The Rule of Won by Stefan Petrucha Page A

tale.
    Only now, he was wearing tan pants and a blue hoodie. Turns out his hair wasn’t even black, it was kind of a sandy brown.
    The only reason I recognized him at all was because he was standing next to Screech Neck’s remaining Goth contingent, both of them. They’d obviously just arrived and were as surprised as I was by Landon’s appearance. As I watched the odd scene unfold, I absently tossed some popcorn into my mouth, surprised by how good it was.
    The one with spiked hair and a safety pin through his ear stated the obvious. “Landon, you look like a freaking sun worshipper. This a joke?”
    â€œI thought we were coming to goof on this lame-ass game,” the short thin one said. He had stringy bleached-blond hair and was decked out in black leather pants and button-down shirt (I didn’t even know they made black leather button-down shirts). His clothes were so tight, you could see his bones poking out. I had no idea how he breathed, or even if he was breathing.
    Landon glanced nervously around, then sighed. “I can’t do it anymore, Dingo. My Crave is here.”
    Dingo wasn’t buying. “Is this about that stupid
F
-box? You kidding me? Put in your contacts and get some lipstick on. You look like an idiot.”
    Landon took a lumbering step, as if ready to do as asked, but he stopped abruptly and waved his meaty hands in the air. “No, no. I . . . I have to be true to myself. I have to support the team. I have to support the Crave.”
    â€œLandon?! What are you . . .”
    He took a step away from them.
    Dingo’s eyes went from wide to angry to disgusted. “Fine. Screw it. And screw you, Landon.”
    â€œDingo . . .”
    Dingo turned his back. “That’s it for you, man. That’s it. Enjoy your weird-ass book club. Come on, Rad, let’s go rent some DVDs and crash in your basement.”
    Rad, the little bony one, shook his head sadly at Landon, then turned his back.
    Landon stood there like an open wound, watching them leave.
    Ethan would probably say this was a good thing. Landon was getting rid of the negative elements in his life so he could devote more time to
The Rule of Won
. Landon’s parents, thrilled to see their boy’s “handsome face” again, would probably agree.
    Me, I wasn’t so sure. He looked like a big lost puppy dog.
    I stepped out. “Hey, Landon.”
    He half nodded, but didn’t speak as I stood beside him. We both watched Rad and Dingo as the glistening doors of the Emerald City closed behind them.
    Still chomping on some popcorn, I looked up at the big guy. “I know I don’t know you well, Landon, but ever since I first saw you at school you hung out with those guys. How long you known them?”
    â€œSince grade school,” he said wistfully.
    â€œYeah, well . . . ,” I said. That’s what I say when I don’t know what to say. “I’m here with Vicky, Ethan, and Erica. Want to come hang with us?”
    â€œOkay,” he said quietly. I held out the popcorn bag andshook it. He held out his hands and I poured a good serving out. Truth was, he still looked weird in that hoodie. It was at least a size too small. I guess he didn’t have many non-Goth clothes to pick from. Still, he was a big guy, and people made a respectful path for us as we walked into the gym.
    With Regis flu-ridden and Screech Neck having all the school spirit of a slug, most of the seats were empty and some of the kids in the audience had stretched out across a few, planning to watch the game lying down, I guess. It was easy to spot Erica, way up in the back row. No sense in waving at her, her book was out on her lap as she wrote. Dylan was up there with her, looking all fidgety. Grace the groupie was next to him, bubbling with excitement. She saw me and nearly stood up as she waved at us.
    â€œOver here! Over here!” she shouted, and it, like, echoed through the