Read Jimmy Stone's Ghost Town for Free Online Page A

David," he said, "what the hell are
you doing--"
    "--We'll be up in my room with Trex," I
said, cutting him off before he could say something to David that
I'd have to explain for the next hour. "We won't bother you."
    "But I'm trying to talk to little David
here," he said as we walked past him and into the hallway.
    Dad didn't seem happy that I blew him off as
I pushed David in front of me, down the hall, and toward my
room.
    I'd have to deal with Dad being mad later.
David and I had only been friends for a few days now and I didn't
want to risk Dad screwing that up in the first five minutes we were
in the door.
    We finally made it to my room and I could
still hear Dad mumbling to himself in the kitchen as I popped open
the door for David.
    Trex was curled up in a ball at the foot of
my bed until he heard us click open the door and his head shot up
almost like he wanted to smile at us.
    "C'mere, Buddy!" I said and slapped my
thigh, bending over to greet him.
    Trex jumped up from his spot and bolted off
the bed toward us.
    "This is Trex," I told David as I rubbed my
dog's head. "He's probably the best dog you'll ever meet."
    David looked down at Trex, nodded his
approval, and smiled.
    One thing I'd learned about David in the
last few days is that he didn't say much unless it was something
really important. That was probably one of the reasons I'd never
noticed him in the back of our classroom. I don't think I'd ever
heard him say even a word in class. In fact, I'll bet he's never
even answered any of the teacher's questions.
    It was actually something that I'd learned
pretty quickly to like about David. He wasn't one to joke around
very often (even to me), but he always knew the right time to chime
in with advice and conversation.
    We'd spent the last few
days getting to know each other a little better. Well, at least I
was getting to know him a little better. It was obvious that David
already knew me pretty well. I mean, he did find me hiding in that bathroom
stall, right? And he even knew exactly who I was hiding
from.
    For David, the last few days had been all
about showing me some of the things he knew about Billy Coogan and
his crew.
    It was amazing. David knew exactly where the
Coogan Boys were going to be, what their plans were, and the best
possible routes to take to avoid them. It was like he'd kept a
journal of every move they made during the year he was their
target.
    David showed me what he called his "Four
Principles."
    "Like Principal Rufkin?" I'd asked him the
first time he said it.
    "No, no," he said. "The 'principles' are
more like laws, or rules, to live by if you want to have the best
possible chance of survival against the Coogan Boys."
    David's "Four Principles" were as
follows:
    Evade!
    Never take the route that
will put you in the way of danger. If you know where Billy and his
pals are going to be, make it your personal mission to avoid that
area at all costs. If they can't find you, they can't hurt
you.
    Anticipate!
    If, by chance, Billy's
crew is going to find you, be prepared. You should know their
tactics, their favorite attacks, which attacks they use in every
situation (and every place), and their limits (here's a hint: they
have none ). The
Coogan Boys attack with military precision and you have to be ready
for that. You have to be more prepared
than they are .
    React!
    You've been caught by the
Coogan Boys. What do you do? What's the best way to minimize the
damage from an embarrassing situation? What can you do to lighten the blow of a
wedgie? An Atomic Wedgie? An intimidation tactic? Or, worst of all,
a pantsing ?!
There are ways to
turn a horrible situation into something tolerable. You need to
know these reactions like your times tables. The Coogan Boys will
do everything they can to maximize the damage and take away your
reaction options, so you'll need to get creative.
    Strike!
    So, if you've gotten this
far, you're pretty damn lucky. You've survived the Coogan Boys'
onslaughts by utilizing