Four
The school year was winding down for the students at Brighton Falls Middle School and there were only a few days left before the start of summer vacation.
When Tommy arrived at school the next day, he was surprised to see his friends still hanging around outside. Normally they’d run in to be the first to get the pancakes. The cafeteria food was notoriously gross. It was understood by everyone, however, that the pancakes were the exception.
“Hey, over here!” Tommy heard Justin say to him.
Justin and the others were huddled off to the side of the front entrance, having some sort of powwow and sharing the types of secrets only thirteen-year-old boys can come up with.
“What’s going on?” Tommy asked as he approached them.
Eric turned toward him. “You didn’t hear?”
Tommy shook his head.
“Oh boy, Tommarino, you’re not gonna believe this,” Jerry said with a crazed grin.
“Gross, just absolutely gnarly,” Eric said. He had a look on his face that made Tommy think he was about to puke.
“Anyone going to tell me what’s going on?” Tommy asked.
“That hot-air balloon Ms. Candy—”
“Ms. Crofton,” Justin said, correcting Jerry.
“Ms. Crofton, Candy, whatever,” Jerry continued, “her cat got torn to shreds.”
“Not shreds, you idiot,” Justin said. “Its head got torn off.”
“What’s the difference? It’s toast either way.”
“Are you guys serious?” Tommy asked. “She came after Artie yesterday, trying to blame him for something but she wasn’t making any sense.”
“Yeah, they found its head in the mailbox like someone left it there as a prank,” Justin said. “That’s what I heard Mrs. Langston saying to Mr. Welch when they walked in.”
“How’s that for a special delivery,” Jerry said, with that same strangely amused smile spread across his freckled face.
“C’mon, Jeer, cut it out,” Eric said.
“Did you see it, Tommy?” Jerry asked. “Did you see the head and the guts and the—”
“No, I didn’t see anything. There was a police officer there. That was it.”
“Who would do that to an animal?” Eric muttered. “I know that Crofton lady is obnoxious and nobody likes her, but why kill her cat?”
The group of friends paused for a moment, thinking it over, until Mr. Welch yelled at them from the top of the school entrance steps to get their lazy butts inside. They had missed breakfast and homeroom was already starting.