Free The Big Splash by Jack D. Ferraiolo Page A

uncomfortable angle.
    â€œShut up and listen. I’m taking you to the principal.”
    â€œOn what charge? Taking these kids’ money? They wanted to play. Just ask them. Hehehe.”
    I didn’t ask them. Instead, I told them to beat it.
    â€œHow’d it feel, taking Nikki out?” I asked Joey when the kids were gone.
    â€œWhat? Hehehe.”
    â€œYou heard me.”
    â€œThe only thing I took out was your mom. Hehehe—owww!” I twisted his arms.
    â€œI’ve got a witness. Says your giggle was fleeing the scene.”
    â€œYou were fed a bum line, jerk. I wasn’t there. Hehehe.”
    â€œTell it to the principal.”
    â€œLeggo a me! I didn’t do nothin’! Hehehee!” He squirmed but I held him fast.
    â€œInnocent’s not a good fit for you, Joey.”
    â€œIf I popped Nikki, why would I lie to you, huh? You ain’t no monitor. Hehehe …”
    â€œI don’t know. Maybe you just like lying.”
    â€œYeah, lying with your mom. Hehehe,” he said, then spit in my face.
    â€œAll right.” I let go of him. He went for his water gun. “Good luck with Kevin,” I said.
    His hand stopped. “Kevin?”
    â€œYeah. He must’ve talked to some witnesses by now, and it’s not like anyone else giggles like you,” I said, wiping my face. “So I imagine he’ll probably want to discuss your role in the Nikki take-down. And by discuss, I mean beat you to a bloody pulp.”
    â€œI didn’t do it!” he yelled. “You tell Kevin I didn’t do it! Hehehe!”
    â€œYou tell him. I have to go wash my face.”
    â€œNo! Hee! Look, hehe! Here!” He reached into his pocket. I grabbed his arm and twisted it behind his back. “Owww! Owww! Quit it!”
    It wasn’t a squirt gun in his hand; it was an envelope. I took it and let go of his arm.
    â€œI found it in my locker two days ago. Hehehe.”
    I opened the envelope and pulled out three pieces of paper: half of a picture ripped out of an old school newspaper, a well-forged hall pass, and a note. In the picture, a younger Joey stared up at me with a goofy, love-struckgrin on his face. He was holding hands with a girl, I assumed, but I couldn’t tell who. Her hand was in the picture, but the rest of her was in the missing half. The note said: “Remember what we had. Do it or get out of the way. —B.”
    â€œWhat is this?” I asked.
    â€œA note, from a girl I use ta see. Long time ago … back in fifth … She sent me a different note last week, wanted me to pop Nikki. Hehehe.”
    This was a new wrinkle. “Is this just to cover yourself, in case you got caught?”
    â€œI ain’t that crafty. It’s the truth! I said I’d think about it. I was still thinkin’ when Nikki got popped!”
    â€œWho sent it?”
    He stopped dead.
    â€œWho, Joey? Who was she?” But Joey wasn’t paying attention to me anymore. He was focused on the two burly kids coming up behind me. I turned to face them, just in time to be thrown aside like an old newspaper. They grabbed Joey and lifted him off the ground.
    â€œKevin needs to talk to you about something.”
    â€œNo … hehehe … guys …
noo!
Hehehe! I didn’t do nothin’! Guys! Hehehehe!”
    They dragged him off. He screamed and giggled thewhole time. Not one of his screams was the name of the girl who sent him the note.
    I picked myself up off the ground and ran after them, but it was too late. By the time I turned the corner, they had dragged him into the equipment shed on the other side of the playground, out of sight of the teachers and other students. A couple of moments later, Kevin came out of the shed. He looked pleased with himself, as if he had just removed a painful splinter.
    â€œHey, Matt. How’s it hangin’?”
    â€œStop, Kev! You’re taking out the wrong kid! Joey didn’t