Page 12 of Hate You, Maybe
I tilt my chin. “The frig?”
“Facilities Repair and Improvement Grant. The FRIG.”
Dex’s mouth goes crooked. “I’m really loving these new acronyms.”
“So am I, Mr. Wilford.” I shoot Dex a glare in response to his blatant flattery, even as heat crawls up my cheeks. The truth is, I’ve been over-trying as much as he is.
Maybe more.
“The directors at Camp Reboot will be providing me with an assessment of your efforts at the end of their retreat,” Mr. Wilford explains, “and their feedback will help me determine which one of you will earn the FRIG for your department.”
I crinkle my nose. “So this is a … bribe?”
“Oh no, no, no.” Mr. Wilford lifts his hands in a not-guilty gesture. “Like I said earlier, this is an opportunity. For all three of us.” His shoulders hitch. “After all, my job is on the line.”
“Well, I for one won’t let you down.” I grit my teeth, unwilling to let this setback get the best of me.
Dexter pushes to a stand. “We’ve got your back, Larry.”
We.
Gag.
He reaches out to shake Mr. Wilford’s hand first, and I scramble to do the same. Hopefully, I’ll have more luck proving my worthiness to the directors at Camp Reboot than the administration at Stony Peak High.
Still. The thought of spending three days at a retreat with Dexter makes me want to vomit on our principal’s desk.
And now I really wish I hadn’t finished that whole burrito for breakfast.
Chapter Five
Dex
It’s Friday night, with five minutes to go in the fourth. Our football team is trailing the Spartans by twenty-one, and our kicker just missed the extra point after touchdown. We’d have to score at least three more times to recover. And even then, we’d need a two-point conversion to win.
In other words, we’re probably going to lose.
Still, you’d never know by looking at our mascot. The kid is doing backflips near the end zone, and our cheerleaders are riling up the home team crowd in the stands. One thing I can say about our school is everyone here has got heart.
Our teams never give up, even when we’re down, which is why our athletes deserve the same advantages as our crosstown rivals, the Harvest High Bobcats. But equity has gotten a whole lot harder since one of their teachers married one of the biggest movie stars in the world.
Lincoln James.
You’ve probably heard about him and his wife, HadleyMorgan. They reconnected a few years back when she was teaching music over at Harvest High. Since then, the Mountain Valley School District has fielded more requests than usual for transfers from our school over to theirs.
Let’s face it, people are drawn to the spotlight of fame, and there’s a certain thrill surrounding celebrities. Me? I think our school offers just as good an education as Harvest High. Maybe even better since we’re never distracted by news crews or featured on TMZ. And our athletes have just as much fight in them as the Bobcats. Unfortunately, Stony Peak is the home of the … wait for it …
Gray Squirrels.
Over the years, coaches have proposed changing our mascot to something more like your usual sports teams. Anything else. Like the Eagles or even the Maples. But our superintendent, Dr. Dewey, is fixated on the fact that the gray squirrel is the state animal of North Carolina.
One season, we tried calling ourselves the Grays, a loophole even Dr. Dewey agreed to. The idea seemed to be working until the opposing team’s fans started showing up to games dressed like senior citizens. They had canes and wigs and signs that said stuff like DON’T DIE ON US, GRAYS. The home side of the stadium even got in on the act. The whole scene was kind of funny, to be honest. But also distracting.
So we’re back to the Gray Squirrels now. A rodent that hides out in trees. But being the underdogs only makes me more determined to do whatever it takes to give the athletic department any advantage I can.
Even if that means enduring some retreat with Sayla Kroft.
“You’re really gonna be stuck at some rustic campsite with her for three whole days?” Bridger chuckles. We’re standingon the sidelines far enough from the action to talk between downs.
