Pranked!

By Dave Kinzer

As the reigning bully in Mrs. Minor's sixth grade class, Fred loves to make life miserable for the other students. Maddie usually tries to steer clear of him. But when Fred does an especially despicable thing to her, Maddie and her friends resolve to teach him a lesson. The only problem is, they're not too good at this revenge thing. It's a good thing that practice makes perfect...

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dave Kinzer
• Release date: Jun 18, 2014
• ISBN: 9781310809866

Dave Kinzer

Watch for my "sequel" to "The 80s Music Compendium"- "The 60s Music Compendium" will be released in 2017!

Book preview

Chapter One

No one’s ever made me bleed all over my face at recess before.  Not on accident, and certainly not on purpose. 

If I had polled my entire sixth grade class as to who would be most likely to do such a thing, one name would easily garner the most votes: Fred Hoker.

See, about ten minutes earlier, one of my best friends ran inside to puke because of the despicable thing Fred did to her. 

Macy, Jasmine, and I were sitting on a bench during recess.  Macy was eating a snack, while Jasmine and I discussed our plans to try out for American Idol in a few years. 

I don’t want to dye my hair red, Maddie, said Jasmine.

Well, how are you going to stand out to the judges then? I replied. 

Won’t my natural beauty do the trick?  Jasmine tossed her long brown hair over her shoulder and struck a pose like a model.

I snorted a laugh.

Actually, Jasmine probably was the prettiest girl in our class- the classic tall, skinny girl with brown eyes and brown hair.

I threw my banana peel in the trash can and said, What do you say, Macy? 

When she didn’t answer, I looked over at her.  Macy, what the heck are you doing?

Without looking up, she said, Sorting my trail mix.

What for?

Well, she said as she carefully lined up rows of almonds, raisins, peanuts, white chocolate chips, M&M’s and sunflower seeds on her folder, it doesn’t taste right.

And sorting it is going to make it taste better? I asked.

No.  But one of the ingredients is bad, or old or something.  If I eat them one at a time, I’ll figure out which one is spoiled.

Macy was so focused on the job at hand, you’d think there was a million dollar prize at stake for whoever could line up the neatest row of almonds. 

Whoops, said Jasmine, that sunflower seed is a little crooked.

Want a ruler? I offered.

Macy nudged the sunflower seed back into place and glanced at me out of the corner of her eye.  No thanks… she said dryly.

Jasmine and I grinned at each other. 

Laugh at me all you want, but I bet I figure it out this way.

She went on sorting her trail mix, while Jasmine and I continued to debate what she should do with her hair for American Idol.

Finally, Macy announced that she was done sorting.  You guys wanna help?

My stomach growled.  Maybe.  What do I have to do?

Just pick one of the ingredients and eat it.  If it tastes weird, tell me.

I grabbed the almonds and sniffed them.  They smell all right.  I popped them all in my mouth.  

After I swallowed, Jasmine and Macy stared intently at me.  

They’re fine.  Nice and salty.

I’ll try the M&M’s.  Jasmine scooped them off the folder and into her mouth.  She gave us the thumbs-up sign while chewing.

Macy picked up the white chocolate chips one at a time and stared at them.  With a shrug, she threw a handful into her mouth and started chewing.

Well? said Jasmine after a couple seconds.

In response, she frowned as she chewed.  Then she grimaced, and chewed as if she was eating a live bug and didn’t want any part of it to touch her lips or tongue.

Looks like you found the bad ingredient, huh? I said.

Macy nodded, then swallowed with some effort.  She took a long drink from her water bottle, then grimaced.

Why did you swallow them? said Jasmine  You could’ve just spit them out.

Macy just shook her head and slumped back on the bench.  When I ate the trail mix all mixed up, the taste of the other ingredients kinda covered up the bad taste of the white chocolate chips, but alone… wow.  Macy took another drink.  

I fished out a few of the chocolate chips and examined them.  They looked normal enough.  I sniffed them.

Macy!  These aren’t white chocolate chips!  They’re… no, that can’t be right… but it sure smells like it.  I couldn’t believe what my nose was telling me.

What? they both said.

I held a few of the white chocolate chips in my palm.  They aren’t made of chocolate. They’re made of glue!

Jasmine leapt to her feet.  Are you serious? 

Here, smell them.

Jasmine took a sniff and immediately shrank back and wrinkled her nose.  

Macy’s face had turned noticeably pale, and she hesitantly leaned forward and took a short sniff.  Then she groaned and massaged her stomach.  

Macy, I asked, How many of those did you eat just now?

About ten, she whispered.

But that doesn’t include all the glue-chips she ate before that, said Jasmine.

Macy stared at us with wide eyes for a second.  Then she turned and raced towards the school, bent over the whole time.

I hope she makes it to the bathroom.

I peered inside the bag of trail mix.  How did all the white chocolate chips get replaced with glue-chips?

A mistake at the factory?

I shook my head.  No, no.  That would never happen.  Somebody did this on purpose.

At the factory? she said again.

I seriously doubt it.  Somebody here at school must have done it.

"I wonder how they did it? said Jasmine.  Someone would have to get inside Macy’s locker, find the trail mix, and then trade the real white chocolate chips for fake ones."

That would take some time.

Who could do that without being spotted?

Whoever was in charge of cleaning the locker area would have plenty of time, I said.  

Erin did it last week, Jasmine said, so that means this week, it was-

Fred!

You think he did it?

It had to be him!  While Mrs. Minor was taking attendance and we were writing in our journals-

He was switching the white chocolate chips with glue-chips!  Jasmine put her hands on her head.  "I can’t believe he would do something like that!  I mean, he practically poisoned Macy!" 

"I’m not surprised," I said in a low voice as I turned to scan the playground for Fred.

He was playing basketball like usual.  I immediately started sprinting towards him.

Jasmine called out behind me, Maddie, wait!  What are you going to do?

Actually, that was a good question.  Before I knew it, I was face to face with Fred on the basketball court without a plan.

Fred spun the ball on his left hand as he looked at me.  Maddie, what are you doing here?  

A bit out of breath after my sprint, I paused.  Well, I…  

Ms. Simpson, one of the recess monitors, strolled onto the court.  

I want to play.

But you never play basketball at recess.  Get off the court.

Frederick! Ms. Simpson yelled.  You be polite!  Now, I just heard you saying a few minutes ago that the other team needed another player.

But she can’t play.  She can’t even… Fred’s voice trailed off as Mrs. Simpson put her hands on her hips and sucked in her breath.

Nobody messed with Ms. Simpson, not even Fred.

Fred looked down at the ground and bounced the ball to me.

I wasn’t sure that this was a good development.  Fred was right.  The reason I never played basketball at recess was because I wasn’t any good at it.

Now I had the ball, several of my classmates were yelling at me to pass it to them, and Fred was guarding me.  I tried to pass it to Jimmy, but Fred knocked it out of the air to Aaron.  Fred ran over to the basket, and Aaron passed it to him.  Fred laid it in for a basket. 

Nine to seven, he said.

Jimmy started with the ball this time.  He passed it to Erin, who passed it to Stu.  He shot it, but missed.  The ball came right to me, so I grabbed it and tried to pass it to Erin, but Fred grabbed it right out of the air and made a shot to make the score ten to seven.

One more basket for us, and we win, Fred said.

Stu took the ball out for us and made a quick basket. 

Ten to eight.

Fred checked the ball to me.  I fumbled the ball before passing it back to him.

As Fred held the ball, he said under his breath, Actually, I’m glad you joined the game, Maddie.  It’s making it easier for my team to win.  He gave me a big smile.

I know what you did to Macy, I whispered.

Instead of passing the ball, he looked back at me.  What are you talking about?

I think you know.

He shrugged.

Putting glue in Macy’s trail mix.

"Oh, that.  He laughed.  How’d it taste?"

She’s sick right now.

Tell her she shouldn’t eat glue!  He laughed again. 

Jerk. 

You won’t be laughing when Mrs. Minor gives you a week of detention.

Make sure you don’t tell Mrs. Minor, Maddie.

Of course I’m gonna tell Mrs. Minor.  I put my hands on my hips.  Why wouldn’t I?

Fred frowned at me as Camden yelled at him to pass the ball.

Hmmmmm?  I leaned towards Fred.  I’m waiting… 

Fred sneered and launched the basketball into my nose with a vicious chest pass.

Stunned, I plopped backwards onto my butt.  

Fred grabbed the ball and dribbled away as blood streamed from my nose and down my chin.  

SWISH!  

Fred high-fived Aaron. We win again!  

I put my hands up to my face.  In no time, blood ran down my arms and trickled off my elbows to the pavement.

The other students stood there, gawking.  Some slowly backed away.

Mrs. Simpson appeared at my side and stared at Fred. 

He walked over to me.  Are you okay Maddie?  I feel so bad, I’m sorry!

Then why are you smiling?

He looked up at Mrs. Simpson.  It was an accident!

Of course it was.  She motioned for me to get up.   Up you go, c’mon.  Sitting there and wallowing in your own blood isn’t going to help matters any.  She was never known for her compassion.  

I wobbled to my feet.  

Let’s get you to the nurse. 

I stared at Fred.  He did it on purpose!

Tell it to the principal.  Mrs. Simpson jabbed me in the back to get me walking.  

He did!

I was trying to pass it to Camden.

Keep going, c’mon.  

Sorry, Maddie!  Fred called out for the benefit of Mrs. Simpson.  He walked back to the basketball court with a huge smile on his face.

Fred never did get in trouble.  Not for nearly breaking my nose, not for tricking Macy into eating glue, not for anything.  No matter what he did to anyone, he was always able to convince Mrs. Minor that it was an accident, or that he didn’t do it.

Fine. 

If the adults weren’t going to help, I’d take care of Fred myself.  

One way or another, he was going to stop picking on me and my classmates.

I had a feeling that the Basketball Incident would not be the last battle fought between Fred and myself that year.

Chapter Two

Hey, you got a fish?

Macy and I were watching an old Disney movie in my room on a Saturday afternoon.  I was just about to doze off when Macy asked about my rainbow fish.

Yeah.  My dad got it for me.  Her name’s Hermione.

She’s really pretty.  I can see why it’s called a rainbow fish.  Macy got up and almost pressed her nose against the bowl to get a good look at Hermione.  But, ummm… is she dead?

What?  Of course not.

Or is she sick or something?

What do you mean?

She doesn’t move.

Not too much.

I bet she wishes she were dead.

Hey, why’d you say that?

It’s just that, well, look at her home!  All day, she just has a little bowl to swim around in.  She has no friends, nowhere to play, no plants to hide behind.  How could she be happy in there?

I never thought about it like that, I muttered.

Oh well, it’s your fish.  

We finished the movie, then Macy went home.

I sat on my bed and stared at Hermione.  She did look lonely, and that fishbowl did seem awfully small…  

*~*~*

As I dodged a bunch of 2nd graders on the playground the next morning, Macy’s voice rang out.  Maddie!  Is that Hermione?  

She walked quickly towards me.   

Jasmine picked up her backpack and followed.

You were right, I said.  That fishbowl was way too small.

What did you bring her here for?  asked Jasmine.

I’m gonna see if she can live in Mrs. Minor’s aquarium.

 The aquarium was probably the coolest part of Mrs. Minor’s classroom.  She stocked it