And then there was Staples. Well, taking the fall for his sister really did kill his case to get legal custody of her. But he’d won back her affection and as he told me, that was the real first step. More important than Big Brother programs and nice haircuts, he realized.
And he was right. After a six-month deferred sentence with perfect behavior, Staples was once again able to plead his case to the court. And this time Kinko actually testified that she wanted nothing more than to go live with her brother. Which is why I’m happy to report that he eventually did get legal custody of his sister. Apparently they moved away not too long ago, and I just hope they don’t someday team up and form the ultimate nightmare of a brother/sister duo. I’m only kidding. I’m sure they’re both retired for good. Or, well, I hope they are anyway.
So that just leaves Vince and me, right? Well, soon after the raid on Thief Valley, my parents sent me to this stupid behavioral reformation camp out in the woods in Oregon for six weeks. No, seriously, they did.
And man, those kids I was stuck in the wilderness with were nuts. We had some insane, insane adventures up in those hills and forests. I mean, first there was the wolverine incident, and then the fact that Crazy Ronnie kept trying to start his tent on fire with a laser, and that’s not even half as crazy as when a group of us got separated from the chaperones (or “behavior reformation counselors”) for two weeks. Then, most insane of all was . . . Well, actually, you know what? These stories are way too long to tell here. But let me just say, I survived . . . barely, and that’s what matters.
Anyways, after I got back from that ordeal, my parents were able to get me into a private school nearby. So we didn’t have to move, which was great. Because of my expulsion, though, I had to repeat seventh grade! Which completely sucks, needless to say. It’s pretty embarrassing, but I did it all to myself in a way, so what could I do?
At first it was excruciating to not have Vince at school with me. But then after a few weeks we both got used to it. I mean, sure Vince is still my absolute best friend without a doubt. But I have some new pals at my new school, and Vince and I still hung out almost every day after school. And we still watched every Cubs game we could together.
Probably the hardest part and the one thing we’d never get used to was that he had a new catcher now. The good news is that Vince was the seventh-grade team’s ace, even without me. And he shattered almost every single-season pitching record in our school history. But I had fun watching him play and he deserved all the accolades in the world for pretty much being the best and coolest human being alive.
And next year, if I can make the team at my new school, I’ll even get to face Vince in a few games. Which ought to be kinda fun, as long as he doesn’t give me any chin music. Which, honestly, he might. Vince is the nicest guy in the whole world off the field, but once he’s on the mound in a game situation, he’s like a bulldog. He doesn’t back down and he’ll do anything he can (as long as it’s mostly legal) to win.
So, anyways, that only leaves one question left unanswered, right? Did I finally get to retire, or am I up to my old schemes again at my new school? Well, it turned out there were more ways to get out of the business than juvie or a body bag. The third way was to change schools. Most of the kids at my new school didn’t know who I was, which made it a lot easier to avoid getting drawn into other kids’ problems.
I mean, I have to admit I’ve been tempted a few times, but in all reality I don’t think I can survive another round of the crap I just went through the past few years. So I’m staying retired. Definitely, for sure, staying retired. No way am I going back to that. Absolutely zero chance.
I mean, at least until high school. Because in high school kids have jobs and that means way more money and way more problems. From what I’ve heard, just a simple zit is enough to cause mass rioting.
And that’s pretty much where I come in.
About the Author
Chris Rylander is the author of the Fourth Stall saga, of which you are holding the final installment in your hands right now. A fan of strawberry jam, one-armed cowboys, and the Chicago Cubs, he lives in Chicago. You can visit him online at www.chrisrylander.com.
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The Fourth Stall
The Fourth Stall Part II
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Cover art © 2013 by Ethen Beavers
Copyright
Walden Pond Press is an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.
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The Fourth Stall Part III
Copyright © 2013 by Chris Rylander
All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this ebook on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins ebooks.
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Rylander, Chris.
The fourth stall. Part III / Chris Rylander. — 1st ed.
p. cm.
Summary: “Mac and Vince have gotten out of their middle school underworld crime business, but an upstart rival business and a run-in with an old nemesis pull them back in”—Provided by publisher.
ISBN 978-0-06-212005-2
[1. Business enterprises—Fiction. 2. Schools—Fiction. 3. Bullies—Fiction.] I. Title.
PZ7.R98147Fq 2013
2012012717
[Fic]—dc23
CIP
AC
Epub Edition JANUARY 2013 ISBN: 9780062120076
12 13 14 15 16 LP/RRDH 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
First Edition
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The Fourth Stall Part III Page 18
