A FEW HOURS LATER
Quackers was lying on her bed when someone knocked on the door.
She got up and opened it. Tuga was standing there and she was out of breath.
"Hey, Tuga, whatcha want" Quackers asked.
"Please hide me" she pleaded running into the room and jumping under Nicky's bed.
Quackers shrugged her shoulders, closed the door, and lay back on her bed.
Tuga stuck her head out from under the bed. "Are they gone" she asked.
"Are who gone" Quackers asked, puzzled.
"Jack and RexBob."
"Jack and RexBob? What happened"
"They were chasing me. RexBob dared Jack to put his hands on me and French me! Yeah, like I want him to do that!" she said sarcastically. "We were sitting on the couch talking and playing card games. Jack was getting so annoying and when Jack accepted and scooted closer to me, I got up and ran. RexBob blocked the stairs so I couldn't get up them. I turned around and Jack was behind me. Finally, me being short finally came in handy. I ran full speed toward Rex and when he went to grab me I dove to the floor, through his legs, got back up and ran full speed toward the stairs and up here. I don't know if they were following me so, I hid under the bed" Tuga explained, breathlessly.
"Oh, that dumb Jack. Rex isn't any better. I can't believe I dated him last year, but we are not going through that story again" Quackers said.
"So, is Nicky still with Mr. Tone" Tuga asked, emerging from under the bed, sitting on it.
"Yeah, and she has been there for a while now."
"I wonder what he had to say to her."
Just then, a key went into the door and it opened. Nicky walked into the room and looked at Tuga"Hi" she said not happily. Tuga got off her bed and Nicky said"Thanks" and she jumped on her bed and lay on her stomach with her head in her pillow.
"Hey Nicky. What's up" Quackers asked.
Nicky took her head off her pillow and said"Mr. Tone gave me another warning." Then she slammed her head back on her pillow then picked it up again. "That's two now." She put her head back on her pillow. Then she brought it back up again"Anymore warnings and I have go see THE THING. Why? Because it would teach me to be on time and behave better." Then she put her head back on her pillow.
"Did he actually call it, THE THING?" Tuga asked.
"Ya, now we know it is really here," Nicky said.
"That sucks" Quackers said.
She picked her head back up"Yup, can't be late to another practice for the rest of band camp or I won't get to see the rest of band camp! I don't wanna see THE THING" Nicky yelled. "And with that stupid clock of yours, I'm really going to get in trouble! If that thing over there keeps displaying the wrong time, we are going to be late all the time" she yelled and let out an "Arrrg" and slammed her head back into her pillow.
"Well, you want another clock because I've got an extra alarm clock in my room. Both me and Shay-Shay brought one" Tuga offered to Nicky. "Oh and I'm sorry for being so loud earlier."
"It's ok, you're forgiven and sure, two clocks would be better than one" Nicky said as Tuga walked out the door into the hallway, scanning both sides for Jack and RexBob and running to her room.
"Well, I'll make sure we are both out at the right time for the meeting tonight" Quackers said.
They would have been out for after-dinner practice then but Mr. Tone cancelled it. He had the police called to search the areas of the practice field and the woods for the person all dressed in black.
Tuga came back into the room and handed Nicky an old-fashioned clock with Roman numerals for the numbers.
"Wow, this looks old" Nicky commented.
"Nah, my mom got if from K-mart a few days ago, just so I could bring it to band camp."
"Ah, Ok. Thanks." Nicky turned it over and noticed it ran on batteries. "Good" so said"Now it won't do what your digital clock did" she said looking at Quackers.
"Well, I might as well try to get back to my room now, if Jack and RexBob aren't out there."
"What" Nicky asked puzzled.
"Oh, never mind, long story" Tuga said opening up the door and looking both ways down the hallway for RexBob and Jack. "The guys aren't aloud on the girls' floor but I know that that won't stop them" she said and ran down the hallway.
"Hey, Tuga" Quackers heard.
"It's RexBob" Nicky said.
"Yup, guess so" Quackers said.
They heard a door slam, which was Tuga getting into her room.
Then the door to Quackers and Nicky's room opened up. RexBob appeared into the doorway.
"Hey Nicky" he said waving to her.
"Hi, RexBob" she said waving back.
"What are you doing here on the girls' floor and where is Jack" Quackers asked.
"Oh, Jack was too chicken to come down this far, so I did, and I was looking for Tuga, who I think just went into her room."
"Ya. She saw you and she apparently thought you and Jack were still after her" Quackers explained.
"No, I wanted to apologize. I didn't know that she would run like that."
Then there was a knock at the door. RexBob went pale, well, as pale as a dirty brown kid can get. (Disclaimer: the real 'dirty brown kid' came up with his nickname himself, I am not being racist…it's just Rex's personality to call himself the 'dirty brown kid')
"Uh, now what? If I'm caught in here, I can get in major trouble" he whispered loudly.
Quackers shrugged her shoulders. "Shoulda thought of that before you came in here"
She got off her bed and walked to the door. The person knocked again. RexBob jumped to the floor and looked under Nicky's bed. He moved her suitcase and slid himself under and put the suitcase back.
Quackers opened the door partway and saw Mr. Tone standing there. "Hi, Mr. Tone" Quackers said.
"Practice is still on after the meeting. You are to come pick up your drill for the first song in the Xaiver room, by the gym, before 9 o'clock, when the meeting starts. In an hour from now." Mr. Tone put his hand on the door and opened it all the way. "Nicky, you got that" he asked her.
"Yup, I do" she said back.
"Who else you got in here" Mr. Tone asked looking back at Quackers.
"Uh.no one else. There is no where to hide anyone in here, except maybe the closet. But the closet is so small, only Tuga could fit, and also we could have her in here, so why would we hide her"
He pushed Quackers out of the way and checked the closet. "Ok, you're clear" he said and left the room.
"Rex, get out from under there, he's gone" Quackers said.
Rex came out from under the bed. "Thanks."
There was another knock at the door. RexBob jumped back under. Quackers opened it up. Mr. Tone was there again.
"'Cause you know" he said"if you have a guy hiding in your room, you both would get another warning and you, Nicky, can't afford another one" he said and walked away. Quackers shut the door behind him.
"Ok, get out from under of my bed and leave" Nicky whispered loudly to Rex.
"Alright, alright" he said coming out and pretending to dust off his clothes and straighten them. "So, how am I going to get out of here, you know, with Mr. Tone being down here and all"
Nicky began to smile from ear to ear.
"What" RexBob asked her.
"I know how, but it would call for drastic measures."
