Chapter Three
"You want to do what?!" Cameron blurted in disbelief.
"I want to go see the Dash perform at the fair on Friday!" Sam announced excitedly as they left school, the afternoon sun shining above them.
"You do realize those shows are crazy-expensive, right? And that you have no money?"
"Well, yeah. That's why I gotta come up with some money."
"What're y'all talkin' about over here?" Billy asked, running up behind them.
Cameron turned to Billy. "Sam wants to go see the motorcycle show on Friday."
"BMX show!" Sam corrected, annoyed.
"What?! That's ludicrous, Sam! You ain't got that kinda money!" Billy said.
Cameron and Sam both froze in their tracks. "Where did you learn a word like 'ludicrous'?" Cameron asked the farm boy. "That's, like, sixth grade stuff!"
"Miss Cheer taught it to me. It means crazy," Billy answered proudly.
The three of them reached a large oak tree a couple dozen feet from the school and sat down. Billy continued to question Sam as to how he planned to pay for admission to the show.
Sam did have one advantage over Cameron and Billy. He always had a plan.
"It's quite simple, gentlemen," Sam remarked, standing up and pacing back and forth like Sherlock Holmes, hands clasped behind his back. "We have two options. We either raise enough money to afford a ticket, or…"
"Or what?" The other two asked in unison.
"We sneak in."
Cameron and Billy both had a sudden look of shock. Billy opened his mouth to speak, but couldn't think of a response.
Cameron spoke up. "That's nuts, Sam. There's gonna be guards and cameras all over the place. Nobody gets in there without paying."
"Duh," Sam retorted, then smiled. "That's why I have a plan."
Cameron and Billy looked at each other, a slightly worried expression on their faces.
"Oh, come on, guys! When have I ever been wrong?"
Cameron looked back at Sam incredulously. "Really? You want me to answer that?"
Sam shrugged. "Fair enough. But seriously, this may just work."
"Alright, Sam," said Billy. "We're listening."
Eventually the day arrived, and the three boys approached the gateway to the enormous stadium.
While Sam was enthusiastic about his plan and Billy was on board, Cameron still had his concerns.
"You're insane," he whispered to Sam.
"Completely serious."
"This will never work!"
"It totally will, trust me."
"That's what you said last time!"
"And how exactly did it not work last time?"
"The teacher saw the camera, you dolt. She called the police!"
"So? They never found us!"
"It never would have happened if you hadn't decided to investigate Miss Cheer's love life!"
"Well, what else are you supposed to do when your teacher kicks you out of the classroom for a private meeting with principal De Lancie?"
"You're supposed to stay out of it!"
Billy broke in. "Would you two stop all this fighting? Good gravy, y'all are fightin' worse than a couple of stray cats!"
There was a moment of silence.
"He started it," they both said.
Billy rolled his eyes. "Now, the two o' you best keep quiet or you'll blow our cover!"
"Billy's right," Sam decided.
Billy, disguised as a large woman in a long blonde wig, while pushing a stroller with the other two boys inside, put on his best damsel-in-distress voice to the security guard that stood by the gate, filtering people into the stands.
"Oh, exca-YUSE me, sir!" Billy cried in distress, forcing the other two to hold in their laughter at the ridiculous voice.
The tall, muscled guard turned to face the faux mother and children. Looking the three of them over with suspicion, he said, "Yes, ma'am, can I help you?"
"You most certainly can! Y'see, my husband had me go n' fetch him his favorite coat from the car, an' now that the deed is done, I'd just like to go back inside now. Thank ya very much, darlin'!" Billy proceeded past the guard as quickly as possible.
"Uh, ma'am? Do you have a stamp?" The guard asked, stepping in front of her path.
"Er, a stamp? Uh, no, I don't believe I rightly do! My sincerest apologies, sir, I promise I'll remember next-"
"I'm afraid I can't let you in without a stamp."
Billy was unsure of what to say next.
Sam coughed from under the blanket in the stroller.
The guard's attention was directed downward, towards the two supposed infants. "What adorable little ones you have here, ma'am," he said with fake sincerity. He eyed Sam closely.
Sam's pacifier had fallen out of his mouth when he coughed. He, too, had a worried look on his face.
"Uh... goo goo ga ga," Sam said, performing a terrible impersonation of a baby.
The guard shook his head in what looked to be a mixture of disappointment and amusement. "You do realize kids get in free, right?" He said to Billy.
The boys didn't hesitate in taking off their disguises. Back in their normal clothes, they rushed inside. "Thanks!" Billy said to him as they ran past him.
"Wait! Where are your parents?"
"Uh... they're inside already!" Sam called as they disappeared into the stands.
Not wanting to keep the other customers waiting any longer, the security guard simply dismissed the three of them and returned to his post.
The boys found some relatively good seats and waited for the show to begin.
After fifteen minutes, exciting music started playing and an announcer's voice boomed through the stadium.
"Greetings, BMX fans! Are you ready for an exciting show tonight?"
The audience promptly responded with cheering and shouting.
"Alright! Now, without further ado, here's the moment you've all been waiting for! Ladies and gentlemen, The Dash!"
An explosion of confetti erupted from a hole in the wall of the stadium, and out of it raced The Dash himself, on his trademark cyan BMX bike. Sam cheered loudly and nearly fell out of his seat at seeing his hero live and in person. Still, his own cheering was barely audible compared to the roar of cheering fans and blaring rock music to set the mood for Dash's performance.
Ah, listen to that. They love me! James thought, grinning inside his helmet. He slowly rode towards the first hill of the track, which was about 14 feet tall.
Alright. Let's give 'em a show.
