James Heneghan - Hit Squad

James Heneghan

orca soundings

Copyright 2003 James Heneghan

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system now known or to be invented, without permission in writing from the publisher.

National Library of Canada Cataloguing in Publication Data
Heneghan, James, 1930

Hit squad / James Heneghan.

(Orca soundings)

ISBN 1-55143-269-2

I. Title. II. Series.

PS8565.E581H57 2003 jC813.54 C2003-910687-X

PZ7.H3865Hi 2003

First published in the United States, 2003

Library of Congress Control Number: 2003105879

Summary: Students in an upscale high school decide to take on the bullies and take back their school, with decidedly mixed consequences.

Orca Book Publishers gratefully acknowledges the support for its publishing programs provided by the following agencies: the Government of Canada through the Book Publishing Industry Development Program (BPIDP), the Canada Council for the Arts, and the British Columbia Arts Council.

Cover design: Christine Toller
Cover photography: Eyewire
Printed and bound in Canada

05 04 03 5 4 3 2 1

IN CANADA :
Orca Book Publishers
1030 North Park Street
Victoria, BC Canada
V8T 1C6

IN THE UNITED STATES :
Orca Book Publishers
PO Box 468
Custer, WA USA
98240-0468

For my granddaughter Margaux.

JH

I would like to acknowledge Bruce McBays considerable contribution to this book.

Other books by James Heneghan, published by Orca Book Publishers:

Waiting for Sarah

Friday afternoon, ninth-grade art class, final period.

Two girls spat sunflower seeds at the blue-eyed blonde.

Birgit Neilsen, the blonde girl, tossed her ponytail. Cut it out! She shook the sticky seeds from her hair and spun around to face her tormentors. Slobs! Her eyes were like ice.

The girls at the next bench, Shelley Crewell and Mona Teasedale, eyed each other in mock horror.

Did you hear that, Shell? said Mona, the bigger girl. Black mascara circled her eyes. She looked like a raccoon.

Shelley acted shocked. Ooooh, Mona! Shelleys dark hair was streaked with a single white skunk stripe across the top of her head from front to back.

Mona said, She called us slobs! Were not slobs, are we, Shell?

No, Mona, were not! If anyones a slob around here its Miss Superior. If you ask me Shelley whispered into Monas ear.

Monas laughter erupted in a spluttering giggle that sent a spray of wet sunflower seeds into Birgits hair.

You two animals belong in a zoo, Birgit hissed. She snatched up her work and moved out of range.

Its not me, Shelley lied. Im eating a Mars bar. Look! She held up a chocolate bar, still in its wrapper. Her eyes were wide and innocent.

Whats the trouble here? The art teacher was a big man with a beard and brown hair that fell below his collar. Shelley? Mona? You planning on working today?

Except for their jaws, the two girls didnt move. They chewed sunflower seeds.

Well?

Sure, Mr. Paddock. Mona eased her feet off the stool and slouched against the bench. Shelley followed suit with exaggerated slowness.

And sunflower seeds are forbidden in here. You know that. Stay behind after class and clean that mess off the floor. As Mr. Paddock moved away, Mona jerked a finger at his retreating back. Shelley sniggered.

On the bench next to Mona and Shelley, a girl named Jessie Jones was busy making tiny clay pellets. She fired them through a pen barrel at a boy named Dietrich Mueller, two rows in front of her. She wore a reversed baseball cap and a T-shirt that had Kill! written in black letters on it.

Dietrich turned and grinned. Who keeps doing that? he asked, looking at everyone behind him. He looked at Jessie. Its you, isnt it? He giggled.

Jessie looked innocent. Deet? You talking to me?

Dietrich giggled again. I know its you, Jess. I know its you. Dietrich didnt fully understand why people called him Deet. He thought it was simply a friendly way of saying his name. He didnt know that it was the common name of an insect repellent. How are the flies today, Deet? kids asked him. Dietrich always laughed, thinking they were being friendly. Deet was a friendly boy.

Jessie answered, Its not me, Deet. Must be the mosquitoes, huh?

Deet laughed and went back to his clay sculpture.

Jessie looked at Shelley. Whats with her highness there? She nodded in Birgits direction.

You mean Miss Superior? She thinks shes too good for the rest of us, said Shelley. Called us slobs. Aint that right, Mona?

We should teach her a lesson, grunted Mona.

Yeah, why not? said Shelley. We Creekside girls gotta stick together.

Get her in the stockroom, Jessie suggested.

And then what? asked Mona.

Paint her pretty colors, laughed Shelley.

You gotta get her in the stockroom first, said Jessie. Leave her to me, okay? She headed for Birgits bench. I saw what they did, Birgit, she said. The sunflower seeds, I mean. Youre right. They are a couple of slobs.

Birgit didnt look up from her work. Forget it.

Jessie acted friendly and concerned. She gently brushed a few seeds off Birgits back. Birgit, do you know where in the stockroom they keep the paper towels? My bench just ran out.

Theyre in a cardboard box at the back beside the

Be a sweetie and help me find them?

Birgit stopped working and looked around. Mona was busy joking with Shelley. She shot a glance at the other students. Normal. Her hands were covered in wet clay. She tore paper towels off the roller. Wiping the clay from her hands, she followed Jessie to the stockroom.

Mona and Shelley were fast. They quickly followed Jessie and Birgit into the room and closed the door behind them. Mona looped an arm around Birgits neck from behind and pulled her backward to the floor. Jessie stuffed a wad of paper towels into Birgits mouth before she could cry out.

Hold her, Jess! said Shelley.

Jessie kneeled on one of Birgits arms. Mona kneeled on the other arm. Shelley sat on Birgits hips. For Birgit, struggle was useless; the weight of the three ninth graders was too much for her. She waited, ice-blue eyes glaring up at her attackers.

Get the paint, Shell, said Mona.

Ive got a better idea, said Shelley. What Miss Superior needs is some nice hot chocolate. She tore the wrapper off her Mars bar and took a bite. She called us animals, remember? She passed the bar to Mona.

And slobs! said Mona. Her dark eyes glittered through her bandit mask of mascara and eye shadow. She took a bite of her friends chocolate bar.

Shelley chewed noisily. Then she opened her mouth and drooled sticky saliva-melted chocolate and caramel onto Birgits upturned face.

Birgit tried to turn away, but they held her head tight. The brown liquid dripped into her hair and dribbled down her cheeks.

Mona copied her friend. She leaned over and slobbered chewed chocolate into Birgits eyes. Bubbled it out slowly from the sneer of her lips. She made retching noises deep down in her throat.

Jessie laughed nervously. Gross.

Birgit tried to wrestle her head away. Eyes closed tight. Neck muscles straining. Jessie grabbed a handful of hair and forced her head straight.

Birgit lay quietly, almost relaxed, taking whatever else they had to give without flinching. Jessie removed her fingers from her hair. Birgit lay still, as if she were dead.