Ace's Basement by Ted Staunton Read Free Book Online Page A

when someone yells, “Ace! Catch!” and what looks like a cutlet comes flying at me.
    In homeroom, someone says “Doom Master” in this deep voice and then rips a big belch. In first period, biology class, the teacher says something about a Heimlich maneuver and digestion, and the whole class breaks up. Except for me.
    By period two, I’m feeling totally alone. Denny is off being Denny somewhere. After last night, I’m not even going to look for Lisa. I’m walking to class when I feel my phone vibrate. It’s a message from Lisa: mus rm@ lunch k?
    My insides do a nosedive. If you thought I was feeling bad before, try me now. I feel as if I’m about to do a faceplant from fifty stories. This is it. I know it. This is when she’s going to tell me officially what I already know. Two is over. I’ve totally blown it. Oh man, why did I go and see her last night? Why did I have to make it worse? Why did I ever listen to Denny?
    I drag myself through period two, and then I make myself walk to the music room. I don’t think I’ve ever walked to the music room slowly before. The longer I take, the longer Lisa and I are still playing music together.
    I hear voices before I even get to the door. One of them is Lisa’s. “It’ll be so great,” she is saying, “…perfect timing…change everything!” She sounds happy it’s over . Oh, no.
    â€œExcellent,” says another voice. “That’ll be so cool.” It’s a guy’s voice.
    â€œSo tell everybody, okay?”
    â€œHey, for sure.” I know this voice. It’s a grade-eleven guy who’s a good bass player. I look in. Sure enough, he’s there, along with another guy who plays drums. It’s worse than I thought. Lisa has already started her next band. I’m backing away as she turns around. “Ace! Anyway, later,” she says to the guys.
    Yeah , I think, you can talk more about your new band after I’m gone . I start backing out again.
    Lisa runs over. “Where are you going? You just got here. Listen, I have to tell you something.” Now she’s all serious and intense.
    â€œSure.” My knees have turned to mashed potatoes. This must be a world record. I’m being dumped by a girl without ever having had her for my girlfriend.
    She flips her hair back the way she does and bites her lip. Then she says quickly, “Listen, um, sorry about last night. I just lost it, you know? With everything?” Her face is pink.
    â€œThat’s okay.” I’m thinking, Let’s get to the “you’re history” part. That way I’ll have time to eat lunch, throw it all up, get teased some more and still be in time to get beaten up in gym. Now that it’s happening to me, I don’t see why face-to-face is supposed to be so great for getting dumped. A quick text would make it easier for me to crawl away and die.
    But Lisa isn’t ready yet. She says, “Anyway, this morning I felt so rotten that I was going to ditch again, but then I got this message—”
    â€œAnd Rob your boyfriend said he was sorry,” I blurt, sounding sarcastic. And you promised him you wouldn’t do music with me anymore. At least I stop myself from saying that part.
    â€œWhat?” She tucks in her chin and gives me a look. “He’s never said he’s sorry in his life. Anyway, he doesn’t have anything to do with this.” She waves her hand. Her words are spilling on the floor, she’s talking so fast now.
    â€œSo, like I said, I got this message. It was a forward from Denny, and it was from this woman who’s a producer for Garden Avenue Kids .”
    â€œHuh?”
    â€œYou know, the TV show.”
    â€œOh, yeah.” I do know. It’s a pretty good show, for one that doesn’t have galactic death rays. It’s about some kids at a school like ours.
    Lisa is racing on, her voice getting