Gasparilla's Treasure (Trip Mongomery Book 1) (4 page)

Trip had a hard time figuring out what was going on as they sat at the kitchen table.  He had lied to Mom and snuck into the attic, yet Mom did not seem angry at all.  She seemed defeated, yet resigned.  This just did not make sense.  Trip was waiting for her to lower the hatchet.

“I shouldn't have treated you that way.  It's not fair,” began Mom.  “You're a good kid and you're mature enough and smart enough to make your own decisions.”

“Thanks Mom,” Trip replied.  Still not sure what was going on.

“Well, if you’re going to get into that trunk, you’re going to need this,” said Mom quietly as she held up an ancient iron key.

Trip couldn’t believe what was happening.  Was Mom actually handing him the key that unlocked the trunk?  And more importantly, was she giving him permission to do it?

“Is that what I think it is?”  Trip asked.

“I guess so,” replied Mom.  “Your Pappy gave it to me when he moved into the retirement home.  He said I'd know the right time to give it to you.”

“And that time is now?” asked Trip, mesmerized.

“And that time is now,” Mom agreed.  “He said you’d need it for the quest.  So have at it.”

“A quest?” asked Trip, surprised.  “You know more than you’re telling me, don’t you?”

Mom was very matter of fact. “All I know is, if you want to waste countless hours chasing down some dream, have at it.  But you’re not getting any help from me.  This is between you and Pappy.”

She handed the key to Trip.  Trip reached out, a bit hesitantly and took the key.

“Thanks, Mom.  For the key, and for trusting me.”

“Just don't let me see your schoolwork slipping,” said Mom.  “Any sign of trouble and I'm locking you in your room until you’re thirty.  You got that?”

Trip was ecstatic, “I promise, Mom!  My schoolwork comes first.  You’ll have no trouble at all from me.”

“I’m serious, Trip,” said Mom.  “If your grades slip at all, this is over.  I’ve seen this quest ruin lives, and I’m not letting it ruin yours.”

With that, Mom walked out, leaving Trip alone with the trunk.  Trip slowly looked at the key, and then at the trunk. Mom had called it a quest.  What kind of quest could be waiting inside that trunk?  Trip wondered if he would be up to the challenge.  There was only one way to find out.

He gingerly fit the key into the lock and slowly turned it.  It creaked, then clicked.  Trip rested his hands gently on the lid of the trunk and took a deep breath.  His palms were starting to sweat.  As he slowly lifted the lid, the old hinges squeaked loudly for the first time in years.  He peered inside.

Trip was disappointed.  There wasn’t really much in the trunk.  Resting on top were about fifteen old photographs.  Some of them Trip recognized as family members, others as places around town.  And the others did not mean a thing to him.

There were also a few old newspaper articles from the local paper.  Trip skimmed the headlines searching for a common theme, but there was none.  Sitting in the bottom of the trunk was a cast iron plate with small jewels in it.  Trip noticed a few small pieces had broken off and been glued back in place.

Trip ran his finger over one of the glued stones and wondered if this was the piece of jewel-encrusted iron from Pappy’s story on the beach.  Was this the little piece that started this whole quest?

And then Trip pulled out the final, and most interesting item that was hidden away in the corner of Pappy’s trunk.  He held it delicately in his hands; afraid he might damage it.  It was an old tattered book with the hand written title,
The Quest for Gasparilla’s Treasure
.

The following morning as Trip arrived at school, he heard the familiar voice that made his stomach churn.

Eli spoke up so everyone could hear, “Hello, Francis.  I trust you have brought me my money today.”

Trip had hoped he could avoid Eli today, but was not surprised that Eli found him.  After yesterday’s fight, it was certain Eli would make an example out of him. 

When Trip looked at Eli, he imagined him hugging and kissing Sarah.  The thought made it difficult to keep breakfast from coming up.  He wished Josh had kept his mouth shut about Eli and Sarah.  If it had been anyone else that told him, he would have thought it was a lie.  But Josh always told him the truth, and he never gossiped.  He just told it how it was.

“Did you hear me, Francis?” barked Eli.  “I want my money.  Now!”

“Oh, you’re using Francis now.  I think I liked Twit better.”

“Do you have my money, or do you want your beating?  TWIT!  Your choice, not mine.”

Trip stayed calm.  “I guess I was wrong.  I don’t like Twit either. Try saying Trip.  It's easy.  You'll like it… Trip.”

A crowd gathered, and Eli motioned for his Goons to grab Trip.

Trip spoke up for everyone to hear.  “What’s the matter, Eli?  You scared to fight fair?  Need your goons to help you, I guess.  Why don't you just let me go, and we can all just get on with our day.”

Eli’s nostrils flared, and his face turned bright red.  Trip was pretty sure it was a bad idea to get Eli worked up like this, but from now on, this game was going to be played by Trip’s rules.

“No one goes anywhere, until I get my money!” commanded Eli.

“Well, you just need to give up that idea, because it's just not going to happen,” Trip stated calmly.

Eli addressed the crowd.  “Now everyone pay close attention to what happens if you don't keep up with your payments.”

Eli took every bit of rage and hate he was feeling toward Trip and reared back.  He put everything he had into a full on punch, hard, in Trip’s stomach.  There was a loud thud, and the sound of cracking bones.  It was Eli’s hand.  Eli let out a blood-curdling scream of pain.

Trip pulled the cast iron plate from under his shirt, the one from the trunk, and held it up, silently thanking Pappy.

“Oh, sorry about that.  I found this thing in my attic last night and I though I'd bring it to show in class,” Trip said in his calmest voice.  “Take a look, it’s really quite interesting.”

“You must have a death wish,” hissed Eli.  “Get him!”

Two goons grabbed Trip, and one immediately punched Trip in the stomach.  Then another goon took a turn.  Trip gasped for air as he went down on his knees.

“You think you’re funny, Twit?  This is how you amuse yourself?” snarled Eli.

Trip had never seen Eli like this.  He was intense and focused.  He was no longer performing for the crowd.  This was personal.

“Well, you don’t know the meaning of pain,” continued Eli as he grabbed the cast iron plate.  “You look like you enjoyed using this plate to hurt me. Well, now we’re
gonna see what kind of job this little plate can do on your face!”

This was bad!  This was really bad.  Trip could barely breathe from the blows to the stomach, and Eli’s goons had a death grip on him.  They knew if they let Trip out of this, Eli would kill them.  Trip’s mind was racing, but there was no way out.  Eli was going to bash his face in with the cast iron plate.  And he probably would not stop there.  The beating was sure to continue.

Eli confirmed Trip’s suspicion.  “And the pain won’t stop.  You made a huge mistake here today.  One you will regret for the rest of your…”

“ENOUGH!” A voice boomed across the schoolyard.  “You boys stop this at once!”

It was Mr. Hanson.  Trip was surprised to hear such command and authority come from his mouth.  Mr. Hanson was the history teacher, and normally spoke in the most mind-numbing, monotonous voice imaginable, but now he sounded like an angry drill sergeant.

The schoolyard was silent, and no one moved a muscle.  Mr. Hanson waved his ever-present yardstick at Eli, and then at Trip.  The command and authority he wielded just moments ago was quickly fading.  By the time he spoke again, it was in the mind-numbing way that everyone was used to.

“You students need to break this up and get back to class,” he droned.  “Oh, and what is this?”

He took the plate out of Eli’s hand.

“I think I will be taking this into my classroom for safe keeping.  Yes, extremely interesting,” he mused, turning his full attention to the plate.

“But Mr. Hanson, that’s mine!” Trip pleaded.  “I need that!”

“You two have proven this can be used as a weapon,” said Mr. Hanson.  “There is no place for a weapon at our school.”

Mr. Hanson waved his yardstick in their faces.  The yardstick was so close to Trip’s face, he worried he might lose an eye.

Mr. Hanson continued, “I’ll be watching you both very closely.  If I see either of you boys doing anything that even looks suspicious, you'll be in detention with me for the rest of the year.  Now get to class before I…”

Mr
Hanson noticed something on the plate and lost his train of thought.

“Oh, now that is interesting.  What does that look like to you?” he asked Eli as he pointed to a symbol on the plate.

He looked up and remembered where he was.  “What are you two still doing here?  Go on.  Get to class.”

“You better watch your back, Francis,” said Eli ominously.  “This is far from over.”

At lunch that day, Josh was more excited than Trip had ever seen him.  Josh talked so fast, Trip started to wonder if anyone had ever pulled a jaw muscle before.

“I can’t believe I missed it,” Josh spewed.  “What were you thinking trying to pull off a stunt like that?  Was it totally amazing like everyone is saying it was?  Jimmy said he could actually hear the bones in Eli's hand cracking.”

“That sounds pretty nasty,” said Sarah.  She had walked up unnoticed by Trip or Josh. “What are you two talking about?”

Trip tried to remain cool, but he couldn’t help giving Sarah the stink eye.  What was she thinking coming over here after her bully of a boyfriend had tried to kill Trip?

Josh piped in.  “We were talking about this morning, and how Trip…”

“Nothing,” interrupted Trip.  “We were talking about nothing.”

“OK,” said Sarah, confused.  “I heard about your Pappy.  That’s got to be tough.  How’s he doing?”

She sounded so sincere and concerned.  How could she act like this after what she had done? 

“He’s in a coma.  How do you think he’s doing?” said Trip, not even trying to hide is contempt for her anymore.

“Can I sit down and have lunch with you guys?” asked Sarah reluctantly.

Trip couldn’t even look at her.  What game was she playing?  Yesterday, it seemed like she really liked Trip, and here she was being all nice and wanting to sit with him.  But Trip was not going to be friends with anyone who could be friends with Eli.

“Why don’t you go sit with Eli?” pouted Trip.

“With Eli?  You mean the stinky bully kid that doesn’t know how to dress?  Why would I want to sit with him? 
Ewww!”

“Oh, stop the act,” said Trip.  “Josh saw you two together after school yesterday.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” argued Sarah.

“Come on.  Stop playing games, Sarah,” said Trip.  “Josh saw you and Eli hugging and kissing after school yesterday.”

Sarah looked completely sickened by the thought of this.  She really was a good actress.

Josh chimed in very matter of
factly.  “No, actually I saw them about to kiss.  That’s what I said, I saw her all like, hugging with him and stuff, and then they were about to kiss.  Oh, and I was worried that it might make me throw up.  And after the lunch I had yesterday, I don’t think anyone would want to see that.”  Josh realized he had strayed from the point.  “I’m pretty sure that was basically what I said.”

Sarah was truly appalled.  “Me kissing Eli?  Are you kidding me?  I can't stand to be near that guy.  I'm disgusted I even know his name.”

“Whatever,” said Trip.  “I think you should find somewhere else to sit.”

“Look” said Sarah, getting annoyed.  “I don't know what's going on here, but Eli and I have never, and will never...”

“Hey sweet cakes,” interrupted Eli as he draped his arm around Sarah.  “It’s good to see you again.”

His eyes turned to ice as he turned to Trip.  “And you, Francis. You can prepare all you want.  You can look over your shoulder.  But when I get my chance, and I will get my chance, you will regret what you did today.”

Josh put his face right up next to Eli’s hand.  He reached out and poked it with his fork.

“What are you doing, dork brain?” asked Eli, smacking Josh across the back of his head.  “You got a death wish too?”

“It’s just…” started Josh.  “It’s just, I was wondering if your bones were OK.  ‘Cause I heard that when you…”

“Shut up, fat boy!” Eli interrupted.  He smacked Josh again.

Eli turned his attention back to Sarah.  “Now sweet cakes, why don't you come on over to my table and you can feed me grapes or something.  You and I are gonna rule this school as King and slave girl.”

Sarah had enough.  Her eyes burned holes through Trip and Eli.

“You two deserve each other,” she said.  “You are both complete and total jerks.”

Sarah stormed away from the table.

Eli raised his voice.  “Bye, Honey.  I’ll see you after school for another one of those kisses you love so much.”

Sarah stopped, turned around, and glared at Eli.  She looked at Trip, who looked truly heartbroken.  Then she stormed out of the lunchroom. 

Eli rounded on Trip. “Get ready for the pain, Frances.  ‘Cause it’s gonna be bad.  And when I’m done with you, they’re gonna need…”

Josh poked Eli’s hand with a fork again, and then again.  Eli grabbed an onlooker’s tray and hit Josh over the head with it, which sent food flying everywhere.

“Now that was uncalled for,” said Josh, as he rubbed his head.  “That did not feel good at all.”

“You’re dead, Twit,” Eli said.  And he turned to leave.

He knocked one more tray out of someone’s hands as he left. “That’s a waste of food, you know,” called Josh.  “There are people starving in… some place… some place that my mom always talks about.  And they could really use that food.”

Josh was proud of himself as he turned back to Trip.  “That sure showed him.  I don’t think he’ll be wasting any more food today.”

They heard Eli yell in the distance, “Get out of my way!”  Then they heard the sound of a tray smashing to the ground.  Josh shrugged.