The Summer I Really Didn't Kidnap Lance Hardwood

Take 10 - The Thin Line Between Good and Bad

I was ready to rip him a new one, but Thunder put his hand on my thigh. A gesture that did not go unnoticed by either Lance or me. "Let him tell you. He needs to give his side – whatever it is. Go on, dude. Spill it."

Lance looked at that big hand and then looked at me with sad eyes. I'll try to remember all of what he said. But I was a little distracted, especially when every time Lance reached a high or a low point, Thunder would give my thigh a squeeze.

"I waited for you to come out of that damned bathroom. I guess I must have fallen asleep, 'cause you were snoring on the floor when I woke up at 5 a.m."

"I do not snore," I commented.

"Oh yeah? Vesuvius would have been quieter. I'm used to being up late and rising early when we're shooting Young Tesla. I went down to the tables, to see what gambling was like. Disney would never let any of its child stars near a casino."

His eyes sheened over for a minute, then he looked down. "If you're wondering, I'm the one who took the money from your jacket pocket. I played roulette, I played the slot machines, and won a little. He paused to raise his head, "But I lost half the money."

"You did WHAT? That's MY money! I..." <squeeze> "I...okay. Continue."

"I knew I had to somehow win it back before you found out."

"Well, THAT didn't..." <squeeze>

"I was walking around when I ran into Hector. He was in a private poker game with a bunch of 40- and 50-year-olds. He called me over and the dealer instantly dealt me in. Hector kept urging me on, saying I was gonna win the money back. Instead, I ended up betting my special edition Disney watch. And lost everything."

I was so furious, I was shaking. <squeeze>

"Oh, dude – that's rough. Sounds to me like you might easily become addicted to gambling." Thunder patted Lance's shoulder, and Lance put his hand on Thunder's, making certain that I noticed.

"Hector took me aside and told me there was one way I could win it all back, but we'd have to work together. He told me to enter the mud-wrestling match as an independent. He'd have his sponsor make us fight each other. But Hector would let me win, and his sponsor would bet on me and against him and lose nothing. But as an independent, I had to have collateral. His sponsor suggested our car, which still looked like a Maserati."

"You bet my mother's car? YOU LOST MY MOTHER'S CAR?!"

"Peter..."

Upon hearing an unfamiliar voice, Black Thunder's body tensed. "Who's that?"

"Calm down, Derek Steele. I am the voice of this vehicle's A.I. My friends call me James Dean. Or Jimmy."

A strange, faraway look was in the ex-Marine's eyes. "You sound just like...never mind. I hear things, sometimes."

"Peter, Lance was still wearing his ear stud. As soon as I heard, I shifted as fast as I could to look like a 50s station wagon. And while that may have posed additional problems for Lance, I was certain you would arrive in time to make things right. You are, as you have said before, an Agent of Order."

Derek tousled my hair. "An Agent of Order, like the Avengers? That's so cool, dude." Lance glared.

"Hector showed his true colors when he started to really go at me, and I knew then that I'd been duped by a pair of perfect teeth and a gym rat body. The money's gone. I can't do anything about that, except pay you back when I can safely access my own bank account. I'm sorry, guys. Really, really sorry."