Stuffed by Eric Walters Read Free Book Online

out?
    â€œFrankie’s will provide lunch for every single person in your entire high school…on Friday the 13th.”
    â€œThat’s the day of the boycott,” Julia said.
    â€œWhat better way to show everybody that Frankie’s food is not only
fast
food, but
fine
food.”
    â€œThat is brilliant,” my father said admiringly.
    â€œNo it isn’t!” Julia snapped. “That is so slimy!”
    â€œOh, it’s both,” my father said. “Brilliant and slimy. Is this your idea?” he asked Mr. Evans.
    â€œI’m afraid I can’t take all the credit. Of course there is one catch,” Mr. Evans continued.
    â€œThere’s always a catch,” my mother said. “Go on.”
    â€œIn response to our generous offer, we are asking that your son send an e-mail explaining what is going to happen. He must also ask everybody to send out e-mails the same way they did about the boycott.”
    â€œSo let me get this straight,” I said. “If I just send out an e-mail, you’ll give lunch to fifteen hundred kids at my school?”
    â€œThat is correct.”
    â€œAnd if I don’t?”
    â€œThen I’m afraid we can’t provide the lunch,” Mr. Evans said. “We can’t look like we’re trying to undercut your efforts to boycott us. That would be unethical.”
    â€œBut you are trying to undercut and you are being unethical!” Julia said. “You’re trying to bribe us!”
    â€œBribe is such an awful word,” Mr. Evans said. “I’m just trying to help you form an opinion.”
    â€œLook,” I said, “even if I wanted to, what makes you think I could stop the boycott?”
    â€œYeah, it’s like he lit a match, but now it’s a gigantic forest fire. Do you really think hecan stop it just by sending another e-mail?” Julia asked.
    â€œMaybe. Maybe not. All we want is for you to try. And I guess I should also mention one other fact. As we speak there are representatives of Frankie’s meeting with your principal, vice-principal and student council to put this same offer of a free lunch before them.”
    â€œSo part of the reason for
this
meeting was to get us here instead of at the school,” my father said.
    Mr. Evans didn’t answer.
    â€œSo, do we have a deal?” Mr. Evans asked.
    â€œUnbelievable,” I muttered under my breath.
    â€œI don’t understand,” Mr. Evans said.
    â€œThe whole thing is unbelievable. First you try to threaten me. Then you try to bribe me. And now you do the two together, trying to bribe me and threatening me if I don’t take the bribe.”
    â€œI don’t like to think of it in those terms,” he said.
    â€œThat’s because you’re a lawyer,” I said.
    â€œSo are you turning down the offer?” Mr. Evans asked.
    I looked at my parents for advice.
    â€œSorry, Ian,” my mother said, “but this is up to you. You started things and you have to decide how to finish them.”
    â€œWell?” Mr. Evans asked.
    â€œWell, I’m not going to answer…not yet…I have to consider what to do.”
    â€œTake all the time you want,” Mr. Evans said. “The deal is on the table until close of business in two days.”

Chapter Eleven
    â€œIan!”
    I heard my name being called out but didn’t stop or turn around. If I ignored whoever it was, maybe they’d go away.
    I’d spent the whole morning with people coming up to me and thanking me for the free Frankie’s lunch that was coming because of me. Or they were telling me they were “with me” in supporting the boycott and they were upset Frankie’s was trying to bribe us with aburger. The student council had done a pretty good job of letting everybody in the whole school know about the free lunch offer.
    I kept walking, eyes forward, down the hall, putting kids and classrooms between me