Free [Janitors 01] Janitors by Tyler Whitesides Page B

Dez before the janitors found out that they were missing from Mrs. Natcher’s class. If Marv’s threats carried any weight, he would already have figured out Spencer’s name and classroom.
    “Why are you here, anyway?” Daisy asked, hands on her hips.
    Dez tucked the cell phone into the pocket of his shorts and began to chant, “Spencer and Daisy, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-I-N-N . . . K-I-S-I-N-G . . .” he trailed away. “You guys came into class together this morning—late. Then, when the power went out, I figured Spencer went to find you. I usually don’t like to watch kissing, but I wanted to know where you were going.”
    “So you followed us in here,” Spencer said.
    Dez nodded. “Not a very romantic place for your first date, Doofus. But I thought it might be fun to crash the party. Besides, I’ve been looking for a way to get back at you.”
    “For what?” Spencer asked.
    “Yesterday’s little speech to the class. You can lie to them about seeing monsters, but I know you’re a fake.”
    Spencer swallowed and ignored the taunt. Just like Garth Hadley had advised, he focused on their secret mission. “Give me the phone, Dez.”
    “No way!” Dez pulled out the phone to tempt them again. “Minutes aren’t free, you know.”
    “I’ll pay you back,” Daisy promised.
    “You’ll pay me now,” Dez stated, pointing at the toilet aggressively. “Two swirlies for every minute on the phone. Deal?”
    “You’re disgusting,” Spencer said, wondering if Dez actually had the guts to stick someone’s head in the toilet and flush it. He wondered for only a moment.
    Dez leaped clumsily at Daisy. She spun aside, and the bully turned quickly. He tripped on an untied shoelace and went down, grabbing Daisy’s leg as he fell. Both kids tumbled to the hard floor, Dez struggling to get a controlling grip on Daisy.
    Without thinking, Spencer plunged in. He’d never punched anyone before and it ended up hurting his hand a lot worse than he thought. Spencer’s fist pounded into Dez’s shoulder. The bully released his grip on Daisy and the girl crawled toward the stall. Dez’s cell phone spun across the yellow-brown tile and stopped under the sink. Spencer went for it, but Dez’s big foot kicked out, catching Spencer in the knee and sending him to the floor.
    Dez grabbed the phone and jumped to his feet. His face was twisted in anger like Spencer had never seen before. One punch from those meaty hands would probably put Spencer out cold on the floor—the dingy, germy bathroom floor.
    Losing his courage, Spencer retreated to the stall, where Daisy quickly shut the door and latched it tightly. The walls of the stall didn’t reach all the way to the ground, so there was still room for Dez to crawl under. But Spencer was prepared to stomp on any part of Dez that appeared.
    “You’re dead, Doofus. Sooner or later you’ll have to come out—and I’ll be waiting.”
    “Sooner or later, you’ll give us that phone so we can all get out of here,” Spencer said.
    “Whatever! I’ll wait a week if I have to.”
    “Without food? Yeah, right.”
    Dez fell silent. Apparently he hadn’t thought about long-term food storage for his siege on the bathroom stall. Spencer and Daisy watched him pace for a while, then slump down against the wall. He pulled out his phone and, judging by the sound effects, started playing Pac-Man.
    Spencer pulled Daisy aside and whispered in her ear. “I’m going to get the phone. Stay here.”
    “What?” Daisy shrieked.
    “I hear you,” Dez said, ending his game. But before he could slip the phone into his pocket, before Daisy could protest any further, Spencer threw open the door and lunged at Dez.
    Spencer’s right hand closed around the cell phone, jerking it free of Dez’s grip. Instantly the bully had a heavy hand on Spencer’s arm, twisting it painfully. Then Spencer stretched and slipped free, passing through Dez’s grasp like his arm was made of Jell-O.
    Spencer’s