R. Stine - Red Rain

Mrs. Maloney reacted with surprise. “A joke? Spitting on other kids is a joke?”

Daniel’s dimples flashed. His blue eyes widened in innocence. “He meant it to be funny. He wasn’t being mean.”

“Yeah. It was a joke,” Derek claimed. “I saw someone do it on TV.”

Suddenly, Mrs. Maloney didn’t seem to be interested in Derek. She was squinting at Daniel. Then her eyes moved to the other boys.

“Oh, good Lord in heaven!” she exclaimed, slapping her cheek with one hand. “I didn’t even notice. My eyes must be going.”

Samuel knew she had just seen the blue arrows on their faces.

This is not going to be a quiet morning.

“Well, goodness. Big blue arrows on your handsome faces. Ira, did you boys start a gang ?”

Ira swallowed. “N-no.”

“Do we allow gangs at Sag Harbor Middle School?” she asked, running a stubby finger down Ira’s cheek. “I don’t think so.”

“It’s not a gang.” Daniel stepped in. “It’s a club.”

The bell clanged right above their heads. The sound made Samuel jump. The disinfectant smell had given him a headache. The tension in the hall wasn’t helping. He thought about soft waves, frothy, clean, and cold, splashing on yellow sand.

“Everyone get to class.” Mrs. Maloney waved them all away with both hands. “You too, Derek. Everyone but the Blue Arrow Gang.”

Derek flashed Daniel a nod, as if to say thank you. He thought he’d escaped punishment this time. But Samuel knew he was mistaken.

Mrs. Maloney herded the four boys to her office. She brought in folding chairs and motioned for them to sit. Then she sat down heavily behind her desk and thumbed through a few pink phone-message slips.

She wasn’t really reading them, Samuel thought. She was getting herself together, preparing what to say.

When she glanced up, her expression was stern. “Please explain these face tattoos to me.”

“We want to rule the school,” Daniel replied without hesitating.

She blinked. “I don’t understand.”

Daniel wore his most innocent face and spoke in his high, little-boy voice. “The arrows point up, see? It means we want to go up .”

“Up with Sag Harbor Middle School,” Samuel added, always ready to help his twin. “Up with our school.”

Mrs. Maloney rested her head in her hands. “So you lads are telling me you want to be cheerleaders?”

“Not really,” Samuel answered. “We want to show that we are together, see.”

“No, I don’t see.” She turned to Ira. “I know your father believes that kids should do whatever they want. But did he really approve of you painting arrows on your faces?”

“Not exactly,” Ira replied in a whisper.

Mrs. Maloney sat up straight. She tapped one hand on the desktop. “Well, I’m glad you lads want to do well and show some pride in your school. But I think you’ve gone about it the wrong way. I’m afraid I can’t allow it.”

“Yes, you can,” Daniel said in his little voice.

She blinked at him. “I want all four of you to go wash those arrows off right now.”

“No, we won’t be doing that, mum.” Daniel’s matter-of-fact reply.

She used the desktop to push herself to her feet. “Go to the boys’ room now. Stay in there till the arrows are gone. Go!”

No one moved.

“We won’t be doing that,” Daniel said. He stood up and nodded to Samuel.

Okay. Heaven give me strength. Here we go.

Samuel concentrated. It took so much energy to heat up his eyes.

Mrs. Maloney crossed her arms over the front of her sweater. “Daniel, I don’t understand. At your old school, did you talk back to your principal and disobey him or her?”

“We want to rule the school,” Daniel said.

“Answer my question. Why are you acting like this? I know you are new here and things may be different for you. . ”

Daniel turned to his twin.

Samuel saw only red now. A billowing sheet of red in front of him. His eyes made a sizzling sound, like bacon frying.

Burn time, Mrs. Maloney.

“Daniel, if you don’t obey me, I have no choice-”

“You have no choice,” Daniel said.

Mrs. Maloney uttered an alarmed cry. “Samuel? Your eyes! What’s wrong with your eyes?”

“Are you going to burn her?” Samuel heard Ethan’s voice behind him.

“Are you going to kill her?” From Ira, alarmed.

Samuel saw only shimmering sheets of red. But he could feel the excitement in the room.

“Ouch! Stop it! Are you crazy ? What are you doing ?”

I hate it when they scream like that.

Did we remember to close the office door?

Samuel felt his brother’s hand on his arm. “Careful. Careful. Not too much,” Daniel whispered. “Just enough to let me get inside her brain.”

Mrs. Maloney was silent now. Samuel kept the fiery beam trained on her head.

Burn. Feel the burn.

Silence, except for the pop and sizzle of the red heat.

“Almost done,” Daniel said calmly. “Ease up, boyo. I’m almost there. Ease up. Ease up. We don’t want to leave burns. We don’t want her to remember, do we?”

Samuel pulled the heat back. It was easier to harness it than to fire it up. He could feel his eyes cooling. His headache was gone. He gazed around the room and saw the principal slumped in her leather chair, a dazed smile on her face, arms dangling down the sides of the chair.

Ira and Ethan sat expressionless watching with silent awe.

Daniel still leaned over Mrs. Maloney, staring into her eyes. He patted her broad shoulder gently. He brushed a hand over her head, straightening her short hair. He lifted her hands and placed them in her lap.

“Did it work?” Samuel asked.

He grinned. “No doubt. No worries. Be happy.”

He dropped back into the chair between Ira and Ethan.

Mrs. Maloney shook her head, as if waking up from a short nap. She squinted at the four boys for a long moment. Then she smiled.

“I’d better make that announcement now,” she said.

She stepped around them to a table with a microphone and a stack of electronic equipment. She threw a switch. Cleared her throat. Leaned over till her mouth was a few inches from the microphone.

“Attention, everyone,” she said.

Samuel could hear her voice echoing from classroom to classroom all down the hall.

“Attention, everyone. This is Mrs. Maloney. I have a special announcement this morning.”

The speaker squealed. She jerked her head back. Then resumed:

“Our school has a new slogan I think you will all be proud of. It’s Up with Sag Harbor Middle School . And we have a new school symbol. It’s a wide blue arrow pointing up. Because we all want to move up, don’t we?”

A pause. She turned and flashed Daniel a grin.

“So I’d like every student to stop by the art room at some point before you leave today, and we will have the school arrow painted on your face. I want you to wear it proudly. Don’t forget. Everyone must stop in the art room and receive your school arrow today. Have a special day, everyone. Up with Sag Harbor Middle School.”

“Lea, please come away from there. You’re not even writing. You’re just staring at the screen. Please-”

“I. . can’t, Mark. There’s so much more to write. I’m sorry.”

“I’m going to pull you away. You don’t leave this room. We have to talk.”

“Maybe when it’s finished. .” She turned on the desk chair to face him, her face pale, eyes tired.

“I’ll take you to lunch in town. Where shall we go? We need to talk about the kids. The boys. How we’re going to deal with this arrow thing.”