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thinking.
    â€œTarantola!” Coach Laimbardi called from the other side of the field. “Bring in that tackling dummy.” I glanced down at the large red pad lying on the grass.
    Trevor lifted the back of my jersey and hollered, “Don’t worry, Coach, I got the dummy right here!”
    Then, so only I could hear, he added, “You get me that date with Josie and maybe you’ll avoid a date with my fists.” With that, he gave me a jarring shove to the ground and walked off the field.
    After a pretty quiet week, my life had returned to normal.

Chapter 5
    PULLED INTO A MEETING
    In the days that followed I did everything possible to ask Josie about a second date with Trevor, but there was a problem. Jessica. She still wasn’t talking to me and the last thing I needed was for her to see me with Josie—or to hear about it from someone else. Three different times I had approached Josie in the hallway only to have Kayla pop up out of nowhere and give me one of her knowing, angry looks.
    I finally got my chance late one morning while Jessica and Kayla were outside for gym. Josie had been excused from gym for a week after a particularly nasty split during cheerleading practice. I noticed her alone in the library and decided to bring up a different nasty split.
    â€œSo,” I began, “I heard from Trevor that you won’t return his phone calls.”
    She stuck her finger down her throat and pretended to throw up on the floor.
    â€œOh come on, he’s not so bad,” I said.
    â€œHe took me to a drag race. Me! Do you know how gross it was?”
    â€œIt was a demolition derby, and he did buy you dinner.”
    At the mention of the infamous hot dog, Josie’s face twisted into such a disgusted expression that I really did expect her to throw up. She limped off toward the bathroom.
    I had my work cut out for me. Before long, Trevor would run out of patience. For the time being, however, I was safe.
    Or so I thought. Later that same day, Rishi, Josh, and I were walking home from school, joking around and enjoying the beautiful September afternoon. Josh began to lag behind but I was used to that. A crack in the sidewalk was enough to distract him. Rishi was in the middle of a story when I began to notice a car engine idling in back of us. I could also hear tires crunching very slowly over sandy gravel. The hair on the back of my neck stood up. This was all too familiar. Last year, my crazy teacher Mrs. Lutzkraut and her nutty friend Long Nose had followed me all through my neighborhood. Were they inching along with me now? It couldn’t be! Mrs. Lutzkraut was supposed to be “resting” for a few months in a place called Shady Pastures.
    I glanced back slowly. There was a car following us all right, but it was a black limousine.
    â€œOoof,” I gasped, colliding with something soft yet solid. I found myself eye-to-eye with the buttons on a beige dress shirt.
    â€œAre you’s Rodney Rathbone?” a deep voice asked. I peered up at an enormous man. He had a big face that matched his large belly. A large strange man asking for me by name. Definitely not good.
    I was about to run off screaming. I turned to Rishi and whispered, “Let’s get out of here.”
    Instead, Rishi took a step closer to the stranger. “To answer your question, yes, this is Rodney Rathbone, but you’ll need to talk to me. I handle all his business affairs.”
    Another man was climbing out of the limo. He wore a bright ugly shirt and tilted hat. He looked at Rishi. “What are you, his lawyer?”
    Rishi looked unfazed. “I prefer agent. Rishi Singh, at your service.” He handed both men his card. “What can I do for you?”
    Ugly Shirt said, “I like this kid. He’s good with da words. You like him, Cheese?”
    The big guy, who I guessed was named Cheese, grunted. I couldn’t tell if it was a yes or no grunt.
    Ugly Shirt said,