52 - How I Learned to Fly (2 page)

But I trudged across the lawn to rescue Morty.

“Even Wilson’s dog wins all the time,” I grumbled. “Morty and I are losers.
Total losers.”

“Hey, guys, I’ve got to go home!” Mia jumped on her bike. “Don’t forget about
my birthday party on Saturday!”

“I’ll be there!” Wilson told her. “And I’m going to bring Terminator. He has
a surprise for you.”

I groaned.

“Are you coming to my party, Jack?” Mia smiled brightly at me.

“Well—maybe…” I tried to come up with a fast excuse.

I
hate
parties.

Don’t get me wrong. I like to see my friends—but not at parties. I never
really have fun at them—especially if there are party games. I hate to play
party games. Especially if Wilson is there.

“I… uh… may have to go somewhere with my parents,” I lied. “I think I
promised I’d go with them. And then I promised my dad I’d help clean out the
basement.”

“You did that last week,” Wilson declared. “Remember—I had to help you drag
out the trash can. It was too heavy for you.”

“Well, we didn’t finish,” I said, thinking quickly. I’m such a terrible liar.

Mia grasped the gold heart around her neck. “You have to come, Jack. The
party doesn’t start till six. I really want you to come.”

“Well… I’ll try,” I told her.

“Great, Jack. See you!” Mia hopped on her bike and pedaled up the hill toward
her house.

Should I go? I asked myself, heading up my driveway.

Mia said she really wants me to come.

So should I forget how much I hate parties—and go?

Yes, I decided.

Yes. Maybe I’ll actually have fun.

Yes!

So… on Saturday night, I went to Mia’s party.

And wouldn’t you know it—it ruined my life forever!

Mia’s house is two blocks up the hill from mine. Her house juts out on
stilts. It’s kind of dangerous—especially when we have mud slides. But she has
an amazing view of the ocean down below.

I stepped up to Mia’s front door. I felt really nervous.

For one thing, I’d never met Mia’s new stepmother. Mia spends half the year
with her real mother in Brentwood. And the other half here in Malibu with her
dad and new stepmother.

“Come on in! It’s so nice to meet you. I’m Angela Montez,” Mia’s stepmother
greeted me at the door. “Everyone’s been waiting for you!”

“Really?” I asked. “For me?”

“Really!” Mrs. Montez exclaimed.

Mia’s stepmom had the most beautiful smile. I liked her right away.

I followed her to the rec room doorway. She waved to Mia across the room. “Mia—look who’s finally here,” she called.
“Wilson!”

“Angela—that’s not Wilson. That’s Jack!” Mia called back.

“Oh. Sorry, Jack.” Mrs. Montez patted me on the shoulder. “Well, have a nice
time anyway.”

Mia grabbed my arm and tugged me forward. The room was jammed with kids. We
pushed our way through the crowd.

Red streamers hung from the ceiling. Red is Mia’s favorite color. I spotted
my friends Ray and Ethan in the crowd. They were opening plastic bags filled
with red balloons.

“Hey—Jack. Help us blow these things up,” Ray called.

“Okay. Be right there.” I liked Ethan and Ray. They were great guys. Fun to
hang out with.

I handed Mia her birthday present. I wanted to give her something she would
really, really like. I had walked around the mall for hours searching for just
the right thing.

“Thanks, Jack. I can’t wait to open it!” Mia said, gazing at the red stars on
the wrapping paper. “Look! The paper matches my outfit!” Mia pointed to the red
stars on her white T-shirt and leggings.

Mia liked the wrapping paper. That made me feel pretty good.

Ray and Ethan tossed over some balloons—the long kind—and we started
blowing them up.

After we blew up about fifty of them, we batted them through the air. One
after another. Real fast. A storm of red balloons whirled over our heads.

The kids went wild. Leaping up. Batting them back.

“Over here, Jack!” they screamed. “Hit some over here!”

It was cool.

Then Wilson walked in.

“Hey, everyone. Watch this!” He snatched two balloons in flight. He twisted
them so fast, his hands moved in a blur. “Ta-da!” He held his creation over his
head for everyone to see.

It was the figure of a man—with huge ears, stubby legs, and a fat belly. It
looked exactly like our gym teacher, Mr. Grossman.

“Hey! It’s The Gross Man!” one of the kids yelled out.

Everyone laughed.

“Awesome, Wilson!” Mia’s friend Kara shouted.

“Isn’t Wilson a riot?” Mia said to me. “He can do
anything
.”

“Yeah,” I said, slinking back into the corner of the room. “He’s a real
riot.”

“Make something else!” Mia clapped.

Wilson grabbed some balloons and made a pig with antlers.

And a tiny elephant with a four-foot trunk.

And an enormous chicken.

Everyone went crazy over that chicken.

I was almost glad when Mia announced it was time to play Twister. Almost.

I hate Twister. I told you—I hate all party games.

Everyone cleared the center of the room so Mia could set the game out.

I shrank farther back into my corner. I eased myself down to the floor. I did
it slowly so no one would notice me.

“Jackie!” Wilson dove over the playing mat and yanked me up. “It’s time to
see if you can beat the champ!”

Wilson is great at Twister. Of course.

“Uh, Wilson. I don’t really feel like playing.” I wrestled free of his grip.
“I’ll spin the spinner so everyone else can play.”

“Not necessary, Jack.” Wilson’s mouth spread into the widest grin I’d ever
seen.

I knew that grin meant trouble.

He placed his fingers in his mouth and let out a shrill whistle. Terminator
bounded into the room.

“Spin, boy!” Wilson ordered the dog.

Terminator trotted over to the spinner on the floor. He gave it a hard nudge
with his nose—and it spun.

Everyone cheered.

“Let’s see him
read
it!” I mumbled under my breath.

Mia heard me. “Wilson will probably teach him that next week!” She laughed.

“Right hand red!” someone called out.

Everyone dove for the mat.

Wilson got there first. Of course.

Terminator spun.

“Left foot blue.” Mia announced the next move.

Only two moves and we were all a tangled mess. Wilson’s position was secure.
He’s fast. He always finds the easiest spot to land on first.

I’m not that fast.

I had to stretch my left leg way back—over Ray’s head—to reach a blue
dot.

I felt a sharp pain in my side.

Please, don’t let me fall,
I prayed.
I don’t want to be the first one
out. If I am—Wilson will never let me forget it.

My palms began to sweat.

Three kids had their legs draped over my right arm. I felt my hand slipping
off the red dot.

My elbow sagged.

I tried to stiffen it, but it wouldn’t stay. It slowly sagged some more.

Wilson craned his neck to see me. “Jack’s elbow is touching!” he yelled.

“No, it isn’t!” Ethan came to my defense. “Spin, Terminator!”

Terminator spun.

Right foot yellow.

Yellow. Yellow. I searched frantically for a yellow circle. I spotted one.

I hoisted my leg up and over Ray’s back.

And that’s when I heard the
riiiip.

My shorts split wide open.

I froze.

“Superman boxers underneath! Cooool!” Wilson hooted.

Everyone laughed.

I glanced over at Mia. She had her head tossed back, laughing like a maniac.

My face burned red.

I jumped up from the game—and staggered from the room.

“Wait, Jack!” Mia chased after me. “Don’t go!”

No way I was going to stay.

No way.

I felt totally humiliated.

Mia caught up to me and blocked the door. “Please?” she asked softly. “Please
stay?”

Could I say no?

Of course not.

Mrs. Montez gave me a pair of Mia’s brother’s shorts to wear, and I returned
to the rec room.

Everyone was seated at a long table, eating hot dogs. I had to take the only
chair left—next to Wilson.

I lifted up my hot dog. I opened my mouth to take a bite.

“Whoa. Wait a minute!” Wilson pushed my hand away from my mouth. “You call
that
a hot dog?”

He held his hot dog next to mine. He had a foot-long hot dog. TWICE as big as
my regular one.

He threw back his head and howled. Then he gulped down his hot dog in two
bites.

He grinned that big, horrible, Wilson grin.

He was driving me CRAZY.

A gross glob of mustard stuck to the corner of his mouth. I wanted to wipe it
across his face.

Should I do it? I asked myself. Should I give him a mustard bath?

Before I could move, Mia announced it was time to open the presents. Wilson
jumped up and headed into the living room—where the presents sat, piled high.
Everyone followed.

Mia opened Kara’s present first—a bunch of hair scrunchies with red hearts.
Then she opened Ray and Ethan’s present. A butterfly jigsaw puzzle—with over a
thousand pieces.

Mia reached for my present next.

I held my breath.

She carefully untied the red ribbon. Then she ripped the paper open—and
gasped.

“Ohhh, Jack!” she exclaimed. “How did you know I wanted this one?” She held
up my present for everyone to see. “It’s the new CD from my favorite group—Purple Rose.”

I knew she would love it.

“Thank you, Jack!” She set my present down on a table beside her. She reached for the next one. An envelope—just an
envelope. No gift.

“That’s mine,” Wilson leaned over and whispered to me.

I can’t believe Wilson only brought Mia a card, I thought as I watched her
tear open the flap. Only a card for her birthday. What kind of present is that?

Mia stared into the envelope for a moment. Then she screamed. “Oh, wow! Oh,
wow! Oh, wow!”

She held up Wilson’s present.

Two tickets.

Two tickets to the Purple Rose concert at the Hollywood Bowl next month.

Front row seats.

“Oh, wow!” she shrieked again. “This is totally awesome!”

Wilson shot me his big Wilson grin.

I couldn’t take it any longer. I let out a furious scream—and ran out of
the house.

I ran down the path from Mia’s house as fast as I could.

Ran down the dark road. A single street lamp cast a weak glow over the
houses. Trees and shrubs poked over the path as if reaching for me.

I didn’t know where I was going—and I didn’t care. I just had to get away
from the party.

“Stop, Jack! Come back!” I heard Mia call.

I glanced back and saw Mia charging after me. Ray, Ethan, and Kara were
chasing me too.

I didn’t slow down. I followed the winding path down the hill. I ran right
past my house and kept on running.

“Jack! Come back!” Mia shouted.

I shot another glance over my shoulder. They were catching up.

I ran harder. Past some darkened houses that were set back in the hill,
hidden behind trees.

I picked up speed as the road continued to curve downward. Practically flying down now. My toes jammed against the front
of my sneakers as I ran. I couldn’t stop if I wanted to.

I ran until the road leveled out at the bottom of the hill—where a fence
stretched out for miles, separating the beach from the road.

I darted across the road and charged through the fence.

“Jack! Jack!” My friends’voices drifted down the hillside, over the steady
roar of the ocean in front of me.

I peered up and down the stretch of beach. Staring at house after house. They
sprawled out on the high part of the beachfront, with steps that led down to the
sand. Lights from the houses washed over the sand, making the beach bright and
silvery.

No place to hide.

No place…

Suddenly, an idea flashed into my mind.

The abandoned Dorsey house. I could hide there. The Dorsey house used to be
one of the most beautiful beach houses in Malibu. But no one had lived in it in
years. Just a big, old wreck now. A great place to hide!

“Jack! Where are you?” Mia’s voice floated over the fence.

Better hurry. Before they catch up.

I ran down the beach, past houses with swimming pools and tennis courts. I ran and ran—and finally, I came to the
Dorsey house.

I stopped and stared at it. What a wreck!

The wide, two-story house once had a long awning that stretched all along the
deck. But the awning had fallen from its poles. The torn canvas lay heaped on
the deck, flapping in the ocean breeze.

I stepped carefully. Several boards were missing from the deck. Others were
cracked and broken.

I leaped over a hole and made my way to the door. I turned the knob.

The wooden door had swollen from the constant wetness. I had to ram my
shoulder against it to get it to open. I ducked inside.

“Jack! Where are you?” Ray’s voice rang out from the side of the house.

I quietly closed the door behind me.

An aroma of rotting wood and sour mold greeted me. I squinted in the
darkness, trying to figure out what room I was in.

I stood in an entranceway. Beyond it, in front of me, was a living room. Two
chairs with ripped seat cushions stood against one wall. The back wall of the
room was completely made of glass. Outside I could see the dark ocean waves
crashing against the shore.

To the left was a kitchen. To the right, a long hall. That’s where the bedrooms probably are, I thought, as I made my way
slowly toward them, leaning one hand on the damp wall.

“Jaaack. Jaaack.” My friends’shouts drifted through the closed windows. But
they were fading now. Distant.