Operation Tenley (17 page)

“Back rows, you start,” Ms. Shareen waved.

The students filtered out of their rows as instructed.

Ms. Shareen elbowed Mr. Mingby proudly. “And
that’s
how it’s done, Mr. Teacher Man.”

“Call me Stan,” Mr. Mingby said.

“I’ll do that, Stan. And you can call me Ms. Shareen.”

Outside, two boys were already tackling each other by the time everyone was finally off the bus.

“Get over here.” Ms. Shareen pointed to them. “Now which one of you is better at Sudoku?”

Neither answered.

“Words with Friends?”

No answer.

Pennie tried to get Tenley’s attention, but when she waved to her, the lacrosse boy mimed flapping wings at her again.

“You look smarter.” Ms. Shareen pointed to the smaller of the two petrified boys.

The small boy shook his head. “I’m bad at stuff like words.”

Ms. Shareen crossed her arms. “I don’t like the look of them, Mr. Teacher Man. I think you’ll be needin’ some help with these tweens and things. Mind if I come along?”

“I was hoping you would, actually,” Mr. Mingby blushed.

A girl next to Tenley put her finger down her throat and pretended to gag.

Ms. Shareen climbed back onto the bus, peeled off her bus-driver sweater, and locked the door after she stepped out again. “Adventures Inc., let’s see what you got!”

00:12:01

Adventures, Inc.

Pennie scanned the layout as they walked farther inside the park.

“Sit next to me on the roller coaster?” Holden asked.

Pennie nodded but looked away. She had only minutes now.

When the roller coaster came into view, most of the students broke out of their groups and sprinted toward it.

“Do we
have
to go on?” a girl asked Mr. Mingby, who looked a little green himself.

“Sure don’t,” he said, taking off his glasses and cleaning them with his shirt. “In fact, I’m happy to sit this one out myself.” He slid his glasses back on. “Those who want to go on the ride, get in line. Those who would rather not, stay with me.”

A few more students stepped forward, but Pennie didn’t move. She had just spotted an area beyond the merry-go-round that looked empty.

“Aren’t you coming?” Holden asked.

“I’m not really into heights.” Pennie answered.

“But you said you’d sit with me.”

To the left of the roller coaster was a small shed they could also hide behind. “My stomach’s feeling a little funny. Is it okay if I wait for you over there?”

“I’ll stay with you.” Holden deflated. “There’s too many jerks around here.” He narrowed his eyes at a group of boys laughing at Pennie.

“Holden, please go.” If he didn’t leave soon, the Fair Force would have to erase his memory.

The alarm on her stopwatch went off. The ten-minute warning.

“I think your dinosaur’s calling again,” Holden grinned.

“You should go on. Please.”

“You coming, Mr. Teacher Man?” Ms. Shareen called back from the front of the line.

“I’ll sit this one out.” He waved to her on his tiptoes.

Ms. Shareen stormed over, grabbed his elbow, and dragged him into the front of the line with her.

“Mingby’s got more game than you, Wonderbolt!” A few boys smirked, patting him on the shoulder. “How about you and your fairy go on over to the Log Ride?” They flapped their imaginary wings and cracked each other up.

“Very funny. Why don’t you losers go on it instead?” Tenley snickered, but when she pointed over to it, she froze.

Dan Ringer was standing in front of it.

“Dan!” Tenley waved. “Hey Danny, it’s me, Tenley!”

“Omigod! Dan Ringer!” A group of girls squealed.

Dan nodded politely, but when he noticed Pennie, he broke out into a wide smile. “Hey there, Pennie, Holden. You guys on a field trip this early?”

“Yeah,” Tenley answered, flipping her hair. “What are you doing here?”

“Community Service Work. I’m a Big Brother. I’m meeting my Little Brother here.”

“Wanna come on the roller coaster with us?” Tenley asked.

“I’m not much of a heights guy,” Dan said.

“Me neither.” Tenley stepped out of the line. “These things make me barf.”

Tenley sauntered over to Dan, who looked increasingly miserable.

Pennie’s heart raced. “Hey, come back Tenley. I need to talk to you for a second. In private?”

Tenley ignored her.

“We should go save him,” Holden told Pennie. “I heard he’s the assistant coach next year. And he knows
my name
. I had no idea he knew my name.”

A few small children and their parents, yawning and holding coffee cups, were the only people in line at the Log Ride.

Holden pressed on. “He has
power
. Power to
play
people. Come on. It’s the least you could do for someone who taught you how to skateboard.”

Holden started over to them. Reluctantly, Pennie followed.

Dan Ringer greeted them with a genuine smile but ignored Tenley who tugged on his arm. “Hey. Let’s all go on it!” she said. “It’ll be fun!”

The waterfall was much bigger than it seemed from the roller coaster line.

Tenley snuggled closer to Dan. “Come on, Danny. It’s higher than it looks. I’ll go with you.” She pulled him into the line with her and glanced back. “You two, come on!”

Holden shrugged at Pennie. “I’m game if you are?”

There was no way she was going to get Tenley away from Dan. The Fair Force would have to erase his memory too. “Okay, sure,” Pennie said, stepping into the line with him.

A boy in front of Dan dropped his mother’s hand and turned around.

Dan smiled.

The boy kept staring at him.

“Small child?” Tenley pointed to her sash. “Can you read this? I’m Tenley T. Do you think that tonight you could get your entire family to vote for me?”

The mother turned around and the boy pointed up to Dan. “Him!”

“Oh, no,” Tenley said. “He’s not trying to get nominated. I am. America’s Next Most Inspirational Teen!” she cheered.

“How exciting,” the mom said. “What is it that you do to inspire teens?”

“Nail art,” Tenley answered proudly. “Building confidence one nail at a time.”

“Interesting.” The mother turned her son around quickly. “It’s our turn, honey.” They walked through the entrance.

A little girl ran up behind Pennie. “Again, again!” she cried, holding a stuffed bunny.

“Sorry, Sweets, we don’t have time.” The girl’s father hurried after her with a squirming toddler in his arms.

“Please, Daddy?” The little girl pouted. “
Please
?”

The father shook his head.

“Go ahead of us, sir,” Dan Ringer offered, stepping aside.

“Are you sure?” the father asked.

“Pleasepleasepleasepleaseplease?” the little girl begged.

“Thanks an awful lot.” The father slid by the four of them. The moment the entrance gate opened, the little girl took off toward the empty log. “Wait!” The father hurried after her, shifting the toddler into his other arm.

Dan and Tenley were next. The attendant, who looked much in need of some sleep and allergy medication, eyed them suspiciously and pointed to a sign on the wall.
Limit 280 pounds
. Then he sneezed. Twice.

“Looks like I’m going to have to go with Pennie,” Dan said, stepping back.

There was no arguing. Pennie was a good twenty pounds lighter. Tenley growled and yanked Holden up beside her. “Come on, Wonderbutt.”

“Bolt.”

Holden groaned but complied with the attendant who waved them through to the next free log.

“Keep your hands inside the log at all times,” the attendant said, before sneezing again and throwing his well-used tissue into the trash.

Holden and Tenley climbed inside the log.

Pennie’s wrist buzzed. She couldn’t tell if Dan had noticed.

00:03:00
.

“I think I’ll just watch from over there, Dan,” Pennie said.

But when the attendant waved them forward, Dan hooked her elbow into his.

“I insist,” he said quietly.

“Keep your hands in at all times,” the attendant said, then sneezed. This time he blew into his sleeve and rubbed his eyes. “Hey! Any a-you’s got a tissue by any chance?”

Both Dan and Pennie shook their heads. Pennie climbed into the log first and buckled her seatbelt. Dan climbed in after her.

The logs jerked to a start. The loudspeaker rattled off:
“The Log Ride will now begin. Please make sure your seatbelt is buckled. Keep hands and feet in at all times
.
Splashing may occur.”

Holden, in the log directly in front of them, turned around. He looked miserable next to Tenley. Their log began climbing the backside of the steep waterfall.

Pennie checked her watch.
00:02:00
.

Dan stared straight ahead, until a high-pitched screech made everyone look.

It was the little girl in the log ahead of Holden and Tenley. She was out of her seatbelt. “My bunny!” she cried, climbing on top of her seat. Her father reached around to grab the back of her pants while balancing the squirming toddler on his lap. “Emmie, sit down!” he yelled.

“Hey!” Holden screamed down to the attendant. “A little girl dropped her bunny. Turn off the ride!”

The attendant was nowhere to be seen.

“Someone stop the ride!” the father yelled. He twisted around desperately to keep hold of his daughter.

Holden undid his seatbelt and stood on unbalanced legs. He waved his arms down to the empty attendant stand. “Hey! Someone. Anyone! Turn off the ride!”

“Be careful, Holden,” Pennie yelled up to him. Dan stayed quiet.

Pennie could see the stuffed bunny floating in the water. It was caught in the downward current heading for Tenley’s side of the log. Holden saw it too.

“Tenley, grab it when it comes by.”

“I’m not touching this water, gross!”

The little girl shrieked louder the farther up their log chugged away from her bunny.

“
Come on!
” Holden frowned at Tenley. “You’ll be doing something
inspiring.
”

“Omigod, you’re right,” she realized.

“Lean over and grab it,” Holden coached her.

“Okay. Video it for me!” She handed him her phone.

When the bunny reached their log, Tenley leaned over, pinched one of the ears, and lifted it out of the water.

Before she sat back again, she hiked the bunny up over her shoulder. “Here, kid.”

“No!” Holden yelled.

But it was too late. Tenley had thrown the bunny upstream.

The bunny sailed over the rushing falls and hit the little girl on the shoulder before bouncing off and falling into the water all over again.

The little girl went into hysterics. Her log chugged up higher.

“What’s the matter with you? Why’d you do
that
?” Holden groaned. He handed her back her phone. Then he leaned over her, to get ready to swoop up the bunny again.

“Watch the sash,” Tenley said. “That was a perfect throw.”

Holden extended his reach. “I think I got it,” he said just before tumbling into the water.

It was only a few feet deep but the current was hard to stand against. “I’m okay,” Holden said, splashing to keep upright. But he didn’t look like it.

Pennie turned to Dan. “Dan, can you pull him in?”

Dan shook his head.

There were bigger problems ahead now and Tenley was the only one to notice. The little girl had broken free from her father’s grip and before he could get hold of her again, she toppled out.

“Help!” the father shouted, standing with the toddler. “Please, someone grab her!”

Twisting and churning, the little girl cried but her screams were muffled by the sounds of the rushing water.

“Swim, little thing!” Tenley called up to her, but the little girl was starting to sink. Holden was too far back in the water to reach her now. “Someone help her!” Tenley yelled.

The father and his toddler were looking like they might fall over themselves.

“I can’t swim. Can you?” Pennie asked Dan.

“No.”

Pennie’s alarm went off.

00:00:30
.

Dan had no reaction.

“Tenley.
You
have to get her,” Holden shouted. “Grab her and pull her inside.”

“My Brazilian blow-out can’t get wet!”

Holden coughed out water. He was starting to submerge “You’ll be on TV! There are security cameras everywhere. Go!”

Tenley considered this. “You think?”

“You’ll get so many votes tonight!”

That was all Tenley needed to hear. She threw one leg over the side of the log, flipped back her hair, rearranged her short shorts, plugged her nose, and jumped in.

“Hold on, small child,” she yelled, waist deep in water. “Tenley Tylwyth is coming.”

But the little girl was gone.

Pennie couldn’t sit by any longer. She started climbing out until Dan pushed her back to sitting. “I wouldn’t do that.”

A shiver went up Pennie’s spine. Something was wrong with Dan.

“Where’d you go, little thing?” Tenley searched the water. “
Ow
. Hey. It’s you.” She pulled the little girl up by the waist.

“Emmie!” The father waved. His log was only a few meters from the crest of the waterfall now.

Emmie choked and cried.

“Don’t worry, I got her!” Tenley shouted to her father. Except she was beginning to lose her footing against the current as well.

Holden started fighting his way up to them. “Just hang on, Tenley. I’ll take her.” But his next step landed him underwater again.

“Listen—thing,” Tenley pleaded. “Please—stop—squirming—can’t—”

Tenley turned her face upwards and looked at the sky. Pennie noticed. She knew that look.

“No, Tenley! You signed the form—”

Pennie’s alarm went off.
00:00:10

Tenley threw the little girl up as high as she could and blew out a quick breath. The gust of wind caught little Emmie and suspended her midair until Tenley blew out another breath, this one slightly more controlled. The little girl began blowing upward across the waterfall headed directly for her father’s log, which was just cresting the other side now.