The Unearthed: Book One, The Eddie McCloskey Series by Evan Ronan Read Free Book Online Page A

with worse odds.
    “Shotgun,” Eddie said. Shotgun was better than the back when you were sick.
    “How old are you?” Moira asked.
    “He just got his wisdom teeth,” Tim said.

Nine
     
    Bill y couldn’t believe it was happening two days in a row. Nobody else got it this bad. Ryan Kenner had it out for him.
    “Did you wet the bed again?”
    Billy didn’t know what Kenner was talking about.
    “Did you watch The Lion King and get scaredy-wheredy?”
    Billy still didn’t follow.
    Kenner pushed him. “Maybe your folks are tired of you sleeping in the bed with them.”
    Then Billy put it together.
    Kenner knew his parents had called those ghost people for help.
    Shit.
    He tried to put some steel in his voice, like Jason Statham. “I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about.”
    Kenner was unimpressed. “Did you tell Mommy and Daddy about yesterday?”
    “No.”
    This time Kenner gave him a good shove. Billy wasn’t ready for it. He went reeling ass-first into the dirt.
    Even worse, a crowd was forming. Everybody staring at him. Yesterday didn’t even compare to this, because of the added public humiliation.
    “Then why’d I get called into the principal’s office this morning?”
    “I didn’t say anything.” Billy couldn’t believe Mom had called the school.
    “Get up, you little shit,” Kenner said.
    Billy stayed put. Maybe Kenner would just leave him alone.
    Kenner took his eyes off Billy to address the crowd. “You see? He’s a little fucking pussy that runs home to tell his parents when he gets hurt playing a game.”
    Billy felt the eyes of the school on him. Cell phones snapped pictures. This would be all over MySpace before the final bell.
    He wondered where the hell the three teacher aides were. Their only job was to make sure nothing happened during recess.
    His eyes betrayed him. They welled with tears.
    Kenner taunted him, playing to the crowd. Every insult stung like the crack of a whip. Time slowed down. Everybody laughed at him. He heard Kenner’s voice as if he were coming from very far away.
    This wasn’t going to end. Even if it did today, even if the teacher aides intervened, this wasn’t going to stop.
    He got angry. He’d never been this angry before in his life. His chest was on fire. It was all so unfair. What had he ever done to deserve this?
    He wished he had brought the knife. He wished he could kill Kenner. He realized that It was right, right about a lot of things. He could have used the knife to scare the shit out of Kenner, and if Kenner had been dumb enough to come after him, and if something happened to him, oh well. It wouldn’t be Billy’s fault. He was only protecting himself.
    He wanted to knife all those sons of bitches in the crowd, too. All those motherfuckers. All those assholes laughing at him. They wouldn’t be laughing if they were in his position.
    Billy fine-tuned his focus till he shut out the crowd and could only see Kenner. He forgot he was at school.
    Kenner was still addressing the crowd, continually turning so as to take everyone in. The other kids had formed a tight circle around them.
    The laughter echoed.
    Kenner gave Billy his back and raised his arms triumphantly, coaxing every last cheer out of the crowd. Billy couldn’t even hear what he was saying. Couldn’t even hear himself think.
    But he could still feel.
    He had nothing left to lose. He already looked a coward.
    Kenner still had his back to him.
    This was his only chance.
    He sprang up. The only way to win was through surprise.
    He kicked Kenner as hard as he could in the lower back. Kenner shot forward, tripped on something, and face-planted in the dirt. He grabbed where Billy had kicked him and yelled in pain.
    Billy didn’t stop there. A stunned silence fell over the crowd. Nobody had ever put Kenner down before.
    So Billy kept kicking. Harder and harder. Kenner writhed under him, tried to roll away, but Billy’s foot was relentless. Even when he hit Kenner awkwardly,