Villainous (7 page)

“See. What’d I tell ya?” Clay was saying in his gravelly voice. Over the summer it had gotten even deeper, and what little boyishness it had once possessed was gone entirely. It was a man’s voice now.

“You dragged us all the way out to a junkyard for this?” said another boy, a new voice Daniel didn’t recognize. “Like I haven’t seen beer before.”

“Well, we can hide all sorts of stuff here,” said Clay, sounding defensive. “It’s private.”

“I’ll say. Who’d want to hang out here with all the rest of the garbage?” said another voice, a girl’s this time.

“Yeah, well …,” answered Clay.

Mollie turned back to Daniel. He could tell they were thinking the exact same thing.

A girl
.

“Hey,” said the boy. “Where’s the mutt? He go bounding off again?”

“He was here a minute ago,” answered the girl. “Here, boy! Mutt, come!”

Daniel tugged on Mollie’s sleeve and she glared at him, annoyed.

They have a dog!
he mouthed.
Let’s go!

She tugged her arm back out of his grip and mouthed something that looked like
Not till I pee
. Daniel was terrible at reading lips.

But as she inched her head slowly toward the edge of the junk pile, he understood what she had been trying to say. She didn’t need to
pee;
she wanted to
see
who Clay was talking to. Whoever it was, they were just on the other side of the junk pile, and there was little chance of Daniel and Mollie looking without being spotted themselves. She’d been right at the start—they needed a better plan.

Daniel reached for her arm once more, and again she tried to pull away but this time he refused to let go. They could circle around and get a look from the other side, where there was better cover. He needed her to listen to him.

She glared back at him and if she could have told him off, she would have, Daniel knew. But then something changed
in her face as she looked, not at Daniel, but past him. She grew wide-eyed with surprise, or even fear.

When Daniel turned around, he was face to face with a boy a few years older than he, with dandruffy hair down to his shoulders, and pale, watery eyes. He was crouched in an almost feral position, perched on all fours atop the hood of the busted-up truck, and he looked ready to pounce. Though dressed in some kind of prep school outfit complete with blazer and tie, he was barefoot, his toenails long and yellow and sharp.

The strange boy leaned forward until he was inches away from Daniel. His voice, when he spoke, was surprisingly quiet.

“Bark, bark,” said the boy softly, and then he smiled, showing them stained, pointed teeth.

The strange long-haired boy herded Daniel and Mollie out of hiding until they were standing in front of a new boy, who appeared to be smoking—a cloud of white haze seemed to perpetually linger about the boy’s black-haired head—but he wasn’t holding a cigarette that Daniel could see. Maybe his eyes were playing tricks on him.

“Guess we need some introductions, huh?” said the new boy. “I’m Drake, and you’ve already met Mutt. Must’ve smelled you two coming. Nose like a bloodhound, you know.”

“Growl,” said a voice behind him, and Daniel peeked
over his own shoulder to see Mutt crouched on the ground. Again, the boy named Mutt hadn’t actually growled, he’d just said the word
growl
. Weird.

“Easy, boy,” said Drake. “Heel. Guess he’s more wolf than bloodhound these days.” Like the others, this Drake kid was dressed in the same fancy prep school uniform. His hands were in his pockets and a smile was on his face, but nothing about him felt friendly. Daniel sensed the tension in the air, brittle and ready to snap.

“I’m Hunter,” said another boy with dark skin and hair shaved so close he was almost bald.

“And that’s Skye.”

Unlike the three boys, the girl looked familiar. She was in her late teens, blond and pretty with too-white teeth, but she looked at Daniel and Mollie like they were two dirty strays who, at any moment, might jump up and muddy her clothes.

“Wait a minute,” said Mollie. “You’re that one with the show. That reality show …”

“Skye’s the Limit,”
said Skye, breaking into a camera-ready smile.

“But your mom subs at our school, doesn’t she?” said Mollie. “You’re Janey Levine!”

“
Skye
’s my stage name,” said the girl, dropping the smile just as quickly. “To keep the paparazzi away.”

“But you’re on a reality TV show!” said Mollie. “You’ve got cameras with you everywhere.”

“Yeah, yeah,” said Drake. “There are no cameras here, so let’s not get her going. If she starts talking about that stupid show, she’ll never shut up.”

Skye gave Drake a hurt look, but said nothing.

“Last,” said Drake, “and probably least, is—”

“Clay,” said Daniel, cutting him off. “We know each other.”

Drake arched an eyebrow in surprise. “Friends of yours, Clay?” he asked.

“Daniel Corrigan and Mollie Lee,” answered Clay, who was leaning against his van, glaring at the two of them with undisguised hate. Unlike the others, he looked miserable in his sport coat and tie, and he couldn’t stop tugging at his shirt collar. “And, no, we’re not friends. Not even close.”

“Well,” said Drake, “then that’s the reason I haven’t seen you two around the academy.”

So these were academy kids. That explained the uniforms in July, but not what they were doing here. Clay had been so shocked at seeing Daniel and Mollie that he’d actually dropped the six-pack of beer he’d been showing off, causing two of the cans to explode and spray all over everyone. Skye called Clay a clumsy wad, and he blushed from the collar of his shirt to his forehead. Daniel couldn’t imagine Clay being happy to see Daniel ever, but he was absolutely fuming now that Daniel had made him embarrass himself in front of his new friends—if that’s what they really were. Daniel wasn’t so sure.

“All right, Daniel and Mollie, now that we’ve all met,” said Drake, “what are you two doing sneaking up on us in a junkyard?” As he asked the question, Daniel could have sworn he saw a little puff of smoke escape through the boy’s nostrils, but again, he’d yet to light a cigarette.

“We were looking for Clay,” answered Daniel. There wasn’t a lie in the world that could explain why the two of them were skulking around in here, so Daniel didn’t bother trying.

“Why?” snarled Clay. “You spying on me?”

“Don’t be stupid, Clay,” said Drake. “Of course they were spying on you. We just caught them doing it. What I wanna know is
why
.”

Drake held out his hands, waiting for an answer. “So?” he said.

Mollie and Daniel exchanged looks. The situation hadn’t turned overtly dangerous, yet. No one had threatened them, but then again Mutt and Hunter were uncomfortably close, standing on either side of them and conveniently blocking any escape. It was a tense situation that required finesse.

“You go first,” said Mollie. “Why are
you
here?”

Finesse. Mollie’s strong suit.

Drake studied Mollie for a moment, weighing how to respond. “Hot
and
hot-tempered,” he said with a laugh. “I like it.”

Mollie turned white, though whether this was from anger or embarrassment Daniel wasn’t sure. Probably a mix of both.

“All right, I’ll play along,” said Drake. “My friends and I belong to a sort of club, and Clay here wants to join that club, so he was trying to impress us with beer he stole out of his daddy’s fridge. See, it’s against the law for
kids
our age to drink.”

“I know that,” snapped Mollie.

“Right.”

“So, what’s your club called?” she asked.

“We’re the Nobles. Get it? The Nobles of Noble’s Green.”

“Hilarious,” answered Mollie.

“Yeah, well, it wasn’t our idea,” said Drake. “Anyway, now it’s your turn. Why are you here?”

Daniel thought he’d better take over before Mollie got them in any more trouble. He decided, once again, to go with the truth.

“Someone vandalized Mr. Lemon’s ice cream shop,” said Daniel. “We wanted to ask Clay if he knew anything about it.”

“What are you?” said Drake, laughing. “Some kind of kid detective who solves neighborhood crimes?
Daniel Corrigan and the Case of the Ice Cream Vandals!
”

“Well, we just wanted to ask a few questions,” said Daniel, and he hated the defensive tone in his voice. When Drake put it like that, it did seem kind of silly.

“And I guess that makes you his sidekick?” said Drake, winking at Mollie.

Daniel felt Mollie tense up, and he took her hand and
gave it a warning squeeze. They didn’t need trouble. Not out here.

“Hey, Clay,” said Drake. “You know anything about a busted-up ice cream shop?”

“No,” said Clay.

“Well, there you have it,” said Drake. “Guess you can go home now.”

And just like that, Daniel knew that Drake was lying. The giveaway was just how quickly the conversation stopped. Drake had been enjoying the game up until then, taunting them and even flirting with Mollie, but now they were dismissed, fun time over. It had happened so fast that they had to be hiding something. Still, considering how outnumbered they were, Daniel thought it best to take Drake up on his offer. It was time to get out of there.

“Right. Let’s go, Mollie.”

Luckily Mollie was as ready to leave as Daniel was, but as the two of them turned to go, Mutt moved in front of them, pacing back and forth on all fours.

“Sniff, sniff,” he said, staring at Mollie with those watery eyes of his.

“Uh-oh,” said Skye with a fake smile. “I think Mutt wants to play first!”

“Growl,” added Mutt, and he leaned forward on his hands.

“C’mon, Mutt,” said Drake. “I told them they could go.”

“But they’re
peasants
,” said Skye. “Mutt doesn’t get to
play with peasants much, does he?” She was using a super-annoying baby-talk voice, as if addressing a puppy.

They couldn’t go any farther. Mutt blocked the way out and Skye was now standing right beside Daniel.

“What do you mean, we’re peasants?” asked Daniel, not taking his eyes off Mutt.

“You see,” said Skye, leaning close to him until she was practically whispering in his ear, “we Nobles can do things. Amazing things. That’s why we’re, like, nobility. Born to rule. And peasants are everyone else. Like you, an ordinary little peasant.”

Mutt crept up close and bared his teeth in a snarl. Mollie backed away.

Skye squealed. “Look at her face!”

Clay called over to her, “Hey, watch out! Mollie’s not—”

Mollie moved so fast that if Daniel had blinked, he would have missed it. One second she was backing away from Mutt and the next she was standing behind him, her foot planted firmly on his backside. All it took was a little kick to send him face-first onto the garbage-strewn ground.

“Hey!” said Skye, but Mollie was already back at Daniel’s side.

“Now we’re leaving,” she said.

But Mutt was up on his hands and feet again. He spit out a mouthful of garbage as he shouted, “Gonna get you for that!”

With a real growl this time, he lunged forward, leaping into the air like an animal. But as impressive as Mutt’s speed
was, he was no match for Mollie. She’d shoved Daniel out of harm’s way and literally flown over Mutt’s head before he’d even landed. Then she was behind him again, and this time she wasn’t satisfied with a simple kick. She reached down, grabbed the back of Mutt’s pants, and delivered what Daniel supposed was the world’s first super-wedgie. Mutt’s growl turned high-pitched and girl-like as his underwear was yanked up to his neck at super-speed.

Out of the corner of his eye Daniel saw the boy called Hunter start forward, his hands balling into fists. His eyes narrowed like he was concentrating on something.

But whatever he was preparing to do, he was stopped by Drake. “That’s enough!” Drake shouted, and as he did so, a puff of smoke and fire escaped from his mouth and nose. Daniel hadn’t imagined the smoke after all. Drake was some kind of fire-breather.

Hunter relaxed and Skye backed away, her head down and eyes staring at the ground. She looked like a child who’d just been given a time-out.

“Well,” Drake said, regaining his composure, although wisps of smoke still trailed out of his nose. “If you’re all done playing.”

“I tried to warn you,” said Clay.

“Shut up,” answered Drake. “We’re done here today. You two run along home before I change my mind.”

Daniel didn’t have to be told again. He grabbed Mollie’s arm and the two of them ran for the broken fence. She let
herself be led along, though she could’ve simply flown away at any time.

The last thing Daniel heard as they escaped the junkyard was Drake shouting for someone to help get Mutt free from his underwear.

“Academy kids, all of them,” said Daniel. “But there is, like, zero information on the actual academy online other than press releases and their shiny new website. Luckily, we live in the age of the social network. Voilà!”

Daniel swung around in his seat and allowed Mollie to get a look at the computer. Onscreen was a picture of a teenager with coal-black hair, dressed in his lacrosse jersey and holding a trophy. He looked like he had an easygoing manner with just a hint of cockiness in his pose.

“ ‘Drake Masterson,’ ” Mollie read over his shoulder. “Former student at Holy Cross—that’s why we haven’t seen
him around before. Says he’ll be in the tenth grade next year. He was captain of the lacrosse and debate teams.”

“Now he’s a hoodlum who hangs out in junkyards to score stolen beer,” said Daniel. “I guess that’s what an academy education will get you, huh?”

Daniel scrolled through Drake’s profile on the computer screen. It had taken a while, with only a first name and approximate age to go on, but after searching enough social networking sites filtered by area, he was finally able to bring up this profile. Their new fire-breathing friend.

“Look there,” said Mollie, pointing at the corner of the screen. On Drake’s photo page was a group shot of what looked like a canoe trip. Drake and a bunch of his friends were in their life jackets, goofing off for the camera and making faces. A handsome African American boy stood next to Drake. He was smiling as he made rabbit ears behind Drake’s back.