The Willies | Page 4

we go to the gift shop or something?"
They agreed, and took the closest route back, which, unfortunately, led
them past a flock of flamingos that looked over-laundered.
~
A thick crowd surrounded the panda display, which was curiously
better-kept than the other faux landscapes. Bamboo trees stood in a
semblance of wildness around a small pond, some soft ground, and a

man-made stone cave. Hugh asked the woman next to him where the
panda was. Apparently, she said, it was shy, and didn't want to come
out of the cave on cue. One of the handlers had gone in a moment ago
to "encourage" it out.
Throngs of media representatives gathered around with their cameras
poised. One reporter looked disgusted with this 'human interest' waste
of her time, dragging long and hard on a cigarette she hid from view of
the crowd, lest she get caught and fined. When her cameraman
suddenly pointed toward the cave, she threw her smoke to the ground
and stood instantly upright, ready to make comment.
A tiny patch of black fur emerged from the mouth of the cave. Then it
disappeared again. The crowd shuffled restlessly. One father at the
back yelled, "Come on already!" The panda lurched out of the cave,
looking back inside with panda indignation. Flashes went off, children
cheered, and reporters started their monologues to their cameras.
"It is cute," said Oswald.
"Should be," said Ted. "Most expensive friggin' panda in the world."
"It's the only panda in the world," said Hugh, wondering what he
thought about all this. Before he had a chance to decide, something tore
through the air by his head and shot over the crowd. The panda bear
exploded all over the onlookers in a rain of fur, blood, and meat.
Parents pulled their crying children to the ground, others ran away in
random directions.
Oswald screamed as Ted pulled him away. Hugh ran after them.
Crouched in the bushes, they tried to figure out what was happening.
Ted held Oswald, calming him down. Hugh glanced at the gift store
T-shirt Oswald wore, baby blue with a cartoon panda face in the middle
and the name "Yung-Yung" written under it. He tried not to react, but
Oswald saw the expression on his face and looked down. There, in the
middle of the shirt, clung a furry white piece of Yung-Yung meat.

Oswald screamed again.

Chapter 2
Simon tested his shoes against the fake grass. It lay badly on the
hockey rink floor, as he feared it would -- one more thing to take into
consideration as he faced his opponent, a guy someone had the
ingenuity to nickname "Red" on account of his hair.
Simon felt confident as he adjusted his lacrosse stick in his hands. The
referee approached with the ball. Simon and the other runner crouched
down to the floor and held their sticks together, staring each other
down. Red made a threatening, growling face. It was sudden-death
overtime with a score of 15-15, and Red clearly meant business. Simon
smirked in response. Tough had nothing to do with it. It was a matter of
playing well. And that, Simon knew, was exactly what he did.
The referee placed the ball on their sticks, walked backwards, and blew
his whistle. Simon made an aggressive move, then let Red have the ball.
Red looked at the ball in the net at the end of his stick, then up at
Simon, bewildered. Simon twisted his stick around Red's, parrying like
a swordsman. He spun around and showed Red his stick: now he had
the ball. Simon ran backwards, towards his team's net, smiling. Red
lunged, but Simon blocked, pushed Red away, then showed him his net:
empty.
Simon's team-mate Mark ran down the field with the ball Simon had
handed off to him during his spin. Runners from the opposing team
converged on Mark as he approached the net. He looked around
frantically for someone to pass to, knowing he would be attacked
before he got anywhere near the crease. Nick raised his stick in a "send
it here" gesture. Mark started to hurl the ball to Nick, but before he
finished the throw got smashed across the chest with the broad side of a
stick. The ball flew high. Nick reached out for the ball, but tipped it
further up into the air.

A player from the other team slashed his stick through the air, looking
like he'd knock the ball to the ground. But with a small twist, he
scooped up the ball and ran full-tilt towards the net on the opposite side
of the field.
The crowd cheered. Simon quickly stole a look at them sitting in the
stands under the blazing pot lamps. Despite the lights, the air in the
arena was cool,