The Nerdy Dozen by Jeff Miller Page B

gamers, their alligator arms snapping under his frame. Neil landed on the opposite side, his left leg dangling into the trench. Panting from excitement and sheer disbelief, he quickly pulled himself up to examine the final obstacle: a giant, flat climbing wall. There were no handholds or footholds, and there was no way he was tall enough just to leap and pull himself onto the top platform like Wells and Lopez had done. But there was nothing else to do. Neil’s eyes fixed on the bell positioned above, and he summoned all the energy he had left in his body. With a grunt, he jumped as high as he could. Within a foot of the top, his hands scrambled for something to grab onto, and finding nothing, he slid back down, landing in a tangle of wiry limbs.
    â€œNeil. You can’t get up there alone. If you toss us that rope and let us all up, we can all help lift you to the top of the wall,” called Trevor from the deep, sticky pit.
    â€œYeah, right,” said Neil, turning back to face the wall. He knew better than to trust Trevor.
    â€œIgnore Trevor,” Sam called out as if reading his mind. “Just let me have the rope. I’ll help.”
    â€œNo mercy, recruits! Clock is ticking!” Jones hollered from the sideline.
    Neil’s lungs burned, and while holding his hands above his head for staccato gasps, he caught Jones’s eye, which was gleaming with a crazed kind of excitement. Neil wondered if holidays at the Jones household involved some sort of festive obstacle course.
    Deep down, Neil knew that Sam was right. Still catching his breath, he grabbed the length of rope attached to the base of the wall and tossed its free end into the pit, twirling it to within Sam’s reach.
    Sam climbed out first, followed by Trevor and the others all muddy and soaked, like swamp hatchlings that had lost their tails. Jason 2 was the last to crawl out, and Neil reached down to give him a hand. As he pulled Jason 2 up over the edge, Jason’s shirt lifted at the hem, revealing more of the jumpsuit that he was wearing underneath. Neil could see a white belt around Jason’s spandex-clad midsection.
    â€œI have to ask,” Neil said. “What’s your superhero name?”
    â€œThe Shrieking Salamander,” Jason 2 whispered as he and Neil hurried back to the wall, where the others were all gathered. “My powers are legendary.”
    â€œGot it,” Neil confirmed as he turned to watch Trevor trying to scramble to the top of the wall first. The rest of the group were jumping up and flinging their bodies at the wall, each of their jumps leaving muddy outlines of their bodies that seemed to get lower and lower as they steadily lost energy.
    â€œNeil,” Sam offered, “how about me and Biggs give you a boost? We would still be stuck in that ditch if it wasn’t for you.”
    â€œTotally. I wanna see you win this thing,” said Biggs, who had twisted his ankle in the fall and couldn’t leap. “If nothing else as a tribute to the good sideburn hair you lost this morning.”
    Neil took an instinctive step backward as Biggs and Sam clasped their hands, creating a step. Experience had taught him that anyone creating a bridge with their hands was preparing just to chuck him as far as they could, like a human cannonball. But then he looked into their eyes and reminded himself that Biggs and Sam were his friends. New friends. Well, new old friends, sort of.
    â€œOkay,” he said, and put a confident boot on their hands. They hoisted him as high as they could. “Almost there . . . ,” Neil grunted, his fingertips just touching the top of the platform.
    â€œNow try,” Biggs said, lifting Neil up a few extra inches. It was just enough for Neil to grab a firm hold of the platform. His stomach fluttered with excitement. He was moments away from getting a guaranteed spot on that plane.
    But just as Neil started to lift his skinny frame to the top, he