break down in tears in front of the news cameras.
When the bus rolled up outside Renfrew High, worried parents rushed out to hug their sons and daughters. But Andy’s parents were nowhere to be seen.
Maybe they haven’t seen the news. Maybe they were in the lab when the principal called them, he thought, hoping this would mean that he wouldn’t have to pack up and leave again.
‘Hey!’ called Gabriella, as Andy was collecting his books at his locker, about to head home. She quickly spoke to her parents and then ran towards him.
‘Hi, Andy. So I was just wondering … would you like to hang out sometime, just you and me?’ she asked.
Andy didn’t know what to say. ‘What about Hunter?’ he said finally. ‘Isn’t he your boyfriend?’
She shrugged. ‘That doesn’t mean I can’t be friends with you. Besides, Hunter and I are no longer going out.’
‘Does Hunter know that?’ Andy croaked, half expecting him to appear from around the corner and deck him.
‘He should now,’ Gabriella added. ‘I just texted him.’
‘Um, yeah … I think I better go,’ Andy mumbled, feeling incredibly awkward. ‘I know my folks will be worried. I’ll catch ya tomorrow.’
‘Yeah, you will!’ Gabriella grinned.
Oh, boy, am I in trouble, Andy thought as he limped off, hiding his leg with his bag.
‘Andy, is that you?’ called Andy’s mum, as he closed the front door behind him. ‘How was school? How was your first day?’ She sounded a bit stressed. Andy thought she was probably dying to ask if he’d given them away again. And that was a question he really couldn’t answer.
Andy just shrugged and dumped his school bag in the kitchen.
‘Don’t be like that,’ said his mum, coming up the stairs from the basement. ‘I’m worried about you, sweetie. It’s not easy keeping secrets from people. Oh, I almost forgot – how was your field trip?’
‘Yeah, it was … interesting,’ Andy muttered, wondering how to bring up the topic of his gunshot wound. ‘So how was your day, Mum? Watch any TV or news or stuff?’
‘TV!’ his mum scoffed, buttering a couple of slices of bread. ‘I have no time for television. Your dad and I have spent all day setting up a lab in the basement. He’ll be back soon. He just went out to grab a few things.’ She stopped buttering. ’Why?’ she said suspiciously.
‘ANDY! ANDY? ARE YOU HOME?’ Andy’s dad’s voice boomed through the house as he slammed the front door. He stormed into the kitchen and hugged Andy tightly. ‘Thank God, you’re okay!’ he said. ‘You are okay, aren’t you?’
‘Yeah, I am, Dad,’ Andy said.
‘Can someone please tell me what’s going on?’ Andy’s mother said.
‘I just got the message on my phone,’ Andy’s dad continued. ‘Are you sure no one saw you use your laser?’
Andy nodded. ‘I was well hidden behind the bathroom door when I took out all the security cameras. Do we have to leave again?’
‘I don’t know. I’ll have to talk to the General,’ said Andy’s dad, already dialling a number on his mobile and walking into the hall.
‘For goodness sake!’ said Andy’s mum. ‘What are you two talking about?’
Andy filled her in on the details. She looked shocked.
‘Well, the General seems to think we’re okay,’ said Andy’s dad, stepping back into the kitchen. ‘You can count yourself lucky, Andy. He’s our government security specialist, our designated handler – essentially our boss. He said you missed one of the security cameras and that one was released to the media – but fortunately that only shows your friend Judd in action. There’s no footage of you. So for now we can stay.’
‘Well, that’s a relief,’ said Andy. ‘But, seriously, you guys have to stop dropping surprises on me. If there are any other apps you’ve forgotten to tell me about, like my ability to speak a gazillion languages and do genius Maths, then you gotta tell me now, okay? Not whenever it suits you.’
But his parents weren’t listening – they were staring at his leg …
His father let out a short gasp.
‘If we’re speaking about being honest, what’s that?’ asked his mum.
‘Um, I was going to tell you about that …’ Andy trailed off.
‘When, Andy? When it suited you?’ said his mother, turning the tables on him. ‘What were you thinking?’
‘I saved someone from being shot today. Doesn’t that mean anything?’ Andy protested.
His mother sighed. ‘Yes, yes, it does, but I don’t think you understand how serious this is. You’re not invincible, Andy. Being partly robotic doesn’t make you a superhero. Don’t you realise that if that bullet had hit you at a different angle or just a few centimetres higher you might not be here with us now?’
‘This is why we didn’t want you to know what you’re capable of,’ said his father sadly. ‘We were just trying to protect you. Okay?’
Andy nodded. He could see how upset they were. He felt overwhelmed. For the first time his parents' worries about him felt real.
He could still be hurt. He was still human enough to die.
It was almost midnight by the time Andy’s parents were able to rewire him, remove the bullet and patch up the hole in his leg.
Andy thought it was actually pretty awesome to see them working together. They were a real team. He had no idea what they were doing as they zapped, fiddled, and fitted wires and microchips, but it was totally amazing to watch, and by the time he went to bed there was no evidence that he’d been shot at all. The operation had felt weird, but it didn’t hurt at all.
‘Goodnight!’ his Dad called as Andy switched off his bedside lamp.
‘Goodnight!’ he called back, relieved that his crazy day wa
s finally over.
But just as Andy was about to doze off, he heard the sound of pebbles hitting his window. At first he thought he was dreaming, but the sound grew louder and the pebbles turned into rocks – one of them almost cracked the window. Andy stumbled out of bed and pulled back the curtain. He couldn’t believe who was on his front lawn. It was Judd.
He waved and climbed up the tree outside of Andy’s bedroom.
‘What are you doing here?’ Andy asked in a loud whisper, as Judd jumped through the open window.
‘Thought I’d come over to have a chat.’ Judd shrugged, as if showing up at someone’s house at midnight was normal.
‘And how do you know where I live?’ Andy added.
‘Saw your address on the principal’s desk when we were there earlier today. So …’
‘So … what?’
‘So … I hear you and Gabriella are going out now,’ he said. ‘Is that true? Because I seriously like her. We don’t know each other that well, but, dude, I just can’t believe you swooped in like that.’
Andy couldn’t believe what he was hearing. ‘Hold on!’ he snapped. ‘We’re not going out. I don’t even like her. I mean, I do, but not like that. I like Molly.’
‘Well, that’s good then,’ Judd said. ‘And now that Gabriella has seen the light and dumped Hunter, I’m in with a chance. So who’s Molly, then?’
‘Um, a girl from my old school.’
‘And why did you leave?’
‘Well, it’s complicated. What about you?’ Andy asked. ‘Why did you leave?’
‘That’s complicated, too,’ said Judd, grinning. ‘Sounds like we’ve got a bit in common. Maybe one day we’ll be best buds and tell each other our life stories.’
‘Best friends?’ Andy scoffed. ‘What makes you so sure we’ll be friends at all?’
‘Just a hunch,’ Judd said. ‘But that’s not really why I’m here. Check this out.’
He pulled out a video phone from his pocket and opened up a news site. Andy saw the footage from the bank played in full from when the guard first went crazy.
‘So?’ he said to Judd. ‘I saw it for real, remember?’
Judd played the clip again, but this time he paused the footage a few seconds into it.
‘See that?’ he pointed at the top right corner of the clip. ‘Right there – before I break out my black-belt moves on the gunman.’
Andy reached over and zoomed in to the right-hand corner of the screen. There was a red beam shooting across the bank foyer.
‘If I can see it,’ said Judd, ‘so can anyone else who looks closely. It seems to be coming from the direction of the bathrooms. It looks like a laser to me. You were over that way. I don’t suppose you saw anything strange?’
Andy was in total shock. He shook his head. ‘Who do you think did it?’ he said.
Judd popped some gum in his mouth. ‘Who knows?’ he said. ‘Plus, I read in the news that they can’t find the bullet. So what happened to it? Weird, huh? Anyway, I gotta split.’ He switched off the phone and shoved it in his pocket. ‘I’m gonna be interviewed on early morning TV before school tomorrow. Honestly, I can do without all the attention … See ya!’ he added, before climbing down the tree.
Andy watched as Judd disappeared into the night. Should I let Mum and Dad know about the laser footage? he wondered.
Andy’s mind was spinning. If I tell them, they’ll panic and we’ll have to move again for sure. And I don’t want to move. I think I like it here …
But if Judd has spotted the laser beam, who else has? Have the Triple S seen the footage? Are Dr Baffi and his men heading this way now?
Andy sighed. He was now too restless to sleep. He threw on his clothes again. He looked out the window, and saw Judd’s silhouette at the end of the street.
I’m going to follow him, Andy decided, and find out what his story is!
Andy climbed out onto the tree outside his window. He had to be as quiet as possible – after the day he’d had, there was no way his parents would let him off easy if they caught him sneaking out now.
If I walk behind Judd he could turn and see me, he thought. I have to follow him some other way …
Andy looked up and then it came to him. He climbed up the tree and onto the top of the house. Beneath the streetlights, he spotted Judd turning a corner.
Andy slapped the back of his neck and for a moment the roof tiles lit up with the blue glow from his hands. He set his sight on the neighbours’ roof.
‘Right, here I go,’ he whispered as he began to pad lightly across the tiles to the edge of the house.
With one giant leap, Andy soared through the air.
WHOOOOSH!
He landed solidly on his feet and hands, like a cat. He gripped easily onto the steep angle of the roof. Andy grinned.
Okay, I have to pick this up a little, he thought. Judd’s getting away.
He stood upright and ran up the roof of his neighbours’ house, jumping across to the next house from the very top.
‘That was awesome!’ he whispered. ‘Here we go again!’
Andy leapt from rooftop to rooftop.
‘Eat that, Spiderman!’ he said, now having some real fun. ‘Nothing can stop me now!’
Nothing, that is, except a loose roof tile. When Andy landed on the eleventh house, he lost his footing and slid off over the edge – just managing to grab onto the roof gutter.
THUD!
His body swung towards the house and his shoes thudded against the wall.
He gasped, as he flailed in midair.
‘What was that?’ he heard someone cry from inside the house.
Shoot! thought Andy, quickly hoisting himself back up on to the roof.
‘Didn’t you hear it? That loud bang?’ It was a man’s voice, coming from an open window just below Andy.
Andy froze.
‘Are you sure?’ said a female voice. ‘It was probably just a possum.’
‘That’s one big possum!’
‘And you’re my big tiger, grrrr! Now come back to bed and kiss me!’
Andy winced. Eeeww, he thought. Old people making out – how gross!
He stood up and looked for Judd, but he was nowhere to be seen.
Andy jumped off the house and ran out into the middle of the street.
‘I can’t believe it! I’ve lost him! It doesn’t make sense – there’s no way he could walk that quickly.’
Andy sprinted ahead – covering a couple of hundred metres in a few seconds. Finally he caught sight of a motorbike roaring off into the distance.
Could that have been him? he wondered. Nah, he’s way too young to ride a bike, but then again you never know with Judd … He shook his head.
Judd was turning out to be an even bigger mystery than he'd thought.
‘Stop gas-bagging, Hopkins. You’re up!’ shouted Mr Presticott.
Andy’s first class the following morning was Maths. Again. The bank robbery was still on everyone’s minds. Mr Presticott said it had been such an ordeal that it was probably best if they skipped learning for the day and played baseball instead.
He divided the class into two teams. One team was made up of Mr Presticott’s favourite students – those who loved sports as much as he did. Andy, Reggie and Judd were in the team Mr Presticott didn’t like.
‘Pick up the bat, Reggie,’ Mr Presticott roared. ‘We haven’t got all day.’
With a stupid grin on his face, Hunter wound up his pitch and tossed the ball at Reggie. Reggie swung and missed.
‘That’s pathetic,’ yelled Mr Presticott. ‘STRIKE ONE!’
Hunter pitched his second ball. It was fast and hard. Reggie had no chance. He ducked, and dropped the bat in fright – right onto his foot.
‘OUCH!’ he cried, hopping around in pain.
‘STRIKE TWO!’
Reggie looked like a hurt puppy. He glanced over at Andy. He wasn’t enjoying it one bit. And Mr Presticott wasn’t making it any easier.
‘How
about using that brain of yours, Hopkins? Try hitting it this time,’ he barked.
Andy really felt bad for Reggie.
‘STRIKE THREE! ABSOLUTELY PATHETIC! SHOEMAKER, YOU’RE UP!’
Judd put on his shades and took the bat from Reggie. He approached the plate.
‘He makes you feel like nothing,’ Reggie said to Andy as he sat down next to him.
‘Okay, Great Bank Robbery Hero, show us what you’ve got!’ hollered Mr Presticott. ‘Hunter! Don’t go easy on this guy!’
Judd stood motionless as Hunter pitched the ball at him. He didn’t even swing at it.
‘What are you doing?’ Mr Presticott yelled, infuriated. ‘Are you going to throw it away for your team?’
Judd just shrugged and chewed his gum. He wasn’t even going to try – he was way too cool to care. But Andy noticed that Gabriella, who was on their team, waiting at third base, was looking really annoyed. Andy thought about Judd’s feelings for her – she wouldn’t be impressed if he deliberately lost the game for them.
‘That’s a called strike,’ yelled Mr Presticott.
Hunter pitched again.
‘STRIKE TWO!’
Oh, boy, thought Andy. This isn’t good.
‘STRIKE THREE! YOU’RE OUT!’ Mr Presticott shouted gleefully. ‘You’re not much of hero now, are you, Shoemaker?’
Andy was shocked. Seriously, could a teacher be any meaner?
Judd handed Andy the bat.
‘Okay,’ said Andy, ready to take his turn. ‘It’s down to me.’
Mr Presticott was gloating. ‘What can you do, new kid?’ he said. ‘Will your team even score one run? I doubt it!’
Hunter and his mates laughed loud enough for Andy to hear. He looked over at Gabriella. She was looking at him hopefully.
This is going to be tough, he thought. If I switch on, I’ll probably pulverise the ball. Talk about drawing attention to myself.
‘Oh, this is so, so pathetic. You and your team are useless,’ said Mr Presticott. ‘Show a bit of oomph, why don’t you? This is embarrassing for all of us.’
