Trent Reedy - Stealing Air

What could he say? Even if he could tell her about the flyer, she’d never believe him. “It’s, um… hard to explain.”

“It was Frankie, wasn’t it?”

“No!” Brian objected so forcefully that he almost fell off Spitfire .

“Don’t try to cover for him, Brian. I know he’s been giving you crap.”

The one time Frankie was innocent was when Wendy had to drag him into the situation. “It’s nothing.”

“It is not nothing!” Wendy shouted. They were starting down the Lincoln Street hill to the school, speeding up. It was usually a fun slope, but today she just stood straight up on her board with her arms folded. “I will kill him!”

“No, Wendy. Please. Trust me on this. He didn’t do anything this time! It would be better if you didn’t—”

“It would be better if my stupid brother left people alone!” Wendy kicked up a wicked ollie off the street onto the sidewalk in front of the school. Brian went to follow, but was distracted enough to hook his wheels on the curb. He stumbled, but caught himself just in time. Picking up Spitfire , he watched Wendy vanish into the school.

There were still twenty minutes until the first bell, but kids were already hanging out in the hallway or in groups around their desks. After stowing Spitfire in his locker and getting his books, Brian went to his seat between Alex and Max in homeroom.

Alex turned around and bit his lower lip. “I hurt everywhere. Who knew water could be so painful?”

Max spoke quietly. “I’m very pleased that you and Alex made it through last night’s malfunction safely.”

“I wouldn’t call it safe,” Brian said. “But at least we weren’t killed.”

Max smiled. “I have heard the expression, ‘Any landing you can walk away from is a good landing.’”

“Any landing you can swim away from,” Brian said.

Alex laughed a little. “Max, tell him.”

“I remained in the Eagle’s Nest late last night, checking over the damage. The flyer held together perfectly. The engine will have to be flushed and cleaned, but other than that, it should be as functional as it was before.”

Which wasn’t that great, Brian thought.

“What he means is that we’re still in business,” Alex said. “But just like before, we need to work on fixing up the engine and figuring out a new takeoff plan. So, Eagle’s Nest. After school.”

Brian shrugged. If Wendy hadn’t freaked out about his bruises, they could be skating together after school. He tried not to think about it.

It was almost a relief when Ms. Gilbert started class — that is, until she started them on their group projects. He’d had about all he could handle of stupid Icarus.

Frankie slammed Brian with the usual shoulder bumps after class. He left him alone the rest of the day, but Brian didn’t want to take any chances with him after school. “Max,” he said as they gathered up their books after the last bell, “do you want to go to the Eagle’s Nest now? We could take the other way out of here.”

Max nodded.

Outside, they crossed the playground and reached the big maple in the corner by the back fence. “You go first and then I’ll toss our bags over,” Brian said to Max.

Max went around the tree to the side with the low branch — then came flying back, landing on his butt. Frankie jumped out from behind the tree. He ran his hand through his curly black hair. “It took a little time to figure out how you two losers were always getting away after school, but I found your sissy escape path.” He cracked his knuckles. That twitch was back in his eye, now focused on Brian. “Wendy says you’ve been going around telling everyone I beat you up.”

“I did not.”

Frankie shrugged. “I told her she was crazy. I told her I barely touched you in a long time. She didn’t believe me.”

Brian’s legs shook. Max stood up next to him, but there was no rocketbike for their escape today.

Frankie gave Brian a quick shove in the chest. He was forced back a little. Grandpa wanted him to fight this guy? Maybe he could. Brian tightened his fist.

Frankie stretched his neck to one side and then the other. “Now, I told you not to talk to my sister, but you wouldn’t listen.” He shrugged and took another step closer. “And I figure since she’s going to be mad at me for beating you up anyway, I might as well actually do it.”

Max held up a hand. “There’s no reason for this—”

Frankie shoved Max back. Brian rushed at Frankie, but he was too quick, slamming his fist into Brian’s stomach. Brian bent over in pain, the wind knocked out of him.

“Just leave us alone!” Max shouted.

Frankie planted one boot behind Max’s foot and pushed him back, dropping him on his butt. Brian tried to stand upright so he could punch Frankie in the face, but he couldn’t breathe. Frankie grabbed him by the shirt and slung him into the fence. He hit the wood face-first and fell to the ground.

Frankie leaned down over him. He pounded his fist into his other hand. “See you tomorrow.”

Then Brian and Max were alone on the quiet playground.

A breeze blew over them, and from somewhere came the sound of the metal hook for the tetherball, clinking against the pole. Brian just stayed on the ground. He might never get up. Every time he tried, he came crashing back to the dirt again.

Then Max was above him, holding out a hand. “Let me help you up.”

When Brian was on his feet, brushing himself off and feeling his stinging eye and cheek, Max handed him his backpack. “Come on,” he said. “It makes no sense to take the secret way home now.”

Neither of them spoke all the way across town to Grandpa’s farm.

In the Eagle’s Nest, it didn’t take long for Max to disassemble the whole engine. He picked up a toothbrush and started scrubbing down some of the parts.

“Think you can fix this?” Brian asked.

“Most likely.” Max put one part down and picked up another. “I don’t think there is much damage. The engine parts will just have to be cleaned and lubricated.”

“Anything I can do to help?” Brian looked over the mess of parts on the table.

Max pointed to the engine parts, bottles of water, brushes, and clean rags. “You can scrub down the components that are dusty from where the muddy water dried on them.”

“I have my iPod,” Brian said. “Music?” Max nodded, and Brian plugged his iPod into the speakers, putting on the Beatles’ White Album .

They cleaned parts for a while, and nobody spoke. It was nice, just enjoying the music safe inside the Eagle’s Nest. Except for the sting in his face, Brian could almost forget about Frankie.

After a long time, Max looked up from his work. “About this afternoon with Frankie… Thanks for trying to help. I’m sorry that—”

“Guys!” Alex shouted from the hole in the floor. “Check this out! I ordered it a long time ago, but it finally came today.” He came up into the room and rushed to the table with a box so big it barely fit through the tunnel, but he stopped when he saw Brian’s eye. “Whoa. Is your face actually getting worse? What happened?”

“Frankie,” Brian said.

Alex stared at them both for a moment. “Yeah. Well… Hey! Check this out, check this out!” He put the box down on the east-side workbench and opened it. “Okay, so everybody’s a little down about our second crash. I get it, but I have something here that might cheer you up.”

He pulled out a big green metal box. It was the size and shape of a video-game console, but instead of a disc slot on the front, it had a bunch of knobs. Alex took out a long, narrow, folding metal strap and screwed it into the end with the knobs. Then he plugged in what looked like an antique telephone handset.