Nikolas and Company: The Merman and The Moon Forgotten Read Online Free PDF Page B

his
head and announced, “Gotta beat this level, Nick. Let me know when
you make ecological history.” With that, he was lost to the virtual
reality world of Magicgeddon.
    “Nick,” Daniel nodded.
    “Daniel,” Nick nodded in
return.
    Daniel turned an inspecting eye to the
room. Nerves crept up Nick’s back as he watched the boy genius limp
to the machine and inspect the Prometheus 10,000 like some five
star general of science, if those even existed.
    “Hmm,” Daniel said to
himself and moved to the edges of the room, where three fishbowls
were placed on wooden chairs. Each bowl had a piece of charred
cardboard taped to it, with the scribbled numbers #17, #18, and #19. The bowls were filled
with sooty water.
    Daniel traced a figure eight
in bowl #17, and
then tasted the black water.
    A fish eye rose to the
surface.
    “So, yeah,” Nick said. “We couldn’t
experiment on ourselves.”
    Daniel said nothing. He swished the
water with his pinky finger. Another eye rose to the top, but this
one was attached to a fish paddling desperately.
    “Mom and Dad have like a hundred of
those fish. They won’t miss a few.”
    Daniel still said nothing.
    “Well,” Daniel finally spoke,
“experimentation is the heart of the scientific method.”
    Nick’s shoulders dropped. The boy
genius approved.
    Swish . . .
swish.
    Entering the oldest of the
Wendell sisters, Haley Wendell—
    “I’ve got pies,” said Haley. She stood
in full karategi, holding two pies like a waitress at a small town
diner.
    “Thank goodness, Haley,” Caroline
clapped.
    “ Haley?” Tim did a
180 o ,
the motherboard sailing from his hand.
    “Tim!” Nick lunged for the
motherboard.
    “My match went a little long. Sorry,
Nick,” Haley explained. “Then Caroline was all manic about her
pies.”
    Sixteen years old, the computer introductory system continued, enchanting blond hair and deep green eyes. Haley’s
name is on the lips of every boy at the refugee camp, without any
aid on her part. In fact, it takes a brave boy to ask her on a
date, knowing that Haley has responded with more than a
‘no’.
    Haley inhaled deeply and turned around.
She spotted two old-fashioned milk crates underneath the work
bench.
    She verbally assaults
would-be suitors, leaving only a scarred psyche for collection.
Over Christmas break, Weaver High School’s basketball team, who had
won 4 state championships in a row, made a bet as to whom she would
say “yes” to first on the team. Every one of them stepped up and
took their turn. She told them exactly what she thought.
    Haley stacked the crates.
    Not only did the basketball
team not win state championship that year, the point guard asked to
be transferred to another school because, and I quote from his
Friendbook account, ‘I have serious questions about my own ability
to dribble a ball, defend the basket, or lift a fork and put it in
my mouth.’
    Haley climbed the crates until she was
eye level with the computer introductory system. She locked onto
Daniel with her steely blue eyes.
    Now only nerds and misfits
dare to ask her on a date, as they are already accustomed to verbal
assaults in a public environment. But, do not be fooled by her
aloof countenance. She is madly in love with—
    “Haa!” Haley executed a perfect half
crescent kick.
    The now smoking computer system swung
over the door frame by a red wire.
    CREZAKKK!
    The box fell, shooting out a bed of
sparks.
    Haley jumped down with her eyes still
locked on Daniel. “Put it back up and you’ll be trading that cane
in for a breath-operated wheelchair.”
    “Hi, Haley!” Tim’s voice cracked. “How
are you? How’s life? Win any state championships? I bet you beat up
all those girls. You’re like a queen . . . of kung fu. A—a kung fu
queen. Queen fu. Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha.” Tim’s smile could
swallow the Mississippi river.
    “Hey, Tim,” said Haley.
    “Great. Thanks for asking, Haley. Um,
yeah . . .” Tim’s eyes danced around,