of them went off with Big and Red to get some food. When they came back with bread, cheese, and fresh vegetables, one of the followers produced a cloth and they spread the food out, then sat around it.
âFlea, come and join us,â Yeshua called.
Flea felt as if he were being torn apart, with half of him wanting to accept Yeshuaâs invitation but the other half too proud. He went around the corner and sat down, hugging his knees with his back against the alley wall and the sound of people having fun burning inside him. What was wrong with him? The man had just cured Gaga and even that didnât impress him. There was just something about Yeshua, something that tried to draw you in. That was it! He wanted to draw you in, but to what?
âWhat are you doing?â a voice said. Flea looked up in surprise. The skinny girl who was always hanging around was standing in front of him. She was about Fleaâs height, with gangly, skinny limbs. Her tunic was even shabbier than Fleaâs. She had half a loaf of flatbread in one hand and an orange in the other.
âWhat does it look like?â Flea snapped.
âIt looks like youâre sulking,â the girl replied. âHere, want some bread?â Flea tried to wave her away.
âWhatâs going on?â she persisted. She pointed at the magician and said, âWhoâs that man?â
âDonât you know? Heâs only meant to be the Chosen One,â Flea said.
âWho chose him?â the girl asked.
Flea opened his mouth to answer, then realized he didnât know.
âIf you ask me, heâs trouble,â she went on. âI heard people talking about him. They said heâs come to the city to mess things up.â
âHow?â
A shrug.
âWell, if you donât know, thereâs no reason to hang around, is there?â Flea snarled.
âNo reason for you to, either,â the skinny girl said calmly. âWhy donât you come with me? You could have some bread. Iâll even give you a bit of orange.â
Fleaâs mouth watered but he said, âYou think I need your food? Anyway, Iâve got to stay here. Someone has to look out for the gang.â
The girl gave him a level look that made him hate her. Another shrug. âSee you, then,â she said, and walked off slowly.
But she had given Flea an idea. If he found out more about Yeshua, then he could go to the gang and tell them.
When Yeshua and his followers finally got up to leave, Flea hid. When Big and Little Big came looking for him, his heart liftedâfor a moment.
âThatâs it,â Big said. âYouâve just proved youâre a total loser.â
âYeah,â Little Big said. âLoser.â
âWhat do you mean, loser?â Flea protested. âYouâre the loser. Whoâs hanging out withââ
âJust shut up, Flea,â Big said. âNo one cares what you say. In fact, weâve decided to kick you out.â
âYou what?â
âWeâre kicking you out of the Temple Boys. Not that you were ever in the gang. You just bored us into letting you stay.â
âBut I do stuff. I get the water. Iââ
âYeah, you were useful, but now youâre not. Youâre just annoying. Weâre moving on and youâve made it clear what you think.â
âBut Iâm allowed to sayââ
âShut up.â
â⦠to sayâ¦â
Big picked up a stone and tossed it from hand to hand.
â⦠what I think.â
The stone thumped hard into the middle of Fleaâs chest and suddenly he was sitting down, feeling as if the air had been sucked from the world around him.
âButââ he managed to gasp.
âJust get out.â
Big picked up another stone and Flea staggered to his feet and out of the alley, folding his arms against the pain.
Â
12
It was the worst night of Fleaâs life. Worse than