3

   “Whatchya looking at?”
   Peter jumped and turned, wide-eyed, back to Randy. “Oh. Just that old farmer.” He turned back, but the bus had gone around a bend. He looked at Randy. “Just some creepy looking guy who was starting at the bus.”
   “So, what grade are you in?” Randy asked.
   “Fifth,” Peter said.
   “Hey, me too. Doug’s in Sixth.”
   “Hey, Randoug,” a large boy across the aisle said.
   Randy turned around and looked at the boy for a moment and then sat back down into his seat.
   “Heh heh,” the large boy said. “Randoug. It’s Randoug!” He pointed at the two Johnson boys. A boy in front of him laughed.
   “Shut up,” Randy said under his breath.
   “Randoug,” the boy repeated. “They’re Randoug.”
   “What’s your name?” Peter said.
   The boy stared at him for a moment with his mouth hanging open. “Uh. Wes.”
   “What about you?” Peter asked the other boy who had been laughing.
   “Scott.” The boy squinted at him.
   “So. You’re Wesscott then. Hey, look! It’s Wesscott.”
   “SHUT UP!” Wes roared as he came out of his seat and grabbed Peter by the collar.
   “Sit down!” the bus driver said over the intercom.
   Wes looked back over his shoulder toward the front of the bus, his left hand gripping Peter’s collar and his right hand balled into a fist and drawn back to his ear.
   “Sit down!”
   Wes let go and slumped back into his seat. “You’re dead new kid,” he said without looking at Peter.
   “My name’s Peter,” Peter said. “Pleased to meet you Wesscott.”
   Wes punched the back of the seat in front of him hard. Peter gulped and looked back out the window, not quite sure what had gotten into him. It must have been his mood. He didn’t usually pick fights. But he was in a sour mood from having to move to podunk-ville and it had just come out.
   When the bus finally pulled up in front of the school Peter hung back, waiting for the other kids to get off first. Fortunately, Wes and Scott had not seemed inclined to want to wait for him right at that minute. He supposed they would just find him in an alley at some point and kill him when they were alone—there being too many witnesses right now and all.
   He watched as they moved off with the other kids into the school and then got his backpack and exited the bus. Randy and Doug waited for him.
   “Thanks,” Doug said. “Those guys are total bullies.”
   “Yeah,” Randy said. “They’re probably going to kill you.”
   “I know,” Peter said. “I’m not sure what I was thinking.” He began walking toward the school.
   “So, did you want to know what we’re doing tonight?” Doug asked.
   “I thought it was secret,” Peter said.
   “Well, yeah…but only from our mom and dad,” Randy said. “We just didn’t know you. But you’re obviously pretty cool.”
   “Okay,” Peter said. “Tell me then.”

end of 3