Back at Bowditch, Daniel, in his archer clothes again, gave Reggie the thumbs up once he placed the targets out on the field, when Jonny called out. "Gym assistant, sir? Watch me!"
He did his push-ups in front of the prince while whispering. "Look sharp, Plank. He's marking us."
"What are you doing here?" Eddy asked as soon as he saw Daniel, who replied. "I'll explain everything once the whole class is..."
"Here! Present! Chip! On head! Yo! Ready when you are!" Ed called as he joined us. "May I be excused?"
Daniel cleared his throat and began to speak. "As you may have noticed, your PE teacher, Mrs. Button is out sick, so I'll be in her place for a few days. And, as a bonus, I've prepared something extra special for you. So, everyone do their usual four laps and we'll start from there."
As we all ran to the track, Mandark peeked outside the gym, only to be whacked by Kevin's hockey stick.
"Get back in there now, Mandork!" he ordered.
"Oh, this is too...I'm gonna...this has gone too...oh, I can't believe it." Mandark mumbled as he did as he was told.
"So, I trust everything's been going well between you and Nathan." Kevin heard Daniel say to Odette, who replied. "Oh, it's been wonderful. It's funny, but before you hired me, up until now, I never once saw a smile on Nathan's face."
"Well, he's slowly becoming one of them." Daniel said as he and Odette watched me run around the track with the other kids. "Not willing to give the new school a chance at first, but gradually warms up to it. Sooner or later, they start to feel right at..."
"...home."
Upon hearing themselves say the word "home," Daniel and Odette looked at each other, exchanging their tender smiles.
Daniel, then, cleared his throat, asking. "Have you...ever taken archery class?"
"Uh, no, I haven't." Odette said, stepping back.
"Don't worry, I'll show you." Daniel said, taking her hand, then, turned to us. "This way, guys!"
We followed him to the field, where Daniel stood next to Odette, readying the bow in her hands.
"Now, watch and learn." he instructed to us. "Draw all the way back to your cheek, keep both eyes open...you'll see twice as well...relax, focus, and..."
Odette took a deep breath as she aimed at the target.
"Loose!"
On Daniel's command, Odette let go of the arrow, which hit the center of the target.
"Oooh!" we exclaimed, then clapped.
"Very good." Daniel said, clapping his hands as well. "Now, let's see if you can do the same with the others."
As he led Odette to the bleachers, I watched as the other kids in my class shot arrows at the targets.
"Pick it up, Plank. He's gonna mark us on this too." Jonny said as he hit his own.
"I don't see why archery has to be a part of PE." Lucy said, tossing away her bow as she left.
Dexter did so as well, saying. "Honestly, I do not have time for this."
I walked over the bleachers, where I told Daniel. "We never had archery back at Foster City School. And besides, the only time I've seen something like this was in…'Robin Hood.'"
Daniel smiled reassuringly. "Just keep trying, Nathan. You'll get it. And who knows? You might be as good as him."
"OK." I said, then went back to the group.
While aiming at his target, Rolf shot five arrows into the center.
"Not to brag," he said. "But Rolf was quite the archer back in the Old Country."
"Ah, save it, stretch." Eddy scoffed as he took aim. "Your stories are just as fishy as Nathan's."
"Hey!" I exclaimed, making Eddy shot his arrow…past the target.
"What I said was a hundred percent true." I said. "The Alphas and Omegas did almost took over Foster City School."
"You should take his word for it, Eddy." Double D said as he readied his bow and arrow. "Besides, suppose something like that happens here."
Eddy laughed. "I'll believe that when I see it. Right, Ed?"
We turned to see Ed pointing…at the opposite direction.
"Ed! Wrong way, idiot!" Eddy called.
"What?" asked Ed, who accidentally let his arrow loose.
"Oh, Ed!" Daniel groaned as the arrow flew over the gym and land at the front of the school, barely missing…SpongeBob and Patrick!