“Let me go, asshole,” Cory groaned, but his shaky voice belied the fact that he knew Ruddock would only let him go when he damn well pleased.
“Apologize to my friend,” Ruddock said. Eric’s eyes widened. He’d never spoken a word to Benjamin Ruddock.
“Go screw yourself,” Cory spat.
Ruddock dug his palm deeper into Cory’s shoulder, hard enough that his collarbone was likely beginning to bend. Cory cried out in pain.
“Apologize to my friend Eric,” Ruddock said, “or I’ll hide pieces of you in different lockers.” Ruddock pushed harder. Cory again cried out in pain.
“I’m sorry,” Cory whispered.
“I can’t hear you,” Ruddock said in a singsong tone.
“I’m sorry!” Cory said, loud enough for other kids to take notice.
“I’m sorry, Eric,” Ruddock said.
“I’m sorry, Eric!” Cory wept. Ruddock let him go. Cory Stuber collapsed to the ground. The two girls knelt down to help him up, but Cory pushed them away and ran off, a neutered dog.
“You OK, kid?” Ruddock said to Eric.
“He was just being a douchebag,” Eric said.
“Don’t worry about idiots like Cory Stuber,” Ruddock said. “In ten years he’ll be pumping your gas.”
Ruddock clapped Eric friendly-like on the arm and laughed. It made Eric feel good. People rarely laughed with him.
“Ben,” he said, extending his hand. “Ben Ruddock.”
Eric shook it. He could make out blue tattoo ink just under the right sleeve of Ruddock’s shirt. “Eric Marin.”
“Good to finally meet,” Ruddock said. “I’ve had my eye on you, Eric Marin.”
“Your eye on me?”
“Not in a creepy way. I want to talk about your future.”
“My future?” Eric said. Penny’s eyes narrowed, distrusting.
“Do you see yourself stuck in Ashby your whole life, dealing with troglodytes like Cory Stuber?”
“I . . . I haven’t really thought about it.”
“Don’t you think it’s time?”
“I don’t know. I guess?”
Ruddock nodded. He turned toward Penny. “Listen, Ms. Wallace. Do me a solid. Let me have a chat with Eric. Then the two of you can catch butterflies until the end of time. OK?”
Penny looked at Eric.
He shrugged and said, “It’s OK.”
Penny nodded. “OK. See you, Eric. Text me later.”
“See you,” Eric replied. Penny walked away, quickly.
When she was out of earshot, Ruddock sighed. “I never thought we’d get rid of her.”
“She’s my friend,” Eric said.
“You’re right,” Ruddock said. “I’m sorry. Sometimes I get a little impatient. But only for things I’m excited about. Like opportunities.”
“Opportunities?”
“That’s why I’m here. To give you an opportunity. You’re a smart kid, Marin. I’ve seen you around. You’re smarter than people give you credit for.”
“What do you mean you’ve seen me around?”
“I keep an eye on all the younger classes. For recruiting purposes.”
“Recruiting purposes? Recruiting for what?”
Ruddock ignored the question. “We’re always looking for smart, capable, ambitious young men. Young men who have tremendous potential. But you’re being pushed aside by others who are too blind to see it.”
“I’m not being pushed anywhere.”
“Sure you are,” Ruddock said. “You’re being pushed around by people at home. By people like Cory Stuber. People like your mom. They still see you as a kid. Only one person can change that, and I’m looking at him.”
“You don’t know the first thing about my mom,” Eric said.
“Listen, Eric,” Ruddock said, putting a heavy hand on Eric’s shoulder. “I know your dad isn’t around. Mine isn’t either. I mean, he’s still alive, but he’s basically a living speed bump. Creates more problems than he solves. Hell, I’d rather have no dad than him. So same thing, if you think about it.”
“That’s not the same thing at all,” Eric said. “So what the hell do you want?”
“It’s not about what I want, Eric,” Ruddock said. “It’s about what you want, and what you’re entitled to.”
“And what do I want?” Eric said, sarcastically.
“Opportunity,” Ruddock said. “You want people to hear you. And you want them to listen, because you deserve to be heard. I know you have a voice, a strong one. And that voice, plus your brains, can get you everything. You won’t need to listen to anyone ever again, but they’ll listen to you. Boy, will they listen to you.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Just say yes. To opportunity.”
“And what does that mean—opportunity?”
Ruddock smiled. “I’m about show, not tell. I want you to come to a meeting. Tomorrow. One a.m. Voss Field.”
“The baseball stadium?”
“Yup. You’ll see what I’m talking about.”
“In the middle of the night? My mom—”
“If you really want something, you find a way to make it happen, and you don’t let anything stand in your way. Definitely not a curfew, and definitely not parents. Trust me. This will be the best thing that’s ever happened to you.”
“I don’t know . . .”
“As a show of good faith,” Ruddock said, “I’ve been instructed to tell you that we’re offering you a generous signing bonus. Just for coming.”
“Signing bonus?”
Ruddock took out a cell phone. He typed in the URL of Cedar Bank and logged in. He tapped the screen a few times, then showed Eric the website.
“That’s . . . that’s my name,” Eric said, shocked.
“This is your account. It belongs to you.”
“There’s ten thousand dollars in it.”
“That’s your money. If you come tomorrow night. If not, the account will be closed, and we’ll just go on being strangers. Now put out your hand.”
Eric hesitated.
Ruddock laughed. “Don’t worry, I’m not going to read your palm.”
Eric extended his hand, opened it. Ruddock placed something in his palm, then closed Eric’s fingers over it.
“Don’t show this to anyone,” Ruddock said. “If you do, you’ll regret it. We take it as seriously as death, and in time you will too. See you tomorrow.”
Ruddock squeezed Eric’s palm. As Ruddock walked away, Eric noticed another boy looking at him. Tony Vargas, a good-looking junior. He did not know Tony well, had no classes with him, and hadn’t said more than two words to the kid in his life. Tony had a thick scar on his neck that was the subject of many rumors at Ashby High. Gang initiation, suicide attempt, et cetera. For some reason, Tony was staring at Eric in a way that suggested a familiarity. Tony nodded almost imperceptibly at Eric, then walked on, leaving Eric confused and unnerved.
When he was alone, Eric opened his hand. Sitting in his palm was a gold coin the size of a silver dollar. It was embossed with an image of four arms coming together, like a plus sign, their hands meeting in the middle. Shaking in unison. At the top of the coin was printed one word.