Resurrection Dreams Read Free Page A

applause from about half the kids in the room. Mr. Silverstein shook his head. He frowned at Ace as if debating whether to pursue the matter, apparently decided not to risk it, offered a lame, “Well, let’s all try to keep it down; this is a study hall, not a sideshow,” and went back to grading papers.
    Ace removed the sodden ball of paper from her mouth. She tossed it at Melvin Dobbs, who was sitting in the next row over, two desks up. It stuck to the back of his neck. Vicki tried to hold back her laugh. The air blew out her nose.
    Normally, she felt a certain amount of sympathy for Melvin. He was a weird kid, odd enough to make himself the target of choice for everyone in the mood to cause trouble. Vicki wished Ace had thrown the spitball at someone else, but she couldn’t help laughing.
    Melvin flinched when the wet glob struck his neck. He sat up straight, picked it off his skin, then carefully plucked the wad open and studied it.
    Oh great, Vicki thought.
    Melvin turned around. He stared at Ace with his bulgy, half-shut eyes. Then he balled up the paper. He sniffed it, licked his thick lips, and stuffed the paper into his mouth. He chewed it slowly, smiling a bit and rolling his eyes as if really savoring the taste. Finally, he swallowed.
    Vicki managed not to gag.
    When the bell rang, she joined up with Ace.
    Ace rolled her eyes, imitating Melvin. “You see him chew it down?”
    “I almost lost my breakfast.”
    “That guy is strange.”
    In the hallway on their way to the cafeteria, they saw Melvin ahead of them. He was walking stooped over, pumping vigorously with one arm while his other arm hung straight down with the weight of his briefcase. His pink shirt was untucked in the rear. It draped the seat of his gaudy plaid shorts.
    “Got another piece of paper?” Ace asked.
    “What for?”
    “Maybe he’d like a second helping.”
    Just then, Randy Montclair took a long sideways stride, cutting in front of Ace, and swatted the back of Melvin’s head. “Fucked up my appetite, you pig,” he said, and gave the kid another whack. Melvin cowered, but kept walking.
    Randy had been in study hall. Obviously, he’d watched Melvin devour the spitball.
    Doug, his buddy, skipped along beside him, laughing. “Give him another!”
    “Scum.” Randy slapped Melvin again.
    “Knock it off!” Vicki snapped.
    Still pursuing Melvin, he glanced over his shoulder. His lip curled out. “Butt out.”
    “Just leave him alone.”
    Ignoring her, he backhanded Melvin’s low head.
    Vicki shrugged out of her book bag. Holding it by the straps, she swung it at Randy. The loaded satchel slammed into his shoulder. He staggered sideways, knocking into Doug. They almost went down, but not quite.
    Then they were facing Vicki.
    They didn’t look happy.
    “Just leave him alone,” she said. “All right?”
    Scowling, Randy waved a fist in front of her nose.
    “Oh, I’m so scared.”
    But not much. Not with Ace beside her.
    “If you weren’t a girl, I’d knock your face in.”
    Doug looked as if he might echo his friend’s remark, but he glanced at Ace and kept his mouth shut.
    “Take a leap, guys,” Ace said.
    Randy’s scowl dissolved. He looked up at Ace. “Just tell Vicki to keep her nose outa my business.”
    Ace raised her eyebrows. “I didn’t hear the magic word.”
    Randy muttered something inaudible and stepped out of the way, shoving Doug as if all this were somehow Doug’s fault.
    Vicki and Ace left them behind.
    “Thanks,” Vicki said.
    “You owe me a Ding-dong.”
    “Only Twinkies today.”
    “A Twinkie will do just fine. You all of a sudden Melvin’s bodyguard or something?”
    “It was my note he ate.”
    “It was my spit.”
    “It makes him your blood-brother,” Vicki explained.
    “Gawd! Get a lobotomy, girl!”

Chapter Three
    On Saturday morning, Vicki’s father helped load her science project into the trunk, and drove her to the Community Center.
    The Spring Science Fair was one of the