Sharks Inc. #4--A Sharks Incorporated Novel by Randy Wayne White

Author:Randy Wayne White
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press

EIGHTEEN

THE KID WHO FARTED AND A ZOMBIE WARNING

“Do you ever wonder if we meet people for a reason?” Annie said softly. “Just sometimes, not often. It’s only been three days since the TV interview, but I feel like we’ve been friends for a long time. Isn’t that weird?”

Luke couldn’t argue with the girl.

Feeling like Annie was an old friend was the only reason he’d agreed to ride in the fancy bus to nearby Captiva Island and watch her rehearse in front of a bunch of people he didn’t know—people she’d probably never met, either.

The thought of it made Luke cringe. Even so, he had changed into clean shorts and a blue Sharks Incorporated T-shirt, plus his nerdy black socks and white boots.

Annie had insisted.

Yeah, friendship—the way it worked was sort of weird. Luke didn’t understand why certain kids, among the blur of faces in a crowd, seemed to spin into focus and bang into each other like magnets.

It was rare, especially for Luke. Back in Ohio, on the farm, their nearest neighbor was miles away, so he’d spent most of his time alone. There was daily work—animals to feed, hay to bale, and grungy rank jobs to do, assigned by his angry stepdad.

But the moment the work was done, Luke was gone, wandering the woods or fields, off by himself. Even in a school classroom, he had felt the same. Alone, just him, among a blur of faces.

What changed all that was baseball, the locker room, and a new kid who farted.

“Flush the toilet or break a window!” someone demanded. “Who just cut the cheese?”

No one expected an answer. No one in their right mind would admit to stinking up a whole room with one deadly silent toot.

But the new kid was different. He sat at a nearby locker. “Sorry, fellas,” he said with a North Carolina drawl. “That dang horse left the barn before I could close the gates. Trouble is, they’s more left in the stall, and I’m afeard I cain’t stop ’em.”

Barry, the kid’s name. A right-handed pitcher. He’d sounded nervous and embarrassed.

Luke could relate to what Annie had just said. All the guys on the team were friendly. But friendship was different. After that, he and Barry had hung together. Played ball, did some camping, tried video games, which sucked compared to being outdoors. They could go for hours without saying more than a few words, and that was fine.

Friends, like magnets, didn’t have to speak. They just clicked as if joined by some mysterious force.

After a few days with Annie, exploring the mangroves, it was the same despite their different backgrounds. But now, on a bus that smelled of leather and luxury, she had more secrets to share, and not much time to share them.

Annie was concerned about the driver eavesdropping. She whispered. Luke listened. She had a new idea about Sharks Incorporated selling mullet boots and other stuff.

The boy had zero interest in this, but he still paid attention.

They also had to make a

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