Warp Speed (9780545543422)

by Yee, Lisa

  No one moves.

  “War Balls,” Ms. McKenna explains as she passes them out. “These are a dessert that the soldiers ate during the Revolutionary War. Deep-fried dough rolled in sugar and cinnamon.” They look like doughnut holes.

  I’m a little scared as I take a tiny bite of my War Ball — then I smile. Ms. McKenna is right. They are great. No one’s making fun of her now.

  At lunchtime I’m not too hungry since I had five War Balls — Ms. McKenna slipped me some extra ones when class was over. Ramen is hovering over Max as she pops the lid off of her lunch. “Well?” he asks.

  “Penne pesto with shaved parmesan cheese. You?”

  “Shrimp ramen,” he answers as he stares at her lunch.

  “I’ve never known anyone who loves noodles as much as you,” she tells him.

  “Love noodles?” Ramen looks shocked. “I hate them!”

  “Then why do you eat them every day?”

  “Because they’re cheap and my mom buys them by the case at Costco. Who’d willingly eat this stuff?”

  “I would,” Max says.

  “Really?”

  “I love ramen noodles, but my mom refuses to buy them,” Max explains, adding, “She’s a foodie.”

  “What’s that?” asks Ramen,

  “You know, a food snob,” says Max.

  “I want to be a foodie,” Ramen announces.

  “Then switch,” I say. “Why don’t you two switch lunches?”

  Max and Ramen fall silent. Then slowly smiles cross their faces as they trade lunches.

  “Hey,” I say as they are both blissfully eating, “I’m thinking of proposing a Star Trek movie marathon to my dad. What do you think?”

  “I’d rather see a Batman marathon,” Max says as she slurps up a noodle.

  “I’d rather go to a Star Wars marathon,” Ramen says before taking another mouthful of his penne pesto.

  I take a War Ball out of the bag and bite into it as I think about the marathon.

  The Star Wars vs. Star Trek battle has heated up again, with Max insisting that Batman is the best, and no one listening to her. Everyone in AV Club is debating which marathon would draw the biggest crowd.

  “Mr. Jiang!” Patrick calls out. “You can settle this once and for all. What’s better, Star Wars or Star Trek?”

  “Or Batman?” Max shouts.

  Ramen, Max, Troy, Patrick, and I all stop and look at Mr. Jiang when he says, “Every day you kids come in here with the same old arguments, and every day you disagree. I’ve been waiting for the moment when you’d ask me my opinion.”

  “Well, what is it?” Troy presses. “Star Trek or Star Wars?”

  “Or Batman?” adds Max.

  “I’m going to tell you, and I’m only going to say this once, okay?” Mr. Jiang says.

  We all nod solemnly.

  Mr. Jiang clears his throat and hesitates. The suspense is killing us. “Superman!” he announces with a grin.

  Chaos breaks loose as everyone begins yelling.

  “Superman doesn’t even count! He has superpowers. That’s cheating!” Troy protests.

  “Yeah,” Patrick cries. “He’s not even a real person, like Luke and Han!”

  “Or Bruce Wayne,” Max points out.

  “Superpowers are a cop-out,” Ramen adds. “Our guys use their wits and their brains —”

  “… and their Batmobile,” Max jumps in. “Superman is not even in the same category as Batman!”

  As we spend the rest of sixth period arguing, Mr. Jiang leans back in his chair and chuckles.

  One more class to go before winter break, then two whole weeks of freedom. I’m going to be busy, though. Last night Dad agreed to have the First Annual Rialto Klingons, Kenobi, and Capes Marathon. Just think: Star Trek, Star Wars, and Batman, together for one film festival! I don’t think that’s ever been done before. We’re also going to have panel discussions and debates, and who knows? Maybe we can get some of the stars to show up.

  Max and Ramen are going to help out, plus Troy and Patrick said they’d pitch in too. We’re making posters and stuff and I’m going to ask the local businesses to put them up. Mr. Min from RadioShack has already said he would, and so did Dave at the Dinosaur Farm.

  As I head to sixth period my head is full of ideas, when the Gorn suddenly materialize out of nowhere. Before I can react, I’m boxed in. They have greedy looks on their faces, like they’re going to devour me and spit out my bones.

  “You think you’re so tough just because you beat up Digger,” the Gorn leader hisses. “Well, we’re going to find out how tough you really are.”

  The small Gorn laughs as Brad looks away. Kids slow down. Some stop and stare. Before long, there’s a crowd.

  “Is the little lady scared?” the Gorn leader taunts.

  I grimace as they shove me against the wall. I can’t run. My WWSD has disappeared, and I don’t even have Captain Kirk with me. Where’s Kirk when I need him?

  “Hit him,” the Gorn leader tells Brad.

  My heart is racing.

  WWSD? What would Spock do?

  WWKD? What would Kirk do? What would he do? What should I do?

  WWMD? WWMD? WWMD?

  What would Marley do?

  Time stops while I remember when the Gorn first started punching me. I remember when they slammed me into my locker. I remember when they beat me up and laughed. They’re laughing now.

  My eyes flutter open. There is still a fist in front of my face. The Gorn are still laughing. More kids are gathered around. Some look excited because they are going to see me get beat up. Others look curious. One boy, who looks like he’s about eight years old, looks scared. He grips his books to his chest as if for protection.

  Brad is holding me by the collar. The other Gorn are egging him on. “Just hit him,” the small Gorn yells. “What are you waiting for?”

  “Do it!” says the leader. He looks at me and grins. “What’s the matter, Sandelski, you chicken?”

  I think of my father holed up in the projection booth telling me about Karl Bricknell. Clearly, this is a Kobayashi Maru, a no-win situation. If I fight them, I will lose. If they fight me, I will lose. Any fight, and I will lose. There’s nothing I can do … or wait … is there?

  I’ve got it! Like Kirk in the new Star Trek movie, I’ll change the rules.

  Brad is still staring at me. There is no joy on his face. The Gorn leader is squawking now, and so is the little Gorn. It’s so loud it’s echoing in my head.

  “Leave me alone,” I say softly. “Leave. Me. Alone. Leave me alone.” With each breath I take, I get louder, until I start to drown out the squawking. Suddenly, I am shouting like a maniac, “LEAVE ME ALONE!”

  Brad blinks rapidly, then releases me like I’m radioactive. The Gorn look surprised. So does everyone else. I face the crowd. “This isn’t a spectator sport,” I say as I plead my case. “We can’t let them get away with this. If you just stand there and watch, then you’re just as bad as they are. C’mon, someone say something. They can’t fight all of us!”

  There is total silence.

  I have never felt so alone in my life. I’m going to die and these kids are just going to let it happen.

  Suddenly, someone pushes through the crowd. “Leave him alone!”

  It’s Max!

  Ramen is hiding behind her. He chirps up, “Be a buddy, not a bully!”

  Even though the three of us are probably going to get decimated, I break into a grin. Max and Ramen do the same.

  Then the most amazing thing happens. Another voice cries, “Leave him alone!”

  I whip around and see the boy from P.E., the one with the thick glasses. A couple of other kids join in, then more and more. Soon the hallway is echoing with kids yelling, “Leave him alone!”

  “Go away!”

  “Cowards!”

  The Gorn look confused, then nervous as the crowd pushes forward, yelling. Nerds, geeks, and dorks of every size and shape have materialized. The G
orn begin to pale, then they take off down the hall, first walking, then running. It’s like the Battle of Trenton! The enemy has been contained. Everyone cheers. The Gorn have disappeared.

  I look around. There’s electricity in the air as kids head to class, chattering about what just happened. Who are all these people? Where did they come from? None of them look familiar. I’ve never noticed them before. How can that be? I thought I was the only invisible one at this school.

  “Well, I certainly showed those bullies,” Ramen boasts as he puffs out his chest. “Buddy, they won’t be bothering you any time soon.”

  Max pats me on the back. “As Batman has said, ‘Criminals are a superstitious, cowardly lot.’ Come on, Marley, we don’t want to be late to AV Club.”

  “You guys go on ahead,” I say. “I’ll be right there.”

  I need to catch my breath. My heart is still racing. I feel exhilarated.

  After Max and Ramen take off, I notice the small skinny boy lingering. His brown hair is all choppy, like he cut it himself, and his pants are way too short. He’s wearing a Spiderman shirt. “Hey, thanks,” he says. He sounds nervous.

  “For what?”

  “Well, first you showed Digger who’s boss, and now you stood up to those bullies. Marley, you give the rest of us hope.”

  “You know who I am?”

  “Of course. You’re Marley Sandelski.” The tardy bell rings. “Well, I’d better go,” he says. “See you around, Marley.”

  “Wait,” I call after him. “What’s your name?”

  “Jacob,” he says.

  I watch Jacob get smaller as he races to class. Mr. Jiang’s going to be mad that I’m late and Haycorn may even haul me in for being tardy — but I have something I need to do.

  I turn to the first page of my Captain’s Log. In two weeks it’ll be a new year. Maybe it’s time for a new word, and a new me.

  I take out a pen and cross out “invisible.” Then above it I write …

  Lisa Yee is the author of three previous books about the kids of Rancho Rosetta: Millicent Min, Girl Genius; Stanford Wong Flunks Big-Time; and So Totally Emily Ebers. On one of her many school visits, a reader asked what happened to Marley from Stanford Wong, which inspired her to tell his story here.

  Lisa lives, eats, writes, and blogs — sometimes all at once — in South Pasadena, California, which may or may not be the basis for Rancho Rosetta. Please visit her website at www.lisayee.com.

  Text copyright © 2011 by Lisa Yee—Author Inc.

  All rights reserved. Published by Arthur A. Levine Books, an imprint of Scholastic Inc., Publishers since 1920. SCHOLASTIC and the LANTERN LOGO are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Scholastic Inc.

  Yee, Lisa.

  Warp speed / by Lisa Yee. — 1st ed.

  p. cm.

  Summary: Marley Sandelski has always felt invisible at school when he is not facing bullies, but a series of unexpected events gives him a taste of popularity and insights into some classmates, well-liked or greatly-feared.

  ISBN 978-0-545-12276-4 (hardcover : alk. paper)

  [1. Bullies — Fiction. 2. Popularity — Fiction. 3. Middle schools — Fiction. 4. Schools — Fiction. 5. Motion picture theaters — Fiction. 6. Family life —

  California — Fiction. 7. California — Fiction.] I. Title. II. Title: Warp speed.

  PZ7.Y3638War 2011

  [Fic] — dc22

  2010024228

  First edition, March 2011

  Cover art © 2011 by Jimi Crayon

  Cover design by Elizabeth B. Parisi

  e-ISBN 978-0-545-54342-2

  All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No part of this publication 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 the publisher. For information regarding permission, write to Scholastic Inc., Attention: Permissions Department, 557 Broadway, New York, NY 10012.