Read The Fourth Stall Part III for Free Online

exchanged a brief look. I tried to figure out if Jimmy was eccentrically brilliant or just another regular old weirdo.
    â€œAfter a series of events last year, the heat was on. We didn’t have any choice, not if we didn’t want to be expelled. The Suits are still on us.” I nodded my head back and to the left.
    Principal Dickerson was standing against the far wall pretending not to be staring at us. He’d followed us here. He kept an eye on Vince and me almost every lunch period.
    â€œYeah, that’s quite some problem you got there, friend,” Jimmy said. “So the Suits are watching you, making sure that you aren’t up to any funny business. But that means they can’t be paying as much attention to the rest of us, right? It’s a simple numbers game. There are more of us to monitor than they have the manpower for.”
    â€œNumbers don’t lie,” Vince agreed. I think he suddenly felt way more comfortable knowing we were sitting across from another numbers guy. Jimmy was strange, yeah, but he was also clearly pretty sharp.
    â€œWhat are you getting at?” I asked.
    â€œWhat about if someone new came along? Someone who the Suits would have no reason to suspect of wrongdoing. Someone with pretty good business savvy and a squeaky clean record. Someone who could step in and fill the void, solve kids’ problems, fix everything that got broken last year. What would you say to that, friends?” Jimmy took his last bite of beets and then leaned back and stared at us as he chewed, his multicolored eyes seeming to play tricks on my brain.
    I looked at Vince. He looked back. Neither of us knew what to make of it. I don’t think either of us had ever considered handing off the reins of our business to someone else. Especially not to a new kid who we had just met.
    I think Jimmy could read what I was thinking because suddenly he leaned forward and spoke in a low voice.
    â€œOkay, Jimmy doesn’t think he’s going to come in and replace you, just like that. Mac and Vince probably can’t ever be replaced, right, bros? But Jimmy also don’t need you to show him the ropes or anything, because he knows that would be too risky with Dickerson on your tail the way he is. The thing is Jimmy ran a pretty similar operation back at his old school, so he knows what he’s doing.”
    I nodded for him to continue.
    â€œRight, well, what Jimmy is suggesting is that he runs your business for you. Jimmy will take over that sweet office I heard you had and maybe some of your old contacts could become Jimmy’s contacts, right? I mean, kids still got problems they need solved. And you can’t help them anymore. But that doesn’t mean that Jimmy can’t help them. And here’s the best part, guy: Jimmy will cut you in. It’s your operation; after all, you did the hard part already. It’s like a bike: it’s a lot harder to build a bike than it is to ride one. So Jimmy cuts you in for ten percent of the profits, and if any trouble shows up from the Suits, Jimmy will be the one taking the heat. It’s win-win-win. Kids still get their help, you still get paid, and it’s risk free.”
    â€œBut why cut us in at all? You could have just come in and started your own business either way,” I said.
    Jimmy looked offended. “Come on, guy! Don’t be like that. Jimmy would never undercut another businessman on his own turf. What you take Jimmy for, some two-bit hood? It’s the right thing to do, friends. Jimmy needs your blessings.”
    â€œCan we have a few minutes to talk about it?” I asked.
    â€œOf course, dudes,” Jimmy said, and then slid his chair loudly over to the table where Lloyd and Mitch were playing some sort of game that involved them repeatedly smacking each others’ wrists.
    â€œWhat do you think?” Vince said once Jimmy was clear.
    â€œI don’t know. I mean, first of all, can