Skuy - Run

Copyright 2017 David Skuy

This edition copyright 2017 Cormorant Books Inc.

This is a first edition.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior written consent of the publisher or a licence from The Canadian Copyright Licensing Agency (Access Copyright). For an Access Copyright licence, visit www.accesscopyright.ca or call toll free 1.800.893.5777 .

The publisher gratefully acknowledges the support of the Canada Council for the Arts and the Ontario Arts Council for its publishing program. We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Book Fund ( cbf ) for our publishing activities, and the Government of Ontario through the Ontario Media Development Corporation, an agency of the Ontario Ministry of Culture, and the Ontario Book Publishing Tax Credit Program.

library and archives canada cataloguing in publication

Skuy, David, 1963 , author Run / David Skuy.

Issued in print and electronic formats.
ISBN 978-1-77086-488-7 (paperback). isbn 978-1-77086-489-4 (html)

i . Title.

ps8637.k72r86 2017 jc813.6 c2016-907294-0 c2016-907295-9

Library of Congress Control Number: 2016945420

Cover design: angeljohnguerra.com
Interior text design: Tannice Goddard, bookstopress.com
Manufactured by Friesens in Altona, Manitoba, Canada in March, 2017 .

Printed and bound in Canada.

cormorant books inc.
10 st. mary street, suite 615, toronto, ontario, m4y 1p9

www.cormorantbooks.com

To my kids.
They voted for this book
a long time ago.
Sorry it took so long!

Wednesday: 8:50 a.m.

Lionel closed his eyes. His head began to pound, right at the base, and his chest ached, like someone was pressing on it, but slowly. He didnt dare let them notice, not for a second. If they saw his fear, sensed weakness, theyd pounce.

Yo, Nick, Im so open it hurts, Bryan yelled.

Nick hurled the football, a tight spiral. Bryan jumped. The ball bounced off his hands.

Great catch, loser. Try catching it with your butt next time, Nick said.

Try not throwing it over my head, moron, Bryan said.

He reached for the ball.

Ill show you how its done, Mohamed said, cutting across the school yard.

Bryan threw it. The ball wobbled, but Mohamed changed directions and scooped it up before it hit the asphalt.

Lionel glanced at the doors, anxious for the morning bell to ring. If he left school grounds, he might be late again. Principal Ryder was all over him lately. Shed even threatened to call his mom if he was late one more time. He pressed his back against the chain-link fence. At least at recess or lunch he could slip into a washroom stall, or the library, or head to the park.

Two boys, one blond with a round, soft face and freckles, and the other, short with brown hair and a backpack too big for his little frame, walked towards him. His heart began pounding. He didnt need those two attracting attention to him. Lionel slouched down and pretended to tie his shoelaces.

Hi, Lionel, the blond boy said. Hows it going?

Lionel wanted to literally kill him. Nick would notice three loser kids talking.

Im good, Lionel muttered.

Stephane was so clueless. No wonder he was Nicks favorite target.

Do you know if Whellan is gonna make us read our stories tomorrow? Jaime asked.

No idea, Lionel said.

Whellan was their English teacher. Hed made them write a short story, and now he was forcing them to read it out loud in front of everyone.

He glanced over. Nick had the ball and Bryan was running for a pass. The bell had to ring soon. He might get lucky.

Im nervous about reading my story, Jaime said. I wish we didnt have to.

The ball nicked Bryans fingertips and bounced to the fence next to Jaime.

Bro, toss me the ball, Bryan said.

Jaime underhanded it to him.

Another awesome grab from Bryan Butterfingers Klutz-Face, Nick taunted.

He and Mohamed had come over.

Toss it to me, Nick said.

Bryan slipped it over.

Nick whipped the ball into Jaimes chest in one motion. It bounced back to him.

Sorry, werent you ready? Nick laughed.

Jaime gasped, and then laughed uneasily, rubbing his chest. Stephane gripped his backpack straps.

You wanna toss the ball around with us? Nick said. He stepped closer until he was practically nose-to-nose with Stephane.

Hey, Nick um not really. I Schools about to start, Stephane managed.

Lionel slowed his breathing and looked down at the ground, pressing his back against the fence. He didnt dare move.

Maybe another time? Nick said.

Stephane nodded. Sure. Maybe.

The three boys roared.

Absolutely, bro. We gotta get out on the field and play some ball, Nick said.

He slapped Stephane on the shoulder. Stephane winced.

Nick looked over at Lionel. A big smile crossed his face.

What about you? You gonna play ball with us?

Lionel didnt react. He was looking into his backpack, as if hed lost something inside.

Yo, retard. Do you ever know whats going on? Nick taunted.

Lionel pretended he still wasnt listening.

Ha! Nick screamed, karate-chopping his hand in front of Lionels face.

Lionel slowly lifted his head. Theyd throw some shade and then go away.

The kid is retarded. Told ya, Nick said.

He shoved Lionel against the fence.

You a freakin retard? Nick yelled in his face.

Lionel barely moved a muscle. Inside, his head was ready to explode and he couldnt breathe.

Nick backed away and nodded at two girls talking by the doors. Cmon guys. The ladies need some of our awesomeness at least mine, anyway.

He headed over, Bryan and Mohamed right behind.

Those guys, Jaime muttered, rubbing his chest again.

They just like showing off, Stephane said. Theyre not serious.

Nick is, Jaime said. Yesterday I saw him slam a kids head against a locker.

Why? Stephane said.

Jaime shrugged. Because Nicks an idiot.

Lionel moved away from them. They were the idiots for drawing attention to themselves. Hed had it under control, and then they had to talk to him. Nick scared him to death. That voice. He had a way of yelling that brought Lionel back to when he was a little boy, and his dad would yell so loud Lionel would pee in his pants. Once, his dad noticed and called him Pee-Pee Pants for a few days.

Lionel broke out in a cold sweat over his entire body, and for a horrible second, he thought hed pee himself right then.

Nick and his friends were laughing with Kiana and Rashmi. Nick and Mohamed played on the senior basketball team, and Bryan was on the track team with Kiana, so Lionel sort of got why the girls hung with them sort of. They were jerks, but the girls didnt seem to care. These were popular boys, athletes, sure of themselves, funny, tough. They did what they wanted.