August 22, 2008 - 3:40pm — Z
It's a sunny Wednesday afternoon and W is chillin with his friends in Rucker Park right across the street from Middle School 123. The guys hang out there pretty much every day trading cards and talking about the latest comic books. Sometimes they shoot hoops if the court is free. Robert asks if anyone has read the new Cosmic Magician comic that just came out. W shakes his head and says, "I wish I could buy that one, but I just don't have the money."
Victor jumps in, "Hey you could just steal it, you know."
W is surprised that Robert agrees that he should steal the comic. He has never stolen anything before and doesn't know what to say, but his friends are waiting for him to say something. So he says, "OK."
On the way home from the park, W worries about what to do. He has been friends with Robert and Victor for a while and he does not want them to think that he is weak, but he also doesn't want to get into trouble. He starts picturing his mom screaming at him and his older brother shaking his head in disgust. He thinks about what Robert and Victor will say if he refuses to do it. That night he can't sleep because he knows that he's going to have to take the comic book from the store. He's known the owner Mr. C ever since he moved into the neighborhood 5 years ago.
All day at school the next day, Robert and Victor make comments about how cool it will be to get their hands on Cosmic Magician. They tease W and call him chicken (a wimp) when he stays quiet. W doesn't really pay attention in any of his classes. When his teacher Mrs. Lattimer calls on him he has to ask her to repeat the question. His friend Gigi asks him what's the matter, but he just waves her off because he doesn't want her to know what is going on. He almost decides to cut out of school early to avoid Robert and Victor, but he has computer lab (basketball game?) at the end of the day and he does not want to miss it.
At dismissal, Robert bumps up against W as they race down the stairs, "You ready, homeboy?" he chuckles. Luckily it is so crowded and noisy that W does not have to say anything. When they get outside they meet up with Victor who has his arm slung around his girlfriend Nola's shoulder.
"What's good" Victor asks.
"We're going to get us a Cosmic Magician, that's what's good," replied Robert.
The three guys and Nola head down the street towards Mr. C's store. When they enter the front door, Robert mutters under his breath, "Be cool." W nods as he walks toward the magazine aisle. The others start talking loudly about what they want to get as a snack. W scans the rows of comics and finds the one he wants. He looks around nervously to make sure no one is watching. Then, he grabs Cosmic Magician and slides it quickly into his backpack. Meanwhile Robert, Victor, and Nola have paid for a bag of chips and are walking toward the door. W walks quickly to catch up with them and leaves the store.
Ten minutes later they arrive at the park and Victor asks, "You got it?"
"Sure," replies W in a tone that sounds more calm than he feels. "Here." He rolls up the comic and tosses it to Victor who catches it with a big grin.
"Way to go," says Robert.
"You boys and your comics," Nola groans as she walks away, "I gotta' go home to watch my little sister." Robert and Victor already have the heads bent over the magazine reading the first page, but W hangs back a little bit because he feels badly about having stolen it.
"Take a look, Bro," Robert says. W leans in and looks at the comic. They read it for a while talking about the parts they do and don't like. When it's time to go home W offers the comic to Robert, but his friend tells him that he deserves to keep it since he was the one who stole it. Even though he really does not want anything to do with the stolen magazine, W puts Cosmic Magician in his backpack and heads home.
At school on Friday W is exhausted because he could not sleep at all the night before. He tossed and turned in his bed feeling guilty about the stolen comic book. He had a nightmare that he was sent to jail for stealing. He didn't want to be a thief. He liked Mr. C. the store owner and especially felt badly about stealing from him. By the end of the day, W cannot take it any more. As soon as the bell rings for dismissal he runs races out the door to school and down the street. At first all he wants to do is get away so he can think, but then he realizes that he's running toward the store. As he is running, W thinks about what he should do. He could go and pay for the comic, but then Mr. C. would know he stole it and he might tell his mom. He could throw the comic away, but what good would that do? Finally, he decides that he will put the comic book back on the shelf.
W walks into the store and creeps nervously over to the magazine rack. He turns his head from side to side to see if anyone is watching. With sweaty fingers, he slides Cosmic Magician back onto the shelf. He doesn't realize that Robert, Victor, Nola and Gigi have come into the store and see everything. He emerges from the store thinking to himself, Whew I'm glad that's over with. Maybe, now I'll be able to get some sleep.
Saturday afternoon, W goes to the park to meet up with his friends just like he always does. When he arrives, Robert and Victor are shooting hoops. W says, "Hey guys, how ya' doin?" Neither boy says anything in return. "What's going on?" he asks looking back and forth from Robert to Victor.
"We saw what you did, dude," Robert says.
"Not cool. Are you a chicken or what?" Victor asks.
"What are you talking about?" asks W in a confused tone.
"Putting the comic back on the shelf, that's what," Robert explains.
W stutters, "It just didn't feel right. We've been going to Mr. C's store our whole lives. We read the comic. I thought I'd just slip it back and nobody would be the wiser."
"Yeah, well we know and we think you're an idiot for sneaking behind our backs like that," Victor says as he grabs the basketball and walks off the court." C'mon Robert we can find somewhere to go where there are real men, not chicken*** little boys." W looks on with disbelief as his two friends walk away.
Monday morning, W bumps into Gigi on his way to school. She says, "W, you've been avoiding me and I think I know why."
"What d'ya' mean?" W asks. Gigi explains that she had seen what happened in the store and had heard from Nola that Robert and Victor had dissed him for it. W explains, "Hey, I don't need friends like that anyway."
Gigi smiles and says, "I think you did the right thing even if they don't think so."
W looks surprised, "Really?"
"Yeah," answers Gigi.
"You wanna' go with me to the dance on Friday?"
"Sure," says Gigi.
As W walks to his first period class he feels proud of himself for asking Gigi out. He is a little bit worried about what it will be like without Robert and Victor as his friends, but he knows that it is important to him to do the right thing and friends like that would only steer him down the wrong path.
THE END
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