Brandon Terrell - Tracking Champ

It was growing dark as the girl walked down the sidewalk alone. Around her the citystall buildings stood clustered together, stretching up toward the clouds. The sunhad dropped below the skyline. Shadows grew long and dark as the streets lightscame to life. The girl walked in and out of the pools of light as she focused onthe task at hand. She wasnt afraid, though. She was never afraid.

The girl wore a pink hooded sweatshirt and carried a large, colorful purse over oneshoulder. The purse stood out like a in the streetlight. That was good. Itwas supposed to stand out. Thats why shed picked it from all the others in hercloset.

From her left, down an alley, there was a flicker of movement. A shadowy figure slunkforward and began to follow the girl. She could sense him. At first, he was quiet,but after a block, he wasnt even trying to mask his footsteps.

As the girl stepped out of a pool of light, the figure rushed forward. He pluckedthe purse from the girls arm, like a bird snatching prey off the ground, and tookoff running.

The girl, thirteen-year-old Keisha Turner, didnt even protest. She watched the manrun down the block. Hes got it, Keisha said, appearing to speak to no one. Hayden,is the tracking device working?

An excited voice responded on the headset hidden beneath the tight brown curls ofKeishas hair. It sure is!

Your plan worked, Keisha said. This guys purse-grabbing days are over.

Thats for sure. He messed with the wrong detectives, twelve-year-old Hayden Williamssaid. Then, after a moment of silence, she added, Hes running down Eleventh Avenuenow, about to reach the intersection.

Im on it! the voice of Jaden Williams, Haydens over-eager twin brother, pipedup over the headset.

Jaden pedaled his bike furiously down Greenhill Street, toward Eleventh Avenue. Hehad his baseball cap pulled low, and the wind cut across his face as he zipped downthe street. He passed a diner with delicious smells that made him want to take adetour. He felt his stomach rumble. He would love to devour a juicy cheeseburgerand a mountain of French fries right now.

The job comes first, he muttered. His stomach grumbled an angry reply. Sorry,buddy.

Up ahead, Jaden saw the purse snatcher jogging through the intersection. He wasntmoving as fast as before; he thought he was in the clear. The man was tall and wiry,and looked out of place carrying the colorful bag. He turned and headed straighttoward Jaden.

Jaden squeezed his brakes and brought his bike to a stuttering stop right in frontof the purse snatcher. Hey! the man called out. He stumbled back.

Nice purse you have there, Jaden said. The color really brings out your eyes.

The man, realizing that something was up, spun and dashed down a nearby alleyway.

Just where I want you, Jaden said. He pressed a button on his phone. Hes in thealleyway on Eleventh, heading south.

The alley was narrow. The heat of the day was trapped inside, making it hot. It smelledlike spoiled garbage. There were no fire escapes, no places to climb. A small spacebetween the brick buildings at the other end was the only way out.

The purse snatcher ran toward the end of the alley. He was almost to freedom, and

Oof!

A strong leg shot out from behind a dumpster on the left. As the thief tripped, helet go of the purse to break his fall with both hands. The purse sailed through theair and landed a few feet away as the thief landed hard on the .

A teenage boy, fourteen-year-old Carlos Diaz, scooped up the fallen purse. He smiledmischievously. I believe this belongs to my friend, Carlos said.

The purse snatcher rolled onto his back, trying to catch his breath.

Carlos unzipped the purse and pulled out a sleek black device with a blinking redlight.

My friends are crazy smart, Carlos said. They whipped up this fancy tracking device,and we used it to follow you. Pretty cool, huh?

The purse snatcher moaned in protest, but remained on the ground.

Carlos saw Jaden, still on his bike, at the far end of the alley. Hayden stood besidehim now, holding her electronic tablet and wearing a set of headphones.

Keisha jogged up behind Carlos. Good work, Carlos, she said.

Thanks, he said. You call the police?

You know it.

As if on cue, red and blue police lights appeared. The cars lights and sirens bouncedaround the alley like a pinball in a machine.

Congratulations, Carlos said to the purse snatcher, youve just been busted bySnoops, Inc.

Attention all students, Principal Sniders voice boomed over the PA system at FleischmanMiddle School the following afternoon. Todays pep rally to celebrate our boysbasketball team begins in ten minutes.

Carlos stared up at the speaker from his desk. A couple of other kids in his eighth-grade geography class whooped and cheered. Go Bulldogs! yelled Amelia Thornton. She waspart of the spirit squad. In response, two other students growled like hungry dogsin need of kibble.

Carlos rolled his eyes.

Today well have a very special guest at the rally, Principal Snider continued.So hurry on down! You are now free to leave class and head directly to the gymnasium.

Students leaped to their feet and shuffled toward the door. Carlos shoved his booksinto his backpack and joined them.

The school hallways were covered in colorful banners and signs. Glittery, block lettersspelled out slogans like BULLDOGS R #1 and GO BULLDOGS GO! RUFF RUFF! The hallswere buzzing with activity. Carlos felt like hed been caught in a roaring riveras he joined the flood of students moving toward the gym.

Carlos! Keisha yelled from her locker at the edge of the crowd. Carlos peered pastthe other kids in the hall to see her waving.

Wait up! Keisha shouted.

Cant! Carlos shouted back. Ill get trampled if I alter course!

Keisha dove into the flow, making her way toward him. Unlike Carlos, the seventhgrader had no problem throwing elbows and fighting to keep her place. Hey, shesaid calmly as she up next to him. She seemed oblivious to the seventh graderwho shed just nudged out of her way.

Together, the two friends walked to the gym. As they reached it, they could hearthe booming Bulldog pep band playing the school fight song. A group of spirit squadmembers stood near the door, waving their red and brown pom-poms and greeting theirfriends with bubbly hellos.

One of the squad members, a pretty girl with shoulder-length black hair named FrankieDixon, frowned when she saw Carlos and Keisha drawing near.

Sup, Frankie, Carlos said. He tried to flash his usual charm, but it had no effecton Frankie. She said nothing. Instead, she just gave Keisha a sour, lingering stare,then turned her back on them.

Carlos said nothing. Once upon a time, Keisha and Frankie had been BFFs. Like, theB-est of Fs. But then something happened between them, something Keisha never revealedto any of them. She only referred to it as The Fallout. Whatever it was, The Falloutcaused a rift in their friendship. The two girls had barely spoken since.

Fleischman was an old school, made of cracked brick and stone. The wooden bleachersand hardwood gym floor hadnt been changed since the school opened almost a centuryago. Carlos spotted Hayden and Jaden sitting together near the other sixth graders.Jaden nodded his head at Carlos; the elder Snoop nodded back. Then he and Keishafound an open seat next to their friends and sat.