Free Hero–Type by Barry Lyga Page B

because Flip has called a Council meeting at SAMMPark right after school. I head to the park and get there just as Flip pulls up with Fam and Jedi.
    "Hail, Fool," I say, waving to them.
    They hail me right back, and Jedi goes all
vvvvvvvhhhnnn, vvvvvvvhhhnnn
as Fam comes up to me. She looks concerned.
    "How are you handling all this, Kross? You doing all right?"
    "I'm—"
    "He's fine!" Flip shouts from the park entrance. "Come on!"
    "I'm OK," I tell her. She puts a hand on my arm and nods this sad little nod, and I suddenly find myself wondering: Is she
hitting
on me? Flip's girlfriend? God, please, no, let that
not
be happening. Fam is a buddy, a pal. And she's Flip's girlfriend. I mean, yeah, Flip treats her like crap, but Flip pretty much treats
everyone
like they're interchangeable parts in some model kit he's putting together. It's nothing personal.
    I shake her hand off and go into the park, just in time to see Flip slapping the statue of Susan Marchetti on the ass.
    "Baby, you are looking
fine!"
he says. "You are one
hard
body!"
    I look over at Fam. I can't tell if she's upset or not. She just sort of looks resigned to it, right up to the moment that Flip grabs her by the wrist and pulls her close and kisses her. "And
you
are soft and squishy, just like I like it."
    OK, whatever.
    A few minutes later, Speedo and Tit arrive. They ride the same school bus, which takes them right past the park.
    Flip leads all of us to a secluded area of the park, where we can talk in private. After a quick round of "Hail, Fool," he gets right down to business.
    "OK, fellow Fools, we have a problem. One of our own has been assaulted."
    Murmurs of agreement. An undercurrent of
vvvvvvvh-hhnnn.
I wonder what the hell he's talking about until I realize everyone's looking at me. Oh.
    "I have been applying my not inconsiderable brain power to the conundrum and arrived at an inescapable conclusion. We can't let this stand. If the pissy little bitches who run this town want to make Kross's life miserable, they have to deal with us first."
    Applause.
    "Uh, Flip? What are you talking about?"
    He grins at me. "Can't tell you, Kross. But don't worry—I have a plan. We've got your back."
    "I don't want to get into any more trouble."
    "Never fear. We're going to give you the cloak of plausible deniability."
    "Say what?" asks Speedo. Jedi nods, making his light saber noise the whole time.
    "I mean," Flip says, exasperated, "we're gonna do it in a way that no one can tie it back to Kross. Just trust me. It's a kick-ass idea. So sublimely Foolish. It's perfect. Especially in
this
town."
    "Really?" Tit asks. "What is it?"
    "Did you miss the part about plausible deniability?" Flip asks him.
    "No."
    Flip rolls his eyes. "We already started, doofus."
    "Oh." Tit's expression suddenly opens up. "Oh! You mean when we took the—"
    "Shut up!" Jedi, Flip, and Speedo say it all at the same time, and Tit slaps a hand over his mouth.
    "This is what the Council is all about!" says Flip. His excitement is contagious—I can't help it; I'm a little excited, too. Flip's many things, but he's never boring.
    "Be conspicuous from a safe distance!" he goes on. "Shove people's faces in their own perceptions. Darken the illuminated paths so that people have to feel their way around and learn the path anew. Right?"
    "Oh, yeah!" says Tit. Speedo cries out "Whoo-hoo!" while Fam nods and Jedi does his Jedi thing.
    "So, get out of here, Kross. Make sure you're visible tonight."
    "Visible?"
    "Just make sure everyone knows you're home being a good little boy." Flip grins a wicked grin. "We'll take care of the rest."
    Flip sends the others off—"You have your assignments," he tells them—and then throws an arm over my shoulder and escorts me back to the car.
    "What in the
world
are you thinkin', man?" He's grinning when he says it, though. "Fame and fortune just not enough for you? What game are you playing?"
    "Nothing, Flip. Honest. It just ... happened."
    "Come on, Kross. It's