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Click here for reading level. This book is part of the Bayview High series. To read the first chapter of The Paper, click here. Enjoy! Other Tea Leaf Press books by K.E. Calder: How to be a Frog Millionaire The Stalker Stranded The Secret of the Bailey Bay Inn The Prank Why Me? Class Trip The Paper"Ivan, your pants are falling down again!" Carl said. He heaved a big box of frozen chicken onto the steel counter. Then he wiped the sweat from his brow with the back of his hand. He liked to joke around with all of his staff.Ivan rolled his eyes and kept on mopping. He had worked for Carl at the restaurant for the past six months. Carl had a scruffy grey beard and his small cook's cap had seen better days. His white chef's apron was brown with grease stains. He looked gruff, but Carl was as easygoing as they came. "What's holding up those pants anyway?" he teased as he carried the box into the kitchen. "The pants are cool!" Ivan yelled. He heard Carl laugh from the other room. Ivan lifted the mop out of the bucket of dirty water. The mop hit the floor with a wet slap. It was closing time and Ivan was the only busboy on the late shift. Mopping the storeroom and putting out the trash were the last chores of the night. "Hey," shouted Carl from the kitchen. "Len's been putting out the trash for the last fifteen minutes. I think you'd better go out and give him a hand." Ivan stuck the mop back in the bucket with a splash. He went out through the back door. Len was Carl's son, but that didn't mean he got special treatment. He worked as hard as anyone else did at the Tailgate Grill. Len was nineteen. He graduated from Bayview High last year and worked at the restaurant full time. Ivan really liked working with Len. Even though Ivan was fifteen, Len didn't treat him like a kid. Outside, the night air was cool and damp. Ivan stood on the steps behind the restaurant and looked around. The garbage had already been thrown into the three large bins. They were on the other side of the narrow parking lot. Ivan expected to see Len talking on his cell phone, but he wasn't there. However, there was a black sports car parked on the other side of the bins. Suddenly, Ivan heard an angry voice. "You don't know who you're dealing with!" It didn't sound like Len. Ivan moved closer to the garbage bins. Through the space between them, he noticed Len's white apron. Two other guys were back there with him. Ivan strained to see who they were. "You think this is a joke?" one of the guys said in a low gruff voice. "You either pay us, or we collect on our own terms." "Okay! Take it easy," Len said shakily. Ivan had never heard him sound so panicked. Len was a guy of few words. But he was always cool. Nothing bothered him much. This time, Len was bothered, which was why Ivan decided to stay out of sight. "It's not my fault," Len pleaded. "One of the other kids is pocketing sales." "Save it! That's your problem, not ours," said the second guy. He sounded like he was younger than the first guy. Ivan could see his long hair. Suddenly Ivan heard feet shuffling and a struggle taking place. There was a loud grunt and then someone slammed up against the garbage bin with a loud bang. "Agh!" shouted Len. "You think this is tough? This is nothing," the first guy said. Ivan caught sight of him as he grabbed Len again. He was short and stocky and was wearing a black leather jacket. Ivan cringed as he heard the loud whack of Len being punched. Len's body slammed against the other side of the bin again. "You have four days, loser. Four days and then we're coming back for our payment. And we won't be so nice next time." Len swore quietly. But other than that he didn't say a word. "You hear me?" roared the older guy. "Yeah. Four days. I'll have it. I'll have it. I swear, okay?" "You'd better," said the guy with the long hair. "We know where you live. We know where you work. And we've been inside your little restaurant. Let's just say we'll choose how to square things up." Next, Ivan heard two car doors open and close. He peered around the bin in time to see the black car squeal out of the parking lot. Suddenly Len stepped right in front of him. Ivan jolted back. "What the—?" Len said. He was holding his chin, and the shoulder of his T-shirt was ripped. "What are you doing back here?" "I was going to help you with the—" "Listen, you didn't see any of that. You got it? You didn't see or hear anything," Len said. He stepped closer and looked right into Ivan's eyes. Ivan had never seen him so mad. "What's going on?" Ivan asked. "Didn't you hear me? You didn't see or hear anything. Nothing's going on!" Len shouted. "Move!" He shoved Ivan out of the way and stormed back inside the restaurant. |
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