The Fight for Kidsboro Read Free Page A

Valerie’s hands around my neck, ready to squeeze. I took a long breath, still not quite sure what I was going to say. I closed my eyes tightly. Sweat began to drip down my face. Not a sound came from the other four members of the council as I opened my eyes and let the word slide off my tongue.
    â€œNo.”

2

    DANGEROUS CHOICES
    I REMAINED SEATED AS EVERYONE filed out of the meeting hall past me. Nelson looked at me the way a priest would look at a man who was about to be executed. He adjusted his glasses and put his hand on my shoulder as if to say, “Bless you, my son,” and that he’d pray for my soul. Scott, being my best friend, probably thought he should be supportive, and so he said, “The town thanks you.” Then he went to his clubhouse, obviously forgetting that he was supposed to go walk the dog. Jill smiled as if she just might have a homicide to report in the next edition of the newspaper. Alice offered her protection. I think she was joking, but I’m not sure.
    As I left the meeting hall, I expected Valerie to jump around the corner immediately, but she didn’t. This frightened me. I figured I would be okay as long as I could look her in the eye. But if she lurked in the shadows, I’d probably go nuts. Maybe she knew this. Maybe her plan was to drive me crazy by not acting. It would certainly cause everyone in town to wonder whether they should have a mayor who was insane. Then, when she had everyone thinking I should be locked up, she would take over. That was probably her plan … and it was working rather well so far.

    My stomach was in knots, so I walked to Whit’s End to get something to drink.
    â€œHello, Ryan,” Mr. Whittaker said from behind the counter.
    â€œHi, Mr. Whittaker.”
    â€œIs something wrong?” he asked.
    â€œWhy?”
    â€œYou look a little pale.”
    â€œMy stomach hurts.”
    â€œAre you sick?”
    â€œNo,” I said, “but I may be dying.”
    â€œWhat?”
    He made me sit down and spill the whole story of Valerie and Ashley and the city council vote. He smiled and said, “You made the right choice, even though it could make things difficult for you. I wish all of our political leaders had your standard of ethics. So, who are you going to nominate next?”
    I hadn’t thought about that. Since Ashley didn’t get in, I had to come up with a new candidate for citizenship. I had a few ideas off the top of my head.
    â€œI’ve been thinking about Larry Mankowicz.” He was a track star at Odyssey Middle School—a very popular guy who would put Kidsboro on the map just by being there. “Also, Mary Burgess,” I said. Mary was the second prettiest girl in our school, in my opinion, next to Valerie.
    â€œOh … okay,” Mr. Whittaker said, bowing his head and suddenly becoming very interested in cleaning a glass. He knew both of these people, and though he didn’t say it, I could tell he disapproved of my choices. I saw him glance over to one of the booths, and I followed his look. Sitting in the corner by himself was Roberto Santana. I barely knew him, though I knew he had moved to Odyssey from the Dominican Republic about two years earlier. He didn’t appear to have many friends. I knew what Mr. Whittaker wanted me to do, though he refused to say it. I felt a little ashamed. I was picking people based on what they could do for Kidsboro, not for what Kidsboro could do for them.
    â€œI catch your drift,” I told Mr. Whittaker.
    â€œWhat?” he said innocently.
    I smiled and left. I had to get council approval.

    â€œThere he is,” I said to Scott as we ate lunch in the school cafeteria. I pointed to Roberto, sitting alone at the very last table. He was eating at lightning speed so he could run to the library, where he could be by himself and not have everybody staring at the kid who was sitting alone. He did that every