I walked with Shawn and Cory in searches of Eric for a ride home. "Ah, Eric yes. That feels so good." I heard a girl call out.
I shared a look with the boys before we ran to the door. "Okay, we found my brother." Cory giggled before opening the door. Though was just standing behind the girl rubbing her shoulders. "Oh."
"This personality profile of our new principal is superlative." The girl said proudly. "Well the man lives next door, glad I could help."
"Yes. You give a wonderful neck massage." She told him. "You know Molly, I'm more than just a pair of strong hands." Eric said. "Of course you are my little cabana boy." She cooed.
She paused her typing. "Well, fini." She cheered. "No, no, it's Feeny." Eric told her. "Fini is french for finished." She said unimpressed. "Neighbors to the north."
I decided to walk in with a big smile. "Hello."
Eric whipped his head around to her. "Not now, I'm working." He snapped.
"You said you'd drive us home." I said jumping up onto one of the tables. "Ask your brother." Eric pleaded. "Already went home with a girl." I shrugged.
He sighed. Cory set the rat cage beside me making the girl scream. "Hey babe, your wiggin' out the rats." Shawn said.
"Rats?" She asked.
"We're studying natural selection." I said laughing at the girl's dramatics. "Yeah, we're gonna see of rats know the difference between 'natural cheddar' and 'I can't believe it's not cheese'." Cory added.
"Yep, our D-plus rests on little fury Mandy, Shawn, and Cory." Shawn said. "No, I'm getting you guys your first A." I countered.
"You named them after yourselves?" Eric chuckled. "Yep. Shawn's chewing the lock, Mandy's giving him a boost, and I'm the one with the skin disease." Cory explained.
The girl scoffed. "Keep those vermin away from tomorrow's edition of the school paper."
"Yeah let's go all six of you rats." Eric said. "Uh all four." I said looking at the cage. "Shawn and Mandy broke out."
They soon went to search as the girl started screaming again. "Got them." I said grabbing the pair. I shared a look with Eric before holding them up to the girl. "Give 'em a little kiss." She shrieked running out.
"Gee, thanks Mands. Finally get a brainy girl into me and you mess it up." He whined trying to push open the door. "It's pull sweetheart." I said sarcastically.
Eric sent me a look before he pulled open the door. "Thanks." He mumbled.
I laid back down on the table with my eyes shut as Shawn and Cory messed with newspaper to tired to help. Mom had this guy, Ben, over again last night and just my luck, he came to my room before he left.
"Can we go?" I whined. "C'mon you'e been off all day, have some fun." Shawn begged.
I sighed shuffling over to the computer. I changed the L to a W, causing the boys to laugh. "New principal is Weeny? Can you imagine 2,000 students reading this." Cory said.
"Power ultimate power." Shawn grinned. "We would never- would we?" Cory asked. "We'd be notorious, we'd be legends." Shawn continued.
"We? I did it." I countered. "Whatever." Shawn shrugged. "Think, what are we now?" He said to Cory. "Lowly ninth grade sewer scum who name rats after ourselves to feel important."
"And how do we feel about that?" I asked him. "Better than the guys with no rats." He smiled. "Would you rather be special or us?"
Cory sighed and changed it back to an F. "Let's go." I shared a look with Shawn after Cory left. "Do it." He grinned and switched it back to a W before running out of the office with me.
________________
"So how do you feel about his new guy mom's with?" Matt asked as he stopped at school. "I actually kind of like this one."
I bit my lip, both of them were happy. "Me too, he's really nice." I lied climbing out of the car. "Maybe he'll stick around." He said throwing his over me.
"Hey Keller's, you seen this?" Harley called out.
My eyes went wide when I caught the newspaper he was holding. "Can't say I have Keiner." Matt said grabbing it from him. "They changed Feeny to Weeny?" He chuckled.
"Didn't you say last night that you were in the paper office before you left?" Joey asked me. "Uh yeah." I muttered. "You know anything about this Runt?" Harley smirked. "Can't say."
They four boys chuckled, of course they knew I did it but they also knew I didn't want people to know.
"Well someone who did this? I like to have them hangin' around with me." Harley said. "He'd be a great addition to our organization." Frankie added. "Yeah he could stand right there." Joey said, pointing to the other side of me and Matt.
"I'm thinking he could stand right where your standing." Harley pointed to Joey. "Dude." Matt sighed.
Frankie's face dropped. "Then where would Joey- oh." Joey nervously glanced between everyone. "Am I going for a ride?"
But he didn't get an answer as Shawn walked up to us. "Excuse me, Harley. Uh, Sir, about that guy you wanted to-" He started. "Did I say you could eavesdrop on a senior conversation?' Harley cut him off.
"But they....." Shawn trailed pointing at me and Matt, I shook my head. "Did your little ninth grade ears hear something they weren't supposed to?" Harley continued, stepping threateningly to him. "For your sake. I truly hope not." Matt smirked.
"Yeah, they've got a whole locker full of ears from guys who've done the same thing. Their glasses hang crooked now 'cause they got no ears." Joey told him. "How much to keep the ears?"
"Guys stop-" I tried to cut in but Matt put his hand over my mouth. "How much you got?" Matt asked him. Shawn pulled out a one dollar bill.
"A buck." Harley finalized. Shawn handed him the bill before running away from us.
I pulled Matt's hand off my mouth. "You guys are asshole." I said. "That's my friend." They all laughed. "You should your face when your mad Runt." Harley said. "Truly adorable." Matt coed squeezing my cheeks.
"Screw you guys." I said holding back my laugh as I went to find Cory and Shawn.
I found Cory going off on Shawn. "What do you mean we?" I heard Cory ask him. "I might've been the one to change it back and save it." I told him.
"Mandy I thought we weren't going to encourage this stuff." Cory said. "Cory you forget that half the time I initiate this stuff."
"Cory calm down we just wanted fame." Shawn told him. "But nobody knows you guys did this." Cory countered. "I don't care, I know we did it and that's enough."
But that quickly changed when two girls walked by. "I wonder who did this." One said. "If I was dating them, I'd do anything for them."
"Oh it's killing me." Shawn whined. I wanted to feel hurt but I couldn't I watched the girl walk away. "Me too." I muttered.
________________
Mr. Turner started writing on the board. "Okay, The Scarlet Letter. Hester Prynne has a red letter 'A' on her dress. Now, everybody knows what the A stands for right?" He asked.
"Boring?' Cory said earning laughs.
"Hey, don't laugh at Matthew's. He's never seen an A before." Turner grinned as everyone laughed. "Nice one Turner, and it stands for adultery." I said.
"Thanks Keller." He said. "Okay, the buzz is all over the Massachusetts Colony that Hester had taken the pure out of Puritan. It's scandal, gossip." He grabbed a paper. "Could've came right out todays headline.
He flipped over sheet in confusion as everyone started laughing, gaining a small smile himself. I sent a grin to Shawn but stopped when I saw Feeny.
"Mr. Feeny, good morning." Turner said quickly dropping his smile. "Actually, Mr. Turner, I've had better." I frowned as I filled with guilt.
"You see this particular morning I have been forced to go room to room asking anyone with information on this little journalistic prank to come forward." He said taking the paper.
I shared a nervous look with Shawn.
"I will go a lot easier on the perpetrator if he or she voluntarily confess." He announced, but no one spoke. "No? Very well, I will now let you return to your lecture on.......the letter A."
Cory turned back to us with a knowing look.
__________
"Supposedly the 'Weeny' headline was a typo, that true?" Matt asked as we walked. "Nope." I smirked. "What you gonna do about it?" Harley asked. "You'll see."
I caught up with Shawn and Cory as they looked over our work on the office door.
"We snuck in last night and changed it." I told Cory. "Looks real doesn't it?" Shawn boasted. "Except this drip." Cory wiped it. "You guys are out of control."
I grinned throwing an arm around Shawn. "Aren't we always?" Shawn chuckled. "Tell your friends."
"Hunter scram." Matt said taking his place. "I saw work, really following in footsteps Mands." He grinned. "Good job Runt." Harley complimented ruffling around my hair.
I giggled as the four boys praised me the whole walk home.
_____________
I frowned when I saw Cory exiting the office with Feeny. "Hey Shawn." He followed my eyes and backed away from the paint he was fixing.
"How long am I suspended for?" Cory asked him. "You're not, 5 days of detention. One day for each letter of 'Weeny'." Feeny glance us and then his door. "Which should be spelled w-e-e-n-i-e, shouldn't it? Ms. Keller? Mr. Hunter?"
I froze looking at Cory. "You told him?" Shawn snapped. "What do you think?"
"I think you wouldn't." I sighed looking to Feeny.
"I'm an idiot." Shawn yelled slapping his forehead. "He refused to rat out either of you. Now he faces a week of detention in your honor. But your punishment for not being caught is far worse." Mr. Feeny told us.
I locked eyes with Shawn. "We did it, we confess." He blurted and I smacked him.
"I will be watching you two every moment of your high school lives. Mr. Hunter, that could be years." Mr. Feeny continued. "We confessed." Shawn said.
"Too late, meet your new special friend." Feeny grinned before walking away. "Why didn't you turn us in?" I asked him.