Makenna headed toward homeroom inside the school building but stopped momentarily and peered back at the front door. Would Tracey be all right without her? Makenna hoped and prayed that he wouldn't spoil their secret.
Makenna soon heard Jessica: "Hey, Makenna!"
"Jessica?" Makenna turned and smiled when she saw Jessica leaning against some lockers before her, waving. Jessica was also dressed up as a mathlete. Her outfit was similar to Makenna's; she just wore khaki pants instead of shorts.
She and Makenna approached one another, and Jessica hugged Makenna. "It's great to see you, Makenna!" She let go and held her shoulders. "I've been waiting for you for fifteen minutes now!"
"Sorry, Jessica," Makenna said, clearing her throat. "I was distracted."
"With what?" Jessica inquired.
"Jessica," Makenna spoke, "how would you react if I told you that…" She hesitated. "I don't know. I brought a fairy to school?" Makenna met Jessica's eyes.
She stared at her friend for a long time. Then, she laughed and said, "Oh, Makenna, you never cease to make me laugh! Oh, that's a good one! Who would the fairy be? Would she be Tinkerbell?" Jessica laughed again.
Makenna sighed. That was enough to humiliate her. Lowering her head, she stared at the floor and slowly blinked. This was going to be a very long day.
***
Peter's First Period class after homeroom was Spanish 3 with Mr. Fernando Gheesling. His classroom was located on the second floor of the school building.
Peter managed to climb the staircase without a problem with his friend Bruce beside him, but Tracey struggled.
Bruce and Peter waited for him at the top of the staircase, and Peter crossed his arms, shaking his head. "He's pathetic," he whispered to Bruce. "I'm going to KO him in Spanish class." He nudged his friend. "Watch this, Bruce. I have a little treat for him."
"Hee, hee," Bruce chuckled. Evil flashed across his face.
Peter reached into his backpack and pulled out an apple. Rubbing it on his shirt, he blew on it and focused on Tracey, who still struggled on the staircase.
Both his hands gripped the railing, and he took one step at a time.
Peter blew on the apple one last time. Then, he aimed at Tracey's feet and let the apple slip from his grip. It hit the top stair and bounced down the staircase toward Tracey.
He lifted his foot and prepared to put it down, but the apple came under it, and Tracey gasped. He tripped, fell, and rolled down the staircase.
Peter and Bruce laughed from the top of it.
Tracey landed in a heap at the bottom of the stairs and groaned. Students passed him, not bothering to help him up.
Peter and Bruce continued to laugh.
Tracey soon pushed himself to his elbows and glared at them. He was sore all over.
Peter, who managed to control his laughter, sarcastically called, "Oops. Sorry, Ninja Boy."
Tracey clenched his fist, which glowed green. He was ready to send those two bullies flying off the face of the Earth, but then he remembered that he was trying to blend in.
Tracey took a deep breath and calmed down. His fist stopped glowing, and he lowered it. He struggled to his hands and knees and painfully clenched his teeth, reaching for his tummy.
In a few more minutes, Merlin's apprentice sat in Mr. Gheesling's First Period classroom, surrounded by fifteen more kids, including Peter and Bruce. His binder and coloring book rested on the desk's face.
While the students waited for Mr. Gheesling, Tracey colored in his coloring book.
A few kids stared at him, but Tracey was too shy to speak. Suddenly, he felt something hit him in the back of the head and land on the face of the desk.
Dropping his colored pencil, Tracey saw that a paper airplane had landed before him.
Tracey shyly picked up the aircraft and unfolded it. He read the note inside, and sadness flashed across his face. Still holding it, he slowly turned his head and glanced at Peter and Bruce.
Peter smiled evilly and lifted his eyebrows.
Tracey peered back down on the note and sighed. On it, Peter had written something incredibly mean to him. Tracey crumpled the note and threw it into the waste basket near the classroom door. He next devised a plan of revenge against Peter in a non-fighting way. An idea clicked in his brain, and he smirked.
The late bell for First Period rang. Mr. Gheesling entered the room, carrying a stack of papers, and said, "Hola, Estudiantes!" (Hello, students!)
"Hola, Señor Gheesling," (Hello, Señor Gheesling.) all the students except Tracey said.
Señor Gheesling closed the door, stumbled over to his desk, and put the stacks of papers down. While adjusting his glasses, he said, "Tenemos mucho que hacer esta mañana." (We have much to do this morning.)
Tracey soon recognized the language he spoke. Still bewildered by all the human school stuff, he smiled and asked Mr. Gheesling, "¿Qué estamos aprendiendo hoy?" (What are we learning today?)
Mr. Gheesling and the students heard him.
"Huh?" Peter asked, eyes landing on Tracey.
Everybody else soon looked at him, even Mr. Gheesling.
At the sight of Tracey, he said, "Hm," and took his hands off the stacks of papers. Curiously, he approached Tracey. "Hola. ¿Eres un nuevo estudiante?" (Hello. Are you a new student?)
Tracey nodded. "Si. (Yes.) Mi nombre Tracey." (My name is Tracey.)
The students' eyes widened, including Peter Nelson's and Bruce's. Peter glared.
Mr. Gheesling soon asked, "¿Cuantos años tienes, Tracey?" (How old are you, Tracey?)
"Tengo diecisiete años, señor." (I'm seventeen, sir.)
Mr. Gheesling was impressed. This new student was fluent in Spanish, and he wanted to learn more about him. Therefore, his next question was, "¿De donde eras?" (Where are you from?)
This class was already easy for Tracey. He answered, "Crecí en la isla de Merlin. (I grew up on Merlin's Island.) Esta es mi primera vez en la escuela." (This is my first time at school.)
" ¿De verdad? (Really?)" Mr. Gheesling asked, clearly not believing Tracey. "¿Han sido educaos en el hogar todo su vida?" (Have you been homeschooled all your life?)
Tracey shook his head. "No, señor. (No, sir.) Mi sensei, Sensei Merlin, me educó. (My sensei, Sensei Merlin, educated me.) El enseño mi ninjustu, gimnasia, y el sigilo." (He taught me ninjustu, gymnastics, and stealth.)
Peter clenched his fists and growled deep in his throat.
Mr. Gheesling was fascinated but, at the same time, concerned about Tracey. To him, he sounded crazy. Scoffing, he again asked, "¿De verdad?" (Really?)
"Si, si," (Yes, yes.) spoke Merlin's apprentice.
Mr. Gheesling kept the conversation rolling. He asked Tracey a complicated question that time. "¿Puedes hablar otros idiomas?" (Can you speak any other languages?)
Tracey grinned. "Si. (Yes.) Hablo francés y alemán. (I speak French and German.) Y un poco de italiano." (And some Italian.)
Mr. Gheesling nodded. "Hm. Impresionante. (Impressive.) ¿Puede hablar un poco de italiano para mí?" (Can you speak some Italian for me?)
Tracey rubbed his nose. "¿Qué hay de eso canto una canción?" (How about I sing a song?)
Peter dabbed his face with a handkerchief. How much longer was this going to last?
Mr. Gheesling gave Tracey a funny look. "¿Cantar una canción?" (Sing a song?)
"Si," (Yes.) Tracey replied. "Me encanta cantar, señor." (I love to sing, sir.) He told the truth, too.
Mr. Gheesling rubbed his chin. Could this boy sing in Italian? "Todo bien," (All right.) he said, nodding. "Adelante." (Go ahead.)
Tracey continued to grin. He told Mr. Gheesling, "Esta es mi canción favorito. (This is my favorite song.) Es 'Ninja Ir!' de The Fold." (It's 'Ninja Go!' by The Fold.)
He opened his mouth to begin singing, but Mr. Gheesling held his hand up to tell him to hold it for a bit. He turned to the rest of the class, clapped his hands, and, in English, announced, "Attention, students! May I have your attention, please?" He gestured at Tracey. "Tracey, our new friend here, is doing the great honors of sharing a song with us in Italian!"
"What?" the students asked simultaneously. "Italian?"
Peter Nelson sneered and glanced at Bruce. "I doubt he can sing in Italian. Even if he could, I'm sure his voice is terrible."
"Well," Bruce said, shrugging, "we'll just have to wait and see." He, Peter, the students, and Mr. Gheesling focused back on Tracey.
Returning to Spanish, Mr. Gheesling waved his hand and said, "Golpeanos." (Hit us.)
Tracey cleared his throat, sat up straight, and inhaled. The music to "Ninja Go!" began playing in his head. He opened his mouth and started to sing in his incredible, siren-like voice:
"Ninja Vai, Vai! Tutti con me! (Ninja Go, Go! Everybody with me!)
Vai, vai! (Go, go!)
Mai intenzione di smettere! (Never gonna stop!)
No no-nessuno sta andando a rallentarci! (No-nobody's gonna slow us down!)
Eccoci vai! Vai! (Here we go! Go!)
Scuotilo con me! (Shake it up with me!)
Vai, vai! (Go, go!)
Prendere al superiore! (Take it to the top!)
No no-nessuno ha intenzione di fermarci ora! (No-nobody's gonna stop us now!)
Andiamo in tondo e rotando!" (We go round and round and round!)
Tracey stopped singing. Ah, that felt so good.
Everybody had frozen, including Mr. Gheesling and Peter Nelson. They couldn't believe it. Tracey sang an entire verse of a song in Italian. Whoever had educated him before coming to this school was a good educator.
Mr. Gheesling was lost for words. Finally, when he found them, he said, "Vaya, eso fue impresionante!" (Whoa, that was impressive!)
Tracey blushed. "Gracias." (Thank you.)
Mr. Gheesling's final question was, "¿Puedes hablar ingles?" (Can you speak English?)
Understanding, Tracey quickly returned to English. "Oh yes! English is my main language. Sensei just taught me Spanish, French, German, and Italian because he said they could be useful if I ever traveled to a Spanish-speaking country, Germany, Italy, or France."
"Whoa," Mr. Gheesling spoke. "That was very impressive, Tracey! Welcome to Spanish 3!"
Where Bruce and Peter sat, Peter's face flushed.
"Wow, Peter," Bruce said. "Looks like you've got some competition now."
"Ugh!" Peter shouted. He forcibly pushed his chair from his desk. Its legs scratched the ground and screeched. Peter quickly stood, and with clenched fists, he marched out of the room and slammed the door shut.
The students, Tracey and Mr. Gheesling, jumped.
"What's with him?" Tracey inquired.
Mr. Gheesling sighed. "Well, Tracey, it appears Peter, who has always been the top student in the class, thinks you're taking his place."
"Me?" Tracey asked, pointing at himself. "But I'm just here. This is my first day at this school."
"Mr. Nelson tends to get jealous very easily," said Mr. Gheesling. "I'm going to step out in the hallway and talk to him."
"And I'll just sit here," Tracey uttered.
Mr. Gheesling smiled. "Sounds good to me." Lifting his hand, he patted Tracey's shoulder. He rubbed his nose and told the students, "I'll be right back, kids. If you have questions about Spanish, you should probably ask our new friend here." From there, Mr. Gheesling left Tracey's desk and entered the hallway.
Tracey sighed.
Suddenly, he heard a "Psst" behind him.
Tracey turned and glanced over his shoulder. His eyes landed on Bruce.
Bruce glared, and Tracey saw him drawing something in his notebook. Soon, he finished the drawing and held the finished product up so Tracey could see it.
He examined the drawing and immediately felt a lump in his throat. Bruce held up a drawing of Tracey being hanged. He pointed his pencil at the limp body in the photo and nodded meanly at the fairy. He mouthed to him, This is going to be you, Ninja Boy.
The lump in Tracey's throat grew. He almost felt like crying. He didn't understand. Why were people so mean to him?
Exhaling, Tracey turned his back to Bruce and tightly clenched his fists. Tears appeared in his eyes. Tracey closed his coloring book and placed his face on his desk. He covered himself with his arms and shook.
Where was Makenna? Tracey wanted Makenna. He wanted Gina. He wanted Merlin. He wanted to be back at Merlin's Island. He didn't want to be there.
For the rest of his time in Mr. Gheesling's Spanish class, Tracey didn't speak and kept his head buried, scared of what would follow when that bell rang.