the real deal with Warriors of Distinction and the school?â Kofi whispered, looking around to make sure that no Warriors were close enough to hear him.
âWell, itâs not officially school sponsored anymoreâsome business in the community decided to sponsor them a few years back, I heard,â Jericho explained. âBut only Douglass kids are members, and they always get a Douglass teacher to help them out.â
âDoesnât matter,â Josh declared breezily. âTheyâve been around for like a million yearsâalmost as long as this old, rusty school has been here.â
âSo how do they get over with the principal and teachers if theyâre not really a school club?â Kofi continued.
âIâve seen the principal, Mr. Zucker, wear his old Warrior jacket to school sometimes, so I know he was a member of the Warriors when he went to school hereâseveral of the teachers, too,â Josh offered. âEven my dad was a Warrior!â
âYeah, yeah, we know.â Jericho then said thoughtfully, âIâve seen the Warriors around at school stuff, at Open House and Homecoming and Teacher Appreciation Day.They show up and look good, doing stuff for the school like showing parents around or passing out apples to the teachers, and the school has always given them perks.â
âLike what?â Kofi asked.
âLike they get their schedules fixed so they have no afternoon classes. And they get trusted with keys to things that no other student has access toâthe faculty lounge, the student store, the supply room. And who ends up working in the office in the computer room where report card records are kept? Warriors of Distinction!â Then he lowered his voice. âIâve heard kids talkinâ about grades being changed. I donât know how they do it, but Iâd love to have that kind of power.â
âI heard theyâve got the answers to every teacherâs final exam!â Josh exclaimed.
âIs that, like, possible?â Kofi asked.
âAnd did you ever notice the hottest girls in school seem to hang with the Warriors?â Jericho asked, thinking of Arielle.
âWell, sign me up, dude!â Josh declared cheerily.
âYou ever been to one of their parties?â Kofi asked in a whisper.
âNot hardly. I know some kids who did, though,â Jericho told them. âAll the way live!â
Josh finished the last of his chocolate-chip cookies. âWhere you think they get those jackets, man? They wear the silk ones when they want to look slick, and the leather ones when they want to look tight. Either way, Iâd look
too
good in one of those!â
âI hear they got connections. Goes way back, I hear,âJericho answered vaguely. Since everybody at school talked about the Warriors all the time, it was hard to tell what was real and what was made up. Not all the whispers about the Warriors were good.
âAw, you canât believe everything you hear, man,â Kofi told them. âBut Iâd take that kinda hookup if itâs for real.â
âI can see how theyâd ask you twoâKofi, youâre the computer genius, and Josh, youâre good at sports and just about everything else, but I canât believe they asked me, too,â Jericho admitted quietly.
âAw, quit dissinâ yourself,â Kofi told him. âThe Warriors know whoâs got it together. And I bet Arielle figures it out too!â
âFor real, though, the only way I can get a girl like Arielle to speak to me is if I need to borrow a pencil in class.â
âRelax, man. I bet sheâll be sharpening your pencils before you know it,â Josh said with a chuckle. âThis is so awesome! I canât wait to tell Dad.â
âYeah,â Kofi said. âHeâll think itâs pretty cool that his pinhead son finally did something right! Hey Jericho, didnât your dad go