Edenville Owls

Chapter 16

“What about basketball?” Russell said.

All five of us were squeezed into a booth at the Village Shop, drinking Orange Crush.

“The weather’s so crappy,” I said, “we won’t be able to practice much anyway. We know our plays. We can do our wind sprints on our own. And we can play the games on Saturday morning.”

“What about Miss Delaney telling us not to get involved?” Billy said.

“We gotta,” I said. “She’s in trouble and she’s got nobody to help her.”

“Geez,” Nick said. “You sound like Boston Blackie.”

“The other day in class,” I said. “You saw how she was all beat up.”

“Maybe she really did fall down the stairs,” Manny said.

I shook my head. “No,” I said. “She needs help. You guys can help or not. But I’m going to do something.”

“Anybody else know about this?” Russell asked.

“Joanie,” I said.

“Joanie Gibson?” Nick said.

“Yeah.”

“That means Nick is ready to go,” Russell said.

Billy and Manny laughed. Nick didn’t say anything. Neither did I.

“So, who’s in?” Russell said.

“Me,” Manny answered.

Billy nodded.

“I’m in,” he said.

“You in, Nick?” Russell said.

“Sure,” Nick said.

“Hell,” Russell said. “It’s unanimous. Owls Detective Agency on the job... We’ll win the tourney and save Miss Delaney.”

We spent most of the rest of the afternoon planning our strategy. It was fun. Like war games when we were little kids. Or cops and robbers. And the fact that it was real and not a game made it more fun. When we got through and left the Village Shop, Nick and I dropped back from the other three.

“You trying to cut me out with Joanie?” Nick said.

“She says she’s not your girlfriend,” I said.

“I say she is,” Nick said.

“Well,” I said, “she’s not my girlfriend.”

“So what is she?”

“My friend,” I answered.

“She’s a girl,” Nick said.

“I like her,” I said. “She’s smart and she’s funny and she’s nice.”

“Yeah, and she’s my girl,” Nick said. “I want you to stay away from her.”

“I don’t want to be her boyfriend,” I told him.

I wasn’t so sure of that, in fact. I’d never been anyone’s boyfriend, and I wasn’t sure what it would mean to be one.

“Well, just keep it that way,” Nick said.

“But I’ll still be her friend,” I said.

Nick nodded.

“Like I said,” he answered.