Earthman Jack vs. The Ghost Planet by Matthew Kadish Read Free Book Online

lead, but it seemed as though she was
taking the opening, as well.  As Jack started to lead her away, Jimbo stepped
in front of him, blocking their path.
    “Uh-uh,” said J.C.  “Me and Anna-bell still got stuff to
talk about, Loser.”
    “No, we don’t,” said Anna, turning to face J.C.  “I don’t
know how to make it any clearer to you, J.C.  I’m not going to the dance – with
you, or anybody.”
    “Hey, what’s your problem?” scowled J.C., incredulously. 
“Ever since you got here, you act like you’re too good for us or something.  I
was trying to do you a favor by asking you out.”
    “Thank you for your interest,” she replied, “but I don’t
need anybody doing me any favors.”
    J.C.’s face darkened.  “What’s up with you?” he asked. 
“Here I am, trying to be nice, and you just throw it back in my face.  Just so
you know, if you weren’t a girl, I’d have probably beaten you down by now.”
    “Seriously, I can’t see why she isn’t already in love with
you, Prince Charming,” said Jack as dryly as he could.
    Anna turned to Jack, her deep blue eyes catching his and
drilling into them.  “Jack,” she said.  “Please, be quiet. ”
    Jack’s heart felt like it skipped a beat.  She knows my
name! he thought, happily.
    Anna turned back to J.C.  “I appreciate you trying to be
nice to me, but I’m sorry, I’m not interested in going to the dance.  I don’t
know how I can make it any clearer.”
    J.C. looked around him, uncomfortably aware that the scene
was drawing people’s attention.
    “It doesn’t matter,” he said rather loudly.  “I didn’t
really want to go with you anyway.  I was just trying to do the new girl a
favor.  But if you want to be a loser, and hang out with losers, then you go
right ahead you stupid, stuck-up, ugly, little b—”
    Suddenly, Jack’s fist shot out, connecting square with
J.C.’s face.  J.C.’s head snapped back from the blow, and his hand instantly
went to his nose.
    All sound drained out of the cafeteria as if the punch had
been as loud as a thunderclap - silencing the entire student body.  It seemed
as if everyone were looking at what had just happened in complete shock. 
    Moose, Kev, and Jimbo were shocked. 
    Anna was shocked. 
    J.C. was shocked. 
    But probably no one was more shocked than Jack himself, who
stood gazing at his fist in utter disbelief.  Jack looked up and saw blood
beginning to well in J.C.’s left nostril, and from the look in the
upperclassman’s eyes, Jack instantly knew that he’d made a terrible, horrible
mistake.
    “Oh… crap,” he said.
    J.C. pounced on Jack, growling like an angry beast.  His
hands went right for Jack’s throat as the two boys collapsed onto the floor. 
Anna shrieked.  Jack struggled with J.C.’s overpowering weight on top of him,
but he had no leverage.  He was pinned down, and above him, J.C. was cocking
back his fist to begin pummeling him into oblivion.
    Then Anna was on J.C.’s back – restraining him, trying to
pull him off.
    “Stop it!” she yelled.
    Oblivious to her pleas, J.C. shoved Anna off him violently. 
Anna hit the floor hard, bumping her head against the wall, the sight of which
triggered something in Jack again.  He tried punching J.C. in the face, but
with being pinned on the floor, his blows did not have much power.  J.C.’s fist
landed hard, but Jack continued flailing away.  In the distant background, he
could hear the mob of kids, once silent, now chanting in unison – “FIGHT! 
FIGHT!  FIGHT!  FIGHT!”
    J.C. was able to land two more blows before Mr. Harwood and
Ms. Jefferson made it to them and pulled him off.
    Jack rolled over, his right ear ringing from J.C.’s
punches.  He looked up to see Anna, still on the ground where J.C. had shoved
her, cradling the back of her head.  Their eyes met, and to Jack’s
disappointment, it was obvious Anna appeared more annoyed than grateful or
impressed.  Jack wanted to say something