5. Maximum Risk

Chapter One

“So, you’re the new kid. Welcome to MHS.”

Chris MacKensey adjusted his backpack on his shoulder and turned around. The guy was black-haired with gray eyes. Chris looked him up and down. “Who are you?”

“Keifer Madden.” He held out a hand.

Chris relaxed and shook the guy’s hand. “Hi. Sorry, it's been a rough morning. I’m Chris MacKensey.”

“Seniors are the bane of freshmen’s existence, Chris. I’m not like that. Do you like to have fun?”

“As long as I don’t have to cluck like a chicken at some fraternity hazing.”

Keifer grinned. “That’s college, dude.”

“Oh, right. To answer your question, who doesn’t?”

Keifer nodded to the two guys with him. “This is Jack and this is Manny. Meet us during lunch period. We’ll be outside at the back of the bleachers.” He clapped a hand on Chris’ shoulder. “Hope you won’t disappoint me.”

Chris watched the three of them walk down the hallway. “Mean girls,” he muttered. “Well, not girls.” He turned around and nearly collided with someone. “Oops.”

“No talking to yourself in high school,” said E.J. Braxton frowning at him. “People will think you’re crazy. What was that about mean girls?”

“Just thinking out loud.”

“Don’t do that. Think silently.”

Chris smirked. “I’ll try.”

It had been a rough morning, their first day in high school. Some guy had tripped E.J. right as the bell rang for the first period and he’d been late to Social Studies. In the guy’s bathroom during the break between the second and third hour, someone had locked all the cubicles and apparently crawled out under. Chris had unlocked them all and was late for his third hour. What made it worse was he and Jason had not a single class together. 

He wasn’t sure if Keifer Madden and his two buddies were any better but he grabbed a candy bar and a soda for lunch and headed out of the cafeteria. The football field and the bleachers were on the other side of the campus and first lunch was only thirty minutes.

He stopped at the edge of the bleachers and saw Keifer, Jack and Manny standing, their heads tilted back, watching someone work their way slowly up the structure that supported the bleachers. Chris stood there, ate his candy bar and drank his soda, and studied them. They were all about the same height, same size. Keifer’s black hair looked like it was cut short in the front but in the back, he had a small braided tail. Manny, Chris had found out was Manuel Cuevas, had the black hair, brown eyes, and Hispanic coloring and according to someone was originally from Miami. Jack Hawkins was the only fair-haired, fair-skinned one among them. They were watching the guy climb the bleachers and didn’t see Chris.

He shifted his blue eyes to the person climbing as he finished off his soda and narrowed his eyes. The bleachers were like any in the country, with vertical supports with crisscrossed secondary support between the verticals. Depending on where you would climb, it could be easy or difficult. The guy’s left hand slipped and he nearly fell. Chris felt himself tense even though he knew he wouldn’t get there in time to catch him.

The guy made it to the top and almost fell again, but he managed to get over the back guard rail to keep people from falling backward off the top bleachers and sat down hard. Chris threw his trash away and just lingered at the corner. He saw Jack checking his phone and Chris guessed he was seeing the time. Hardly anyone wore watches anymore.

Chris knew he could climb the bleachers but he wondered why they wanted people to do it. Finally, he hefted his book bag and walked over to them. “Hey, what’s up?”