TAC Boot Camp

CHAPTER 22:

  Wal Takes the Rap

  Earlier that evening, Wal, Mav and Pete were in the bedroom of Rabbit Matthews, standing around him as he sat at his computer.

  ‘Yes!’ Rabbit said. ‘I think this is it. And it’s on-line.’

  ‘Great,’ Wal said. ‘Can you get in?’

  ‘Piece of cake.’

  ‘You’re the man!’

  For a few seconds Rabbit tapped around on the keyboard. Wal had no idea what he was doing, but he didn’t care. Just as long as the plan worked it didn’t matter. He gazed around Rabbit’s room. There wasn’t much to it, just a bed, desk and a chest of drawers. What stood out though were the sci fi posters around the room. Star Trek, Star Wars and many other iconic science fiction icons showed Wal that Rabbit was indeed a geek. Although he had to admit, he liked some of that stuff himself.

  ‘Wayne could already have them printed out,’ Pete said.

  ‘That’s fine,’ Mav said. ‘Wal just has to make sure he’s at school before Wayne and confiscate any pictures he might have. And that shouldn’t be a problem, because Wayne comes in by bus.’

  ‘But he’s still going to report us, isn’t he? How do we get around that?’

  ‘I have an idea,’ Mav said. ‘But first we need to make sure we can get to the pictures.’

  ‘We’re in!’ Rabbit announced.

  ‘Alright, Rabbit!’ Wal beamed and slapped him hard on the back, causing Rabbit to lurch forward, almost whacking his head on his monitor. ‘Ooops. Sorry, Rabbit old pal.’

  ‘Ok, I’m gonna do a search on all graphics files.’

  ‘Now we’ll see how much porn he has on his computer,’ Pete said.

  ‘There’s a lot of pictures in a folder called “Booty Girl”.’

  ‘Sounds like porn,’ Mav said.

  ‘Nah, they’ll be pictures of Vanessa from her FaceLink profile,’ Wal said. ‘Delete them, while you’re at it, just to piss him off.’

  ‘Ok.’

  Wal chuckled to himself and noticed the wide grins on the faces of Mav and Pete.

  ‘Done.’ Rabbit said. ‘Oh, and here’s another folder called “Rugby game”.’ He clicked on the folder and opened it up. It contained quite a lot of photographs of a game, including many containing Wal and his pals.

  ‘Jackpot!’ Wal said, clapping his hands together. ‘Did I say you were the man, Rabbit?’

  ‘Yeah, you did. I see he has pictures of himself in there as well and some other guy.’

  ‘So, he didn’t go alone then,’ Pete said.

  ‘Delete ‘em, Rabbit,’ instructed Wal.

  ‘No wait,’ Mav said. ‘Copy the entire folder to here first.’

  ‘Why?’ Wal asked.

  ‘You want to try to avoid Pete and I getting into trouble?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘Then I have a plan. But I’m afraid it won’t help you though, Wal.’

  ‘Don’t worry about it. Ok, Rabbit, copy them.’

  ‘Done,’ Rabbit said a few seconds later. ‘Delete them now?’

  ‘Go for it!’

  ‘Make sure you check the recycle bin, though,’ Mav said. ‘We don’t want him restoring them.’

  Seconds later, the job was complete and the four of them celebrated with some high fives and praises.

  Rabbit received another earth shuddering slap to the back.

  ‘Ooops. Sorry about that, Rabbit.’

  The computer nerd grinned a painful grin.

  ‘Rabbit, do you have any graphic manipulation software?’ Mav asked.

  ‘Of course.’

  ‘Then I want you to do one last thing for us…’

  Wal arrived at school the next day bright and early. He waited for the buses to arrive and as soon as he saw Wayne he made a beeline for him. ‘Hi there, Clooney.’

  ‘Piss off, Ullman.’

  ‘Let me see your bag.’

  ‘No way!’

  ‘Give it to me!’ He snatched it from him, zipped it open and rifled through it. He found another lot of pictures, ones he’d no doubt printed before Rabbit deleted them for good. Wayne scowled intensely at him as he confiscated them, but said nothing. Wal was about to let him walk away when a thought occurred to him. ‘Wait, Clooney!’

  ‘What? You know I’m going to report you anyway, you jerk.’

  ‘Empty your pockets.’

  ‘Get stuffed!’

  ‘Do it!’ Wal grabbed him by the arm. He tried to break away, but Wal twisted his arm behind his back. He noticed a lump in Wayne’s side pocket and reached down to pull some more papers out of it. Further copies of the photographs. ‘I’ll take that Clooney. Now come on, let’s go see Mr Harris, shall we? Let’s see what he has to say.’

  ‘What?’

  ‘Come on, You want to report me, don’t you?’

  Wayne began to walk in the direction of the office block. Wal passed by Pete who stood next to the main entrance and handed him the incriminating photographs. Pete strolled away. Wayne hesitated at the entrance way, glanced at Wal with a scowl and walked in. He headed for the principal’s office and knocked at the door.

  Mr Harris poked his head out. ‘Mr Clooney. Ah and Mr Ullman. Just the two I want to see. Get in here now.’

  Wayne frowned, but entered, Wal following him.

  ‘Sit down, both of you,’ said the wild eyed relieving principal. Before they could sit though, he spoke again. ‘Hold on, hold on, the necessary respect please!’

  Wal saluted. Wayne, seeing what Wal did, did the same.

  Mr Harris nodded. ‘Alright. I won’t both of you to tell me where you were on Friday afternoon.’

  ‘What?’ Wayne stared. ‘I was at home, sick!’

  ‘Ah no actually he wasn’t, sir,’ Wal said. ‘We were both at the rugby match in New Plymouth.’

  Mr Harris’s eyebrows furrowed.

  Wayne, shot Wal a horrified gape, ‘I was not, you lying jerk!’ He spun his head back to Mr Harris. ‘He’s lying. I found out that he, Rick Maverick and Pete Cook went to the game and he’s trying to get me into trouble!’

  ‘Don’t’ bring my friends into this,’ Wal said. ‘Just because you can’t stand them is no reason to lie about them, you little creep!’

  Wayne’s face reddened and he was about to speak when Mr Harris interrupted him. ‘Let me get this straight. You, Ullman claim that Clooney here was at the rugby match with you, while Clooney here says he was home sick and that you were at the match with Maverick and Cook. Is that what you are saying?’

  ‘Yes, sir,’ Wal said.

  ‘I’m telling the truth, Mr Harris,’ Wayne insisted.

  ‘You’re telling the truth, Mr Clooney?’ Harris cast him a crazed stare.

  ‘Yes!’

  ‘Then what the hell are these?’ Mr Harris reached into his draw and pulled out some papers. He cast them down onto the desk in front of both Wayne and Wal and when Wal saw them, he had to fight back a smile. They were photographs showing himself and Wayne enjoying the rugby match together.

  Wayne’s face reddened even more. ‘You have got to be pulling my leg! These are fakes! He’s manipulated them. You sneaky son of a bitch, you took my photographs and manipulated them?’

  Wal scrunched up his face. ‘What the hell are you talking about, Clooney? You never took any photographs. Look, you idiot, you’re in these yourself. Someone obviously saw us there and took a few snaps. Face it, Wayne we’ve been busted big time. Don’t know why you’re trying to make shit up. Quit acting like a girl and face the music like a real man.’

  Mr Harris eyed Wayne with a cold stare. ‘Ullman is right. Face the music like a man, Clooney. Quit trying to weasel your way out of this. Wal has admitted to the infraction, just like I’d expect a man of his calibre to do. It’s about time you quit acting like a namby-pamby little Nancy Boy.’

  ‘But… but…’ Wayne gasped.

  ‘I’ve heard enough!’

  ‘But he’s trying to get me into trouble sir…’

  ‘I said enoug
h Clooney! Another word out of you and your punishment will be doubled!’

  ‘Punishment?’

  ‘Of course! You didn’t expect to get away with this, did you, Clooney? Get out of that fantasy world of yours and get real, lad, Gordon, Bennett! I’ve got just the job for you two and I expect it will take every lunch time for the next two weeks. You’ll be scrubbing the school paths with soap and water, on your hands and knees. Is that clear?’

  ‘Yes sir!’ barked Wal, in no way looking forward to having to do such a demeaning task, but grateful that he had gotten away with the plan and glad that Mav and Pete would not have to suffer alongside of him.

  ‘Yes, sir,’ grumbled Wayne, glaring sideways at Wal.