by John Purcell
Chapter 6
10.16.2173.9:29PM
I heard Bim Crawfield speak for the first time today. Bim is a classmate of mine. He was in my class last year, too, because he’s repeating 5th grade. He’s repeated every grade since kindergarten, which means he’s about 16 years old now, but he’s exceptionally small and scrawny.
Bim does poorly in school because he never says a word and won’t complete his work. He seems to be able to read and write, but he always leaves his pages completely blank: homework, tests, everything.
Bim’s father was killed in the war before Bim was born, then his mother fell ill and died. He’s lived in other orphanages in other Domes, but now he’s living at the Blessed Savior Home. This accounts for his ragged clothing and thatched yellow hair.
Bim spoke to me in art class, at the very end of the school day. Luma and I were in the art room, along with Bim and seven other kids. Art is Bim’s best subject, in the sense that he actually sets pencil to paper. His drawings are dense and finely detailed and indecipherable.
Our new art teacher, Miss Veiny, had taken some of the boys down to the gym to get changed for practice. I was sitting by the window, watching Luma work on her picture. I used to be able to participate in art class, but Miss Veiny established a new policy this year.
Bim got up from the table and walked toward me. I was surprised to see his lips moving. He walked past me to the pencil sharpener, speaking so softly that no one else in the room could have possibly heard him.
He said, “Dogan is planning to attack you again. Keep an eye on Luma.”
Then he sharpened his pencil and went back to his seat.
Shortly after Miss Veiny returned, the bell rang and school let out for the day. As we were filing out the door, Miss Veiny took my arm and pulled me aside. Luma continued on, unaware. I watched her turn the corner and disappear.
Miss Veiny is middle-aged and unmarried, and wears the same black, floor-length dress every day. Despite being new to the job, she’s widely regarded as the meanest teacher at Ryesong Elementary.
She scattered a tub of crayons across the floor. Digging her fingernails into my arm, she said, “Now look what you’ve done. Clean it up.” She released me with a shove.
I’d seen her do the same thing to the JaniTrons. I picked up the crayons as quickly as possible, but there were 449 of them.
When I finally handed the tub to her, she said, “Run along and play now.”
I hurried from the building, trying to find Luma, but there was no sign of her. Principal Gumm was standing by the entrance, as he always does at dismissal. I approached him, saying, “Have you seen Luma Jomes?”
He seemed startled that I could actually speak. “Yes, I have! I saw her walking out to the diamonds with Jeffrey Spags. They were headed for the diamonds.”
Spags is Dogan’s best friend.
I looked across the parking lot to the diamonds. Kids were milling about, swinging bats and playing catch, but Luma was nowhere to be seen. The bleachers were on the far side of the field and I had to magnify the image. At 10X, though, I could make out a cluster of kids hiding around back, and caught a glimpse of Luma’s profile.
I sprinted across the parking lot toward the bleachers, which seemed to rush forward to meet me. It only took 11 seconds to cover 250 yards.
I came around behind the bleachers and stopped short. There stood Dogan Nath with five of his teammates, all in uniform. Except for Spags, who had Luma by the arms, they were all holding baseball bats.
Dogan’s face was flushed. “I told you I was going to smash you to pieces.”
I said, “I’d rather be your friend than your enemy.”
For a moment, confusion crossed his face, but he shook it off. He turned to his friends, saying, “Swing for the fences.”
As they spread out around me, time slowed down.
I’ve always been able to think much faster than I can act, although I’ve never understood why. I’ve just accepted it as a design limitation. Now, as Dogan’s bat traveled in a graceful arc toward my head, I discovered that my body could move as quickly as my mind.
I caught Dogan’s bat, twisted it from his grasp, and snapped it over my knee. As I dropped to a crouch, a second bat sailed lazily overhead. A third bat came down at me from above, so I shifted to the left and watched it pass by. As I jumped to my feet, I caught a fourth bat, twisted it free, and tossed it over the bleachers. The fifth bat wasn’t in motion, so I turned back to see what had happened to the two bats I’d dodged. Both were in midair, traveling away from me, as the boys raised them for a second swing. I grabbed one and snapped it, then the other. When I looked again, the fifth bat was on its way to the ground, tossed aside. I turned to see Dogan’s fist approaching my face. I blocked it with the palm of my hand and closed my fingers around it.
And there we stood.
I looked Dogan in the eye. “I’d rather be your friend than your enemy.”
I tightened my grip on his fist, causing him to wince, then released it.
The other five boys were backing away now, mouths hanging open. Luma looked just as stunned. I reached down and picked up the unbroken bat. Dogan and his teammates turned and ran.
It took Luma a moment to find her voice. “Teo… When… How did you do that?”
I said, “I’m as surprised as you are.”
“You were just a blur!”
“It must be the new program code. My reflexes are much faster now, and I can run much faster, too.”
Luma took a couple of steps toward me. “Teo, I was really scared!”
“Dogan would never hurt you, Luma. He takes his anger out on me because I’m not human.”
“I hate his guts!”
“You shouldn’t. He’s scared too.”
"He's scared? Scared of what?”
“I don’t know, but I can see it in his eyes.”
She thought for a moment. “I still hate his guts.”
“Come on, let’s go home.”
As we were rounding the bleachers, Bim Crawfield appeared out of nowhere.
He looked at me, ignoring Luma. “I knew you’d win.”
Luma didn’t hear him. She said, “What are you doing here?”
Bim kept his eyes on me. “I turned invisible and followed Luma. I watched the whole thing.”
Luma leaned toward him. “Huh?”
I said to Bim, “How did you know I’d win?”
“Because you were created by Joseph Clay.”
Luma scowled. “What is he saying?”
I was too surprised to reply to her. “You know about my father?”
“I know about a lot of things.”
Luma glared at Bim. “Would you please speak up!”
Bim glanced at her, then back at me. “Please tell Luma I can’t speak any louder.”
I turned to her. “Don’t be angry, Luma. Bim is speaking as loudly as he can. Not only that, he warned me about Dogan’s plan. He’s a hero.”
Luma gave me a look.
“I’m serious.”
She sighed. “Sorry, Bim. Thanks for helping.” She grabbed my arm. “Come on, Teo, we have to get home or Mom will call Dad and we’ll get in trouble again.”
Bim said, “Speaking of trouble, Miss Veiny’s just getting started.”
Luma couldn’t hear this either. She said, “Grrr…” and stomped off toward home.
I said, “What do you mean?”
“You’ll find out tomorrow. Tell Dogan that his father is alive and we’re going to find him.”
“Excuse me?”
“Tell Dogan that his father is alive and we’re going to find him.”
“How do you know about Dogan’s father?”
“I know about a lot of things. You should catch up with Luma now.”
He was right. I said, “Okay. See you tomorrow.”
When I drew even with Luma, she said, “That kid is so annoyin
g!”
“Maybe, but I’ve never heard anyone say so many astounding things.”
“I didn’t hear him say anything!”
“I understand, Luma, but listen to me.”
I recounted my conversation with Bim word-for-word. When I finished, Luma said, “Do you really think he can turn invisible?”
“No.”
“Me neither. But I bet he feels invisible most of the time.”
“I suppose so.”
“And what did he mean about Miss Veiny?”
“I’m not sure, but she must have been working with Dogan because she trapped me in the art room.”
Luma nodded. “So that’s what happened. When I got outside, I couldn’t find you anywhere. Then Spags told me you were at the baseball diamonds. It didn’t make sense, but I trusted him.” Her eyes glittered. “Just wait till I get my hands on him!”
I said, “How can Bim possibly know anything about Dogan’s father?”
“Do you believe him?”
“He knew about my father and I don’t see how that’s possible, either.”
We walked in silence for a time. When we were almost home, Luma stopped.
She turned to me, her face serious. “Teo, I’ve been thinking. You said things are changing in your programs, right?”
“Yes.”
“Did I see you squeeze Dogan’s hand?”
“Yes.”
“Teo, if people know you can hurt them, I’m afraid of what they’ll do to you.”
“I know. It was a mistake.”
“Then why did you do it?”
I didn’t have a good answer. I said, “I just wanted to.”
Which wasn’t really an answer at all.
“Luma, will you do me a favor?”
“Sure.”
“Don’t tell your mother or father about what happened today. And when they find out, don’t say anything about Dogan’s hand.”
Luma gave me a shove. “Of course I won’t! It’s a secret! We can’t let anybody know!”
I’ve given it some thought tonight and Luma is right. Whatever changes are taking place inside me, I have to hide them from everyone I know, including Mr. Wu.
Especially Mr. Wu.
Entry complete.
