A Game, or a Trip?
- Spoiler:
- James Cartney always was an adventurer.
So far, at the age of twelve, he'd been backpacking in Europe, lost three adult teeth to a mean gangster in the bad part part of New York, done a backflip into the Jordan River on a church trip, and sat in every seat at PNC Park.It wasn't really a surprise when he said he wanted to hike through the forests of Asia. I mean, I probably had thought he would want to go to Australia and drag race in the Outback, but.. he is pretty unpredictable.
It all started one day in fourth-period gym at Carnegie Middle School.
Dylan, our friend, ran up to him and yelled "HIIIYAH!" while extending his flat hand. Dylan's a little unpredictable too. I was about to say "What the heck?" to Dylan, but James beat me to words.
"Ninja! Man, I'd love to play! But none of us are very good.."
"Oh, c'mon," I replied back. "You'd have to find a real ninja to beat us!"
"Real Ninja! Light bulb Moment!" He burst excitedly. "I have to find a real ninja, and challenge him to Ninja!"
"But they use shurikens and katanas! It's in all the books!" Dylan burst back frightfully.
"We'll fight dry. Or I'll be packing heat." We all gasped.
"You have.. a gun? I stammered. James seemed like the worst candidate to have a gun.
"No, I can find a stick on the ground." I rolled my eyes.
"James, you know that packing heat means you have firearms?" I replied.
"Whatever," and it was at that point that the bell rang, and that became the most meaningful period ever in James's life. Okay, we don't learn that much in school!