harmless. Almost.
Molly walked over to Roy and started to hand
him the pig, then pulled it back. She said, “No
more tying my shoes together or hanging up Karl
by his underwear.”
“Promise,” said Roy.
“And no more stuffing me in my locker,” I
added.
“What about before gym?” asked Roy.
I had to think about that. “Okay,” I said. “But
only before gym. And no more shoving me in! I
can stuff myself in a locker.”
Roy said, “Deal.”
Molly, Karl, and I said, “Deal.”
Molly handed
Oinkdexter to Roy. Molly,
Becky, and I witnessed the
reunion between boy and
pig. It was awkward to
watch.
“Where’s Karl?” asked
Becky.
We turned around and
found him in a power hug with
Willy.
Roy and I quickly uncoiled
Willy and returned him to his
cage.
As we walked back to the
others I asked Roy, “You never
see your mom?”
Roy stopped, smiled, and raised Oinkdexter in
the air.
And that’s when I finally understood. Roy
after all. A lie can tell the truth.
“Ah, guys?” said Karl. “Hey, guys.”
Roy and I looked over to see pretty much the
entire school staring at us. Standing in front
were Dr. Daniels and Mr. Dupree. I couldn’t be
sure, but I swear Mr. Dupree winked at me.
We all looked at each other. Then we looked
back at the crowd and did what all sane kids do
when nothing good will come from anything we
say.
Chapter 37
Our shrugs cost us all three weeks’ detention.
Roy and I got weekly bossy-girl Peer Mediation
and daily one-on-ones with Dr. Daniels.
Except for the bossy girls, it’s not so bad.
Those girls really get on Roy’s and my nerves.
But we can handle it.
The more time I spend with Roy, the more I
realize he’s not such a bad guy. I’m not saying
we’re BFFs or anything. I mean, we both have
reputations to maintain. He has to occasionally
let me stuff myself in my locker. And I have to
occasionally call him a tot-brained snot-squid.
Sometimes in detention if none of his snot-
squid pals are around, we can talk about stuff.
And one thing we talk about a lot is Emily.
A couple of days after the cafetorium thing, as
Roy was gently encouraging me into my locker, I
showed him texts I got from Becky:
Becky: U did the right thing.
Nick: I wouldn’t have been able 2 if you hadn’t
released the python.
Becky: I didn’t release the python.
Becky: Emily?
Roy nodded. “Emily’s got skills.”
“Yeah,” I said. “I mean, I get what you said in
the ductwork, but that still doesn’t make her
real.”
“Then who released Willy?”
I shrugged. “I checked with Molly. She didn’t
do it. Karl said he would never take credit for
something Emily did. He said it would be rude.”
“You’re running out of suspects,” said Roy.
“That only leaves Mr. Dupree. I thought it
was him all along. And then I didn’t. And then I
thought it HAD to be him, until I made a list of
all the Emily stuff that’s happened.”
“I realized if it were him, he’d be arrested for
child endangerment. Mr. Dupree may be crazy,
but he’s not that crazy.”
“You realize that means it couldn’t be a
teacher or another staff person for the same
reason. Dude, Emily’s real,” said Roy.
“She’s a myth,” I said as I crawled into my
locker. “She’s just a story kids make up to
explain stuff they can’t explain themselves.”
“Works for me,” Roy said as he shut the locker
door. “Later, dude.”
Alone, in the dark of my locker, I ran through
the Emily suspects again. If it couldn’t be an
adult, that only leaves a kid who’d have to be
supersmart, have the run of the school, and be
practically invisible.
That would be a superkid.
acknowledgments
Writing The Odd Squad: Bully Bait has been a pleasure. A pleasure made especially pleasant by the help and support of several key people.
This book would be a shell of its present self without the heroic efforts of my fast-talking editor, Lisa Yoskowitz. She has the spooky knack of knowing where I want to go before I want to go there. I am eternally grateful for her patience, intelligence, and making me look like a way better writer than I am. Oh . . . and I’m also grateful for her laugh—always at just the right time.
A big thank-you to Marci Senders for the terrific job she did designing the cover, as well as for her patience with lost files, wrong-resolution art, and my inability to render a brave yet mischievous expression.
A thank-you to everyone at Disney•Hyperion who helped make this book come to life and somehow miraculously get into readers’ hands. I think magic elves were involved. I’m not sure.
Thank you to friends Halley, Thomas, Sarah, Jeff, Cyndy, Bozena, Tutta, Kara, Dan, Bill, Ces, Sue, Roy and Neva. It takes a village to make an idiot. Or something.
I’d like to thank my family as well. My daughters, Sarah and Emily, both read early drafts and didn’t once throw up or laugh in my face. They each, however, did make constructive comments using the words “lame,” “gross,” and just occasionally “awesome.” My wife, Kim, a veteran at dealing with my insecurities and neuroses, specializes in the loving fake laugh. I know it’s fake. She knows it’s fake. It doesn’t matter. It’s a laugh. And she knows that sometimes it’s exactly what I need. And she’s right. She’s always right.
Finally, I want to thank my mom. She read every draft. She followed every twist and turn on the path to publication. She listened and encouraged and cheered. I’m so thankful that I was able to share this journey with her. And even though she’s my mom and she’s supposed to love everything I do, I’m pretty sure she really, really likes this book. But not as much as her San Francisco Giants.
Let’s not get crazy here.
spent middle school as a geeky, nerdy Chess Club member who played the French horn and survived (mostly intact).
His school days behind him, Mike is the co- creator and writer of several comic strips, including Over the Hedge, which is featured in newspapers nationwide and was adapted into the hit animated movie of the same name. In addition to working as a cartoonist, Mike is the co-founder of RingTales, a company that animates print comics for all digital media, and is an active blogger, tweeter, and public speaker, as well as the proud father of two adult daughters.
Originally from Minneapolis, Mike currently lives with his wife in Austin, Texas, where he is hard at work on the next Odd Squad adventure.
Meet Nick
He’s the shortest middle-schooler in
the history of the world (pr
obably),
doesn’t fit in with any groups or clubs
(who needs ’em?), and gets stuffed into his locker
a lot (it’s roomier than you’d think).
Life goes from bad to worse when Nick’s
guidance counselor makes him join the school’s
lamest club, with only freakishly tall Molly and
hopelessly clueless Karl for company. But it
can’t get even worse, right?
Well, you’d be surprised. . . .
Cover illustration © 2013 by Michael Fry
Cover design by Marci Senders
Disney • Hyperion Books
New York
Visit www.disneyhyperionbooks.com