A Pinstriped Finger’s My Only Friend

Chapter 4

4TWO HOURS LATERJudd's still grinning by the time his fifth period class--Biology with Mr. Weaver--rolls around. Nothing is going to ruin his awesome mood.

The whole time Mr. Weaver's talking in his usual cheerful chirp about natural selection and biodiversity, Judd's lost in a swirl of sweet daydreams. He dreams he's back in the gym, soaking up adulation from the faceless mass of the crowd. He dreams he's playing in the last game of the state finals, and the fans roar as he sinks the winning basket just in time for the buzzer. He dreams he's in a parade celebrating his victory, and the crowd throws roses and chants his name as he rolls past, waving.

Then, suddenly, the dreams blow away as Judd realizes everyone's getting up around him. Mr. Weaver--a gentle giant with curly black hair--wipes notes off the whiteboard with the sleeve of his frayed black sweater, then reaches for the huge stainless steel thermos of coffee he always has close at hand.

(Earth to Judd! Something's up, but you can't quite put your finger on it, can you?)

At first, Judd wonders if class is over--but no. The other kids are just breaking into groups, moving their desks together in clusters.

(Aha! Light bulbs going on overhead, anyone?)

It's time for group work. Been there, done that, bought the t-shirt.

So long, daydreaming. Hello, boring meeting.

But things are already different this time. Just as Judd's about to get up and move to the usual spot, the rest of the group comes to him.

(Ding ding ding! My finger sense is tingling!)

Judd grins at them and settles back into his chair. "Hi, guys."

The other three members of the group--a girl and two boys--push together nearby desks, bumping them up against Judd's. None of them looks amused...but Judd isn't worried. Mr. Weaver threw them together, they've got nothing in common, but he has no problem with these people.

"Hi, Judd." Melissa Lewis takes the lead, as always. She's a four-foot-tall stick-thin genius dynamo with short black hair, and she gets off on running the show. "How's your part of the project coming along?"

Judd's brain skips a beat.

(Project? What means this word, "project?")

Melissa c***s her head to one side. "You know. The one where we're designing an imaginary biosphere in an alternate reality populated by entirely new flora and fauna? The one that's based on an alternate history in which the dominant lifeforms evolved from species that actually became extinct in our own reality?"

Oh, that project. "Great, just great." He smiles at all three of his group-mates like he's got everything under control, even though the truth is...

"You haven't done it, have you?" Melissa pats her hair, which is so short it's almost a crew-cut. Word has it she's a lesbian, not that Judd cares.

"Oh, sure I have." Judd nods and looks at her like he couldn't be more under control. Like she's nuts for even doubting him.

"So let's see it," says Rajeesh Tamil, the male half of the Indian immigrant Tamil twins. His sister, Tulsi, is in another group across the room.

"Seriously?" Judd smirks and shakes his head. "Why don't you show me yours instead?"

Rajeesh opens a manila folder and holds up a stack of pages. Melissa pulls a similar stack out of her binder and flaps it at Judd.

The third kid, Jerry Nakamura, has a folder in front of him, but he doesn't pull anything out of it. He's on the tubby side, with spiky black hair and black-rimmed glasses, and he doesn't like making waves. I know he's got the work done, he always does, but he won't rub it in Judd's face.

Even if he did, it wouldn't faze the king of cool. Remember that theme song of his? It's still playing in the background, oh yeah.

Judd spreads his arms and shrugs. "Well, you're just gonna have to take my word for it. Looks like I left it at home."

Melissa shoots the other two a "See? I told you so," look. Then, she glares at Judd. "You think we'll do the work for you, don't you?"

"Not at all," says Judd. He doesn't think they'll do the work for him, he knows they will. The three of them care too much to risk a crappy grade.

Or do they? "Fine." Melissa smacks the papers down on the desk, sits back, and crosses her arms over her chest. "Then none of us will do it. Any of it. We'll all get an 'F' unless you pick up the slack this time."

She looks at Rajeesh, who nods...

(...reluctantly...)

...and Jerry, who blinks and gives her what's either half a nod or a meaningless nervous tremor.

Satisfied, Melissa looks at Judd with raised eyebrows and chin thrust forward. "Consider this an intervention." She sniffs once. "We are not going to let ourselves get Judded like all the other kids at this school."

"'Judded?'" Judd can't resist a good-natured chuckle. "Cool! You mean somebody named a word after me?"

"It's not a good word," snaps Melissa. "It's not something to be proud of."

"Oh, sorry." Judd doesn't quite manage to stifle his grin. Even if she's just making it up, the "Judded" bit strikes him as hilarious.

Melissa has a scowl that could curdle milk. "You're a selfish jerk, you know that? Our grades on this project are going to suck because of you."

Judd is the master of always seeming friendly, even when others are acting the opposite. Even now, after Melissa's nasty comments, he just smiles and shrugs. He feels kind of sorry for her, actually--for all three of them. They can't help it if they're not all that special. Not everyone can be a star like he is. "So get rid of me. No hard feelings."

"We already tried," Melissa says darkly. "Mr. Weaver won't change the group assignments."

The girl is bubbling with anger and hate, she doesn't try to hide it--but ol' Judd-meister lets it roll right off him. "Bummer, man."

"So you really don't care if you flunk?" says Melissa. "You don't care if you take us all down with you?"

"Ain't gonna happen." Judd grins and shrugs as the bell rings. He gets up from his chair and aims for the door. "Things just have a way of working out for me, y'know?"

As he walks away, he knows they're talking--make that bitching--but oh well. Whatever. C'est la vie.

Get over it.

His schedule's too full for this project nonsense, dontcha think? Remember a little something called state basketball championships? What would they rather have him do--pitch in on their lame project or bring home another championship? Be honest, now.

That's what I thought.

Besides which, the topic seems kinda meaningless to him. Alternate history? Alternate realities? Biodiversity? What does any of that have to do with everyday life? His everyday life?

Nada, I tell you. Zero, zilch, zippo, nil.

Anyway, there's absotutely no reason to sweat this, I guarantee. Because sooner or later, Melissa, Rajeesh, and Jerry will do the work--theirs and Judd's. Even if they don't, Judd has an ace up his sleeve. The situation's totally under control.

Let's review, shall we? Judd's natural born coolness? Check.

(Big time check!)

His ability to get along with anyone, no matter how unspecial they are or how much negativity they spew his way? Again, check.

And his teacher, Mr. Weaver? The one who just gave him a hearty wave while gulping coffee from his stainless steel thermos cup? Then topped it off with a nice big "don't worry about a thing, I got it covered" kind of smile?

Last I looked, he was still the assistant coach of the boys' basketball team.

Check, check, and double-check. Officially under control.

Smooooth sailing, bruh. Kick back and enjoy the ride.

Smooooth sailing.