The Nerdy Dozen Read Free Page B

again,” Jake said as he rushed upstairs. “That was awesome.”
    Neil smiled and set the controller down next to the television. Maybe his mom was right after all. This weekend might actually be fun.
    Tommy was the only one still in the basement. “Nice job,” he said, his voice dangerously low.
    â€œThanks,” Neil muttered, slipping around him.
    â€œOh, Neandertol, one more thing . . .”
    â€œYeah?” Neil turned, only to catch Tommy’s fist swinging into his stomach, knocking the wind out of him. Neil dropped to one knee, bracing himself on a small end table as he gasped for air.
    â€œLooks like in real life you’re still a loser.” On his way to the stairs, Tommy noticed Neil’s backpack half open against the wall. Smiling maliciously, he held his foot over the bag and stomped it with a sickening crunch.
    â€œOops.” He smirked.
    Then he ran upstairs, taking the steps two at a time.
    Neil walked over slowly to survey the damage, clutching his stomach. Peeling back the zipper, he saw what he feared most—chunks of headgear littering his bag.
    Sighing, he slung the backpack over his shoulder and crept upstairs to peer out the basement doorway. The hallway was empty. He eyed a sliding glass door across from him and edged toward it, pausing once he’d opened it partway. Tommy and the others were in the kitchen.
    Neil wasn’t sure what kind of trouble he’d get into for leaving the sleepover so early, or what Tommy’s brother would tell his mom when he realized Neil was missing. Maybe, Neil hoped, he wouldn’t say anything. As Neil stood there wondering how he could survive three days alone and what kinds of punishment he could expect on Monday, he distinctly heard the words veggie pizza .
    Well, that seals the deal . Neil shrugged and slipped out into the dark night.

A LIGHT RAIN HAD FALLEN, LEAVING THE AIR HEAVY AND moist under a sliver of moon. Neil’s shoes flicked water onto the black asphalt of the street as he hurried away from Tommy’s house.
    Under a buzzing streetlight, he adjusted his backpack, groaning at the sounds of the expensive headgear confetti shifting back and forth at the bottom of his bag. What could he possibly tell his mom when she returned from Janey’s competition on Monday?
    The backpack was ravaged by wild animals. . . . There was a science mishap. . . . You see, there’s a secret organization of crooked-teeth enthusiasts. . . . His mother would see right through any of these, but the truth was out of the question. Tommy had cultivated an angelic reputation among the neighborhood’s mothers, thanks to his habit of calling them “ma’am” and a thorough knowledge of household uses for Coca-Cola. He was untouchable.
    Neil walked slowly, dodging earthworms that had crept up during the rain. The roads were empty, with only the sound of crickets filling the night air. Neil’s head bobbed with his gangly strides. His shoes scuffed and scraped the street as he kicked at a small rock.
    With his mom at his sister’s competition, Neil had three days to develop a believable story. But it would need to be foolproof. While most of his mother’s punishments revolved around chores and forced outdoor time, something this bad might push her to ban all electronics from Neil’s life. A fate worse than death. Neil wondered how far it was to Tyler’s grandma’s house. Tyler could at least help him come up with a believable excuse.
    Neil rounded the corner to his street as a pair of headlights appeared behind him. He veered to the right, leaving space for the car to pass. Neil was just starting to contemplate the phenomenon of “orthodontic heat lightning” when he realized that the car was still rolling ten yards behind him. Neil turned to his left and waved for the vehicle to go by, shuffling sideways.
    The car came to a stop, its headlights