The Geek Club

The Geek Club

By Becky Reilly

Smashwords Edition

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and didnot purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return toSmashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Copyright 2013 Becky Reilly

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Table of Contents

Chapter 1 - The Dream

Chapter 2 - The Plan

Chapter 3 - Mission Possible

Chapter 4 - Games of Change

Chapter 5 - Food, Games, and Fear

Chapter 6 - First Day of School

Chapter 7 - Teaming Up

Chapter 8 - The Other Team

Chapter 9 - Lunch Crunch

Chapter 10 - Fear

Chapter 11 - Austin’s New Favorite Superpower - Invisibility

Chapter 12 - Loss of Appetite

Chapter 13 -The Pin Master

Chapter 14 - Looking at Shoelaces

Chapter 15 - The Geek Club

Chapter 16 - How to be a Geek

Chapter 17 - The Call

Chapter 18 - Snakes

Chapter 19 - Geeks in Action

Chapter 20 - The Scariest Place

Chapter 21 - Competition

Chapter 22 - The Brain Drain

Chapter 23 - Getting the Geekiness Out of the Geek Club

Chapter 24 - The Empty Seat

Chapter 25 - The Mistake

Chapter 26 - Trouble Between Friends

Chapter 27 - Two Kinds of Pride

Chapter 28 - Running Toward the Race

Chapter 29 - Back to School

Chapter 30 - Eye to Eye Combat

Chapter 30 - The Race is On

Chapter 31 - Games of Change

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Chapter One: The Dreams

Austin dreamed of being a superhero. He wanted to fly across the galaxy and save the world. In the secret cave he made with his bed covers every night, he used to pretend to fight villains who threatened the destruction of mankind.

That was when he was a child.

Now he was ten, and he didn’t care so much about the world. Now he secretly wanted to rescue blonde, curly haired Carrie Copenhagen. So far, he--and his pet frog Leonard-had saved her from a raging fire, a fall from the Empire State Building roof, and an escaped rabid lion. All of these heroic rescues occurred in his cover-cave. Being a superhero, even if it’s just in your brain, is an awesome way to live.

JJ dreamed of being a professional baseball player. Every time he picked up a bat, JJ could hear the roar of the crowd and smell the hot dogs from the stands. His friends made fun of him because he made cheering noises himself, and said things like, And the crowd goes wild, whenever he hit the ball. JJ wouldn’t mind being a superhero too. Sometimes he and Austin argued over the greatest superhero powers. He preferred mind-reading and ultimate strength. Austin wanted to fly and be able to breathe underwater. In his ultimate dream, JJ was a superhero who played professional baseball.

Michael dreamed about being cool like his big brother Joe. When he was younger, it was fine to have silly dreams like flying through the air in your underwear with a cape on your back. But he would be in fourth grade soon. Fourth graders would laugh at silly kid stuff like that. Michael knew the most important thing was to be respected. At least that’s what his brother Joe told him. Being cool, being respected, that was tough. Michael practiced walking with his shoulders back and his elbows out away from his body. The tough cowboys walked that way in the movies. Michael kept his light brown hair in the same style his brother did, short and combed to the side. He tried to copy Joe’s clothes too. Sometimes Michael secretly still wanted to fight bad guys in tights.

Josh dreamed of swinging a bat and hitting a baseball. Not a big dream for most ten-year-olds. But most ten-year-olds don’t have spina bifida.

Josh was born with a birth defect. His bones didn’t grow completely around his spinal cord like they were supposed to, and his legs grew weak and crooked. The doctors did all they could. Josh had a couple of operations the first week of his life, and more operations as he grew older. Josh still couldn’t stand without his legs wrapped tight in braces, and even then he had to have crutches or a walker to lean on. Most of the time, Josh chose to use a wheelchair. It was easier on everyone.

Josh would never be able to run. He’d never be able to jump. He’d never be able to be a professional ball player. But one day, one day he would get in a batting cage and hit a baseball. He would actually swing a bat, and hear the crack of the ball, and see it fly.

Austin, JJ and Michael, his best friends since kindergarten, promised to make that dream happen.

Two years ago, Josh’s dad took him to Games of Change, a teen hangout with video games, batting cages and a miniature golf course. The manager took one look at Josh’s wheelchair and bent legs and said, Sorry. It’s too dangerous. If he gets hit by a ball, we might get sued. Then the guy insulted Josh further by saying, Our handicap cage has a tee he can hit off of. Or, I’ll get him a chair. He can play pinball.

Josh figured adults didn’t know how to handle him and his wheelchair. They either talked above him as if he couldn’t hear, or talked to him like he was three-years-old. He didn’t know which he hated more.

Sneaking into the batting cages at Games of Change was mostly about getting to hit a fastball. But Josh knew he’d feel a lot of satisfaction proving the manager wrong.

Chapter Two: The Plan

The planning meeting took place in the dark and dusty shed behind Michael’s house. It smelled of dying grass and gasoline even though they’d moved the lawn mower outside.

Josh sat on an old five-gallon paint bucket he’d carefully dusted off. His folded up walker leaned against the shed wall. Josh liked to be clean and neat. He grunted when a drop of sweat dripped down his forehead. Josh pulled a neatly folded handkerchief from his pocket, patted the sweat away, and glanced at the guys.

Josh had shaggy blonde hair and blue eyes surrounded by dark eyelashes. Those dark eyelashes in his pale face startled people the first time they saw him. It looked like someone took a piece of charcoal and outlined Josh’s eyes. When people got to know Josh, his smile surprised them even more. He always smiled, or grinned, or laughed. Ten years of pain and frustration from his birth defect had not made Josh grumpy or bitter. It made him wise.

Can you get me into Games of Change? Josh asked.

Michael leaned forward and grasped Josh’s shoulder. We will get you in, I promise.

Three rakes and a garden shovel clattered to the ground throwing dust and dried up lawn clippings into the air.

Austin! Michael and JJ screamed and jumped. They both turned to face the boy standing in the middle of the chaos. Josh just grinned. A little noise didn’t bother Josh.

Sorry, tripped...didn’t mean…elbow….bumped…dropped Leonard. Uh, yes, we’ll get you in was what I was going to say….Sorry. Austin couldn’t move without tripping or knocking something over. His mom promised Austin his clumsiness would go away once he grew into his body. Austin’s legs were long, and they were the skinniest legs in the entire town. His knees looked like tennis balls stuck in the middle of twigs. Austin stumbled over his size ten feet twenty times a day. He’d stumble less if he didn’t insist on wearing his dad’s size twelve shoes. A mop of curly orange hair framed his freckled face. Austin grinned a lot too, but when he grinned, his mouth only lifted on the left side of his face. It gave him a cock-eyed look.

JJ rolled back over on his stomach amongst the spider webs and lawn chemicals. He pushed Leonard off his paper and went back to work to put the finishing touches on his drawing. JJ had the body of an athlete. Thin and broad shouldered, his calf muscles and biceps had already started to pop out. He liked to wear his dark hair long. He spiked it with gel so it stuck out all over his head. He thought it made him look like his favorite athletes. His brown eyes glazed over when he daydreamed, which was pretty much all the time.

JJ finally put his marker down. I have our plan, he said. Only thing is, Josh, you’ll have to use your walker instead of your wheelchair.

No problem, Josh grinned. Just get me in.

Quickly the boys leaned over JJ and his drawing.

Cool, Austin cried out, then fell over a rake.

Explosions? Josh shook his