Billy Sure Kid Entrepreneur vs. Manny Reyes Kid Entrepreneur

by Luke Sharpe

  Summer Vacation in the Sandbox

  MY NAME IS BILLY SURE. As of today, I can officially say I am no longer a seventh-grader at Fillmore Middle School. No, I’m not moving—though my family almost moved to Italy not too long ago (long story). I can say that because I’m now an eighth-grader at Fillmore Middle School!

  Well, as my sister Emily might tell you, I’m not technically an eighth-grader yet, because it’s still the summer before eighth grade, but I’m going to go ahead and call myself that anyway. You’ve got to celebrate the small things, right?

  Anyway, it feels like just yesterday was the first day of seventh grade, when I went back to school after my first invention, the ALL BALL, went on sale. For as long as I can remember, I have always been coming up with invention ideas. It used to be a hobby, but together with my best friend Manny, we founded an invention company—Sure Things, Inc. I am the CEO and do the inventing, and Manny is the CFO, or Chief Financial Officer, and does the marketing, sales, and a whole lot of other cool stuff I don’t really understand. That’s how it’s always been, and how it’s always going to be!

  Still, it’s kind of crazy to think it’s been almost a year since Sure Things, Inc. started. And it’s also kind of crazy to think that today, summer vacation has started! Which means I can spend my days relaxing, taking my dog Philo on long walks, and, oh yeah, being a normal thirteen-year-old kid.

  Just as I’m thinking about all of this, Ping! there’s a notification on my laptop screen. I have an important e-mail to read.

  Oh no, I think. I hope everything is okay with the Everything Locator. The EVERYTHING LOCATOR is Sure Things, Inc.’s newest invention, and I think it’s going to be our biggest hit yet.

  I sign into my account and brace myself. But phew. The notification wasn’t from Manny saying that our invention is doomed. It’s from the makers of Sandbox XXL, only the very best video game in the world!

  Dear Billy Sure,

  Congratulations! You are now officially set up with a player account for Sandbox XXL, everyone’s favorite action-packed adventure. Please download the game at the link below. Have fun, and remember, in this game it’s good to have your head in the sand!

  Remember when I said I want to be a normal thirteen-year-old kid? Well, scratch that! I’m not a normal thirteen-year-old kid—I’m a thirteen-year-old kid with access to Sandbox XXL!

  YES!

  I’ve been on this video game’s wait list for months, and I can’t believe it’s finally my time to play.

  Just as I download it and the game starts to install, I hear a voice from outside my door.

  “Billy!” says the voice.

  That’s my mom.

  “Billy, have you finished unpacking?” Mom asks, peeking into my room.

  I groan. Yeah, unpacking. Remember when I said that my family almost moved to Italy? Well, we cut it pretty close. My dad is an artist, and he was offered a job to do a series of paintings at a gallery over there. We had everything packed and ready to go—until Manny and I discovered that the art commissioner wasn’t a real art commissioner, she was actually the CEO of our rival invention company, Nat Definite, and it was all a ruse to get me out of the inventing biz! Thankfully we made a deal with her—she still had to commission Dad for some art, but he could do it right here at home. Case closed, right?

  Not so much. Because thanks to Nat’s alter ego, “Tali DeCiso,” I now have a huge chore ahead of me—unpacking.

  “I’ll start that now, Mom,” I say, looking sadly at my computer screen. How can my inventing rival still be messing up my life?

  I spend some time emptying the last few boxes and put stuff back where it belongs. My dog, Philo, curls up on a pile of stinky socks that I unpack. I’m not sure why the socks are stinky and I definitely don’t understand why Philo wants to sleep on them. Thanks for all the help, Philo, I think.

  I go throughout the house putting things back, like my bathroom towels in the bathroom.

  In the kitchen I see Dad’s artist’s lamp sitting on the counter in the exact spot where the blender should be. So what’s in Dad’s art studio? I think.

  Curiosity gets the better of me and I head out of the house to his art studio, which is conveniently located in the garden shed.

  Aha! Neatly poised above Dad’s drawing board is the missing blender!

  I guess Dad got a bit confused while he was unpacking, I think.

  I head into the house and back up to my room. As I pass the bathroom I see a spatula sitting in the toothbrush holder.

  Oh no, I think, realizing Dad made breakfast earlier today. What did he use to cook with?

  Finally, after an hour of unpacking, I settle down in front of my computer and enter the world of Sandbox XXL!

  The game starts off simply enough. I get to create my avatar, which of course looks just like me only . . . Sandbox XXL–like.

  I build my house—which looks a lot like a medieval castle—and walk around until I run into a GIANT SAND MONSTER who charges right at me!!!

  I race to the water and dive into the ocean. Knowing he will be instantly dissolved if he follows, the sand monster roars in anger, waving his dusty fist at me. Unfortunately, I know that the game won’t let me stay in the ocean forever. After a few more seconds a giant wave approaches from behind.

  If I stay in the water I’ll get crushed by the wave. If I go back out onto the beach, the sand monster will get me. There’s only one thing to do. I must control the huge wave of water and direct it onto the sand monster.

  Just a video game, I remind myself. Nothing to be afraid of.

  I start using the arrow keys on my keyboard, and I don’t think my reflexes have worked this fast ever. Up, down, up, left, left, across, side—

  I hardly notice the time, but suddenly two hours have passed.

  “Billy! Dinnertime!” Dad calls.

  “I’m not hungry,” I call back, pausing the game midbattle. I don’t even want to imagine what toothbrush-infested food Dad has managed to cook up.

  Then I hear my mom’s voice.

  “It’s Chinese takeout,” she calls.

  CHINESE TAKEOUT? Well, that’s an eggroll of a different color. There are very few things more important than defeating a giant sand monster. Chinese takeout is one of them!

  Leaving the game paused, I scramble downstairs. On my way to the kitchen I pass through the living room and see that the vacuum cleaner is sitting on the TV stand. I wonder where the TV could be?

  Shrugging, I head to the kitchen and take a seat. Boxes of Chinese food are spread out across the table. I grab the biggest box, dump a huge helping of lo mein onto my plate, and start shoveling noodles into my mouth.

  “I have to admit, I’m glad we didn’t move to Italy,” says Mom, pouring some wonton soup into a bowl. “Lots of lasagna, but we would have missed the food from here!”

  I nod and moan my agreement, lo mein dangling from my mouth. Everyone looks at my older sister Emily, waiting for her to comment—something that is always unpredictable—but she says nothing.

  “And I am COMPLETELY UNPACKED!” Dad says proudly, dumping a pile of fried rice onto his plate.

  I wonder if he knows just how bad of a job he did with the unpacking.

  I reach in to grab an egg roll. That’s when I realize that not only is Emily quiet, but she also hasn’t had a single bite of food or even taken any to eat. Her plate is completely clean.

  Of course, the less Emily eats, the more there is for me, but it’s still weird since Emily loves Chinese food. She sits at the other end of the table, arms crossed in front of her. I wonder what she
’s grumpy about today.

  “Come on, Em, at least try the lo mein,” Mom says. “The noodles are soft.”

  Emily grunts but remains tight-lipped.

  Maybe this is just Emily’s latest “thing,” I think. My sister is known for her “things.” Let’s see . . . some of Emily’s things have included wearing glasses without lenses, speaking only in a British accent, painting each of her fingernails different colors, and her latest (before whatever this one is now)—using random Italian words incorrectly when she thought we were all moving to Italy.

  After my fourth helping of lo mein, I’m full. I help clear the table. When I’m done, I head upstairs to resume my game. It’s time for level two where I’ll have to defeat the EVIL SUPER SAND FLY STORM!

  From the Sandbox to the Office

  A HUGE WAVE SLAMS ME in the back of the head, knocking me down into the ocean. I’m completely underwater, yet somehow I can still breathe. A colorful tropical fish swims by and I pause to admire its beauty.

  Just as I’m doing that, the fish turns into a shark. It races toward me with its mouth wide open!

  Sandbox XXL! I think. I’m just playing Sandbox XXL. The shark is not real.

  But wait! I’m in the game . . . not my avatar. And I’m about to be devoured by the shark!

  I swim as fast I can away from the shark and back to the beach, which is when a giant sand monster sends me back into the water!

  I’m going down . . . down . . . down. . . .

  Until another colorful fish swims up to me and says, “It’s only a game, after all.”

  A talking fish?! Something is wrong here.

  And that’s when I wake up.

  I sit up in bed and discover that I’m still dressed in the clothes I wore yesterday. Next to my pillow is my laptop, with Sandbox XXL on the screen. The theme music is still playing.

  Okay, I know I only started yesterday, but I think it’s already time for me to put the game away for a while.

  I quickly shower, feed Philo, and grab some breakfast.

  “Wanna go for a walk, buddy?” I ask Philo as he finishes his breakfast and licks the bowl clean.

  Philo’s ears perk up at the word “walk,” and he scampers to the front door.

  I head outside, hop on my bike, and take off on a morning ride. Philo trots beside me. I start to daydream . . . and wonder what would happen if right now a three-headed sand monster showed up!

  Yeah . . . I’ve definitely been playing a little too much Sandbox XXL.

  As we continue our walk, Ding! I get an incoming text from Manny.

  HQ today?

  I glance at Philo, who has just finished his business, and text back:

  K. See ya in a few!

  I stop at home for a brief second to tell Mom where I’ll be and grab my laptop. Then I ride my bike to the World Headquarters of Sure Things, Inc.—also known as Manny’s garage.

  When I get there, I hop off my bike and head inside. Philo follows me and immediately curls up in his doggy bed—just another day at the office for Philo.

  “Thanks for stopping by, Billy,” says Manny. Then he gets right down to business. “I’ve reviewed the sales figures for all our inventions this year so far, and came up with some pretty cool marketing strategies for all of our products, not just the new stuff. I’m talking about the ALL BALL, the SIBLING SILENCER, and all the others. We need to revamp our efforts across the board. You know, to remind people where it all started for Sure Things, Inc.”

  That’s my friend Manny. I love his dedication, though sometimes I worry that he works too hard and doesn’t have enough fun. Just don’t tell him I think that!

  “That all sounds great. But what do you need me for?” I ask.

  “Well, I’m thinking this marketing strategy would be best launched alongside a new product,” Manny begins.

  Uh-oh, I know where this is going . . .

  “So, even though it’s summer vacation, I think we should start working on our Next Big Thing,” says Manny, like coming up with a new invention is no big deal.

  I grimace.

  “I’m not really ready yet, Manny,” I say, figuring he’ll certainly understand. “I mean, you know how much I love inventing, but I don’t want to feel pressured. We both worked really hard all school year, not to mention everything that’s happened with Sure Things, Inc. I just want to chill. Play some Sandbox XXL, ride my bike, you know. Just for a little bit.”

  This isn’t the first time I’ve wanted to relax. But come on. This is summer vacation we are talking about!

  Manny frowns, something he doesn’t usually do.

  “Billy, we can’t just stop inventing over summer break. We’re an invention company. That’s what we do. We don’t loaf around on the beach. We invent.” Manny shakes his head and continues. “A company needs new products all the time. That’s what being in business means. Customers and retailers have short memories. If we wait too long, we’ll lose valuable retail space to other companies. And once that happens we may never get it back.”

  I don’t know what to say. Manny knows a lot more about business than I do, so he’s probably right about all this.

  But also I really want a summer vacation. “Okay, Manny, just let me finish this level and then we’ll talk about a new invention.” I pull out my phone and start playing the mobile version of Sandbox XXL.

  But Manny isn’t done yet.

  “Billy, what’s the point of playing that video game?” he asks. “Or any video game, really? Why pretend that you’re doing something exciting when you can actually do something exciting, like invent a new product?”

  A tense silence fills the room. I try to focus on my game, but I feel Manny staring at me.

  “C’mon, partner,” Manny says, breaking the silence. “Can’t we think of something together? It’s what we always do.”

  I hear what Manny says, but I ignore him. Partly because I’m a little annoyed at how insistent he is. It’s like he’s not listening to what I have to say. And partly because I’m locked into Sandbox XXL again, where I’m about to roll a giant ball of wet sand over an army of RADIOACTIVE CRABS. If I can destroy the creatures in the next ten seconds, I’ll advance to the next level.

  I steer the sloppy ball of sand toward the glowing red crabs, but they’re cleverer than I thought. They form lines and start crawling in a bunch of different directions. My wet sand ball rolls right past them.

  I want to make it to the next level, and I also really don’t want to be having this conversation with Manny right now. As I plan my next attack against the crabs, KER-BLAM! A brilliant idea pops into my head!

  “Why don’t you invent something, partner?” I say, anxious to remain focused on the game. “Instead of staring at your spreadsheets all day?”

  The running-out-of-time music starts playing. . . .

  Within seconds, I’m surrounded. Mutant radioactive crabs rush at me from all sides. There’s only one way out of this . . . and I take it. I dive into the water and begin my warrior’s magic chant:

  Ocean power within my hand, unleash your fury upon the sand!

  A huge wave rises up, crashes onto the beach, and pulls all the radioactive crabs into the ocean.

  Bing-boong! the game rings out, indicating that I have advanced to the next level. I turn to Manny. And that’s when it hits me.

  Did I just tell Manny to INVENT?!

  “All right,” Manny replies calmly. “Maybe I will. Maybe you’ll have to start calling me Manny Reyes, Kid Entrepreneur!”

  He’s not done yet.

  “Actually, I think it’s a great idea,” he continues. “And you, Billy, can manage the business side, since you also enjoy staring at screens all day.” He points to the screen on my phone, where GIANT JELLYFISH are starting to plan an attack against my avatar.

  Manny is smiling, but I feel bad.

  I can’t believe I was so short with Manny. I really didn’t mean to be, I think.

  “Manny, I’m sorry,” I say, putting m
y phone down. “I didn’t mean to be so snappy with you. I was just so locked into the game.”

  Manny shrugs. “No, I’m not upset,” he says. “I actually think that us switching roles is a pretty good idea. That way we can understand what we each do a little better. It can be a competition, a friendly switcheroo! You’ll get to see what I do up close, and vice versa. Actually, I think it could be healthy for the company.”

  I wasn’t really being serious when I said that Manny should invent something, but when Manny puts it that way, it actually might be a good idea.

  And how hard can it be? Sure, Manny is a marketing and business genius, but marketing and selling a product can’t be as tough as, I don’t know, inventing one from nothing, right?

  “Okay!” I say. “You’re on! What invention will you be working on? Maybe you can invent a video game that kids can play while also letting them pay attention to other people.”

  (I really do feel bad about snapping at Manny.)

  Manny smiles, letting me know that he realizes how terrible I feel. Reason #913 why I’m glad Manny is my best friend—we just get each other.

  “Actually, I do have an idea for an invention,” Manny says, turning serious.

  “Already?” I ask, a bit shocked and a little jealous that Manny is able to come up with something so fast.

  “Yup,” Manny says. “And you’re the one who inspired it. For my first invention as Manny Reyes, Kid Entrepreneur, I’m going to invent the CANDY TOOTHBRUSH!”

  Switcheroo!

  I HAVE TO ADMIT, I did not see that one coming. It only took Manny about a second to come up with an idea for an invention—though technically we came up with it together years ago, when we were little kids.

  Back when I first started inventing, I worked in a small corner of my bedroom that I turned into a workshop. And the first idea I tried to invent was the Candy Toothbrush. So many kids get fussy when it’s time to brush their teeth that I thought if I could invent a toothbrush that makes any toothpaste taste like candy (without causing cavities, of course), kids would love brushing their teeth. But I never could perfect it.