𝙽𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚂𝚊𝚢 𝙳𝚒𝚎 | The Goonies

Chapter Three | Lunch

Lacey went into school the next day with some pep in her step. Just a bit more material and she was sure she'd have enough to get the assignment done.

At lunch, she and Jude grabbed a pizza slice each from the canteen and legged it to the library to find a good spot to study. They made camp in the back corner, swamping the large table with books and newspapers from the shelves.

"My guy was so cute when he was younger," Jude commented, pursing her lips as she looked at a newspaper.

"Ugh, gag me." Lacey raised an eyebrow. "Let's see it, then."

Jude pushed over the paper and Lacey peered at the photo.

"Alright," she conceded. "He's kinda cute."

"Isn't he just? What about you?"

"Me?" Lacey shuffled through her papers. "They're not going to win any beauty contests, that's for sure."

Jude reached over and pulled a newspaper from the pile. "Aw, bummer, they're not. More on page twenty five..."

Lacey picked up her pen and started noting down a couple more dates and names while Jude read through the full article.

"Hey, hold up," Jude said suddenly. "Michael Walsh. Isn't that..?"

Lacey glanced up. "Mikey? Yeah, why?"

Jude frowned down at the newspaper. "You'd better read this. It's dated four years ago."

***

Down in the science labs, Data was finishing off his detention - cleaning the glassware. He'd made a mistake when he mentioned the experiment-gone-wrong in the corridor to Chunk. He wasn't sure who dropped him in it, but he was working on his lie detector. His trials had gone with varying degrees of success - some explosive - but he was optimistic that he'd find the snitch in less than a year. Maybe.

"Thank you, Richard, you may go to lunch now," the science teacher said, and looked on disapprovingly as he stumbled out of the classroom.

Looking forward to finally eating his lunch in the ten minutes left of break, he went to his locker to collect it, and was just putting it in his bag when a girl - Lacey - came around the corner.

"Hey," she said, seeing her chance. She didn't think she'd catch one of the four so soon. "Richard, right?"

Data blinked. "Me?"

"Yes, who else would I be talking to?"

"Well, yes, but no one calls me that. I'm just Data."

"Well, 'just Data', have you got some time? I've got some questions."

He eyed her speculatively. "Questions? Like what?"

"Like pirate questions."

His eyes widened. "Pirate?"

She hefted her bag onto the opposite shoulder impatiently. "Yeah. Can we walk and talk?"

"S-sure. I've got to eat though, I just had detention-"

"I can manage."

She followed him outside, where they both sat on the low brick wall.

"Alright, so first question." Lacey fished the article from her bag and held it up in front of him. "Did this actually happen?"

He nodded.

"So you actually outsmarted the Fratellis?"

He nodded again, unable to speak because of a mouthful of tuna and mayo.

Lacey smiled, her eyes filling with admiration. "That is so cool. Do you think you guys could give me a full account? And statements on the Fratellis?"

Data shrugged and took another bite, keen to finish and escape Lacey's questions.

But she wasn't finished. "There's a lot of things I'd like to know. The article doesn't say much- I mean, they had guns, right? Did anyone get hurt? And the treasure - where did the rest of it end up?"

Data lifted his shoulders again silently.

She looked down at the paper again, but her eyes slid slyly over to watch him. "Jesus, I actually can't believe we have some actual cool crime-busting treasure-hunting people in our school."

"It was nothing," Data finally said, taking the bait. "They're not very good shots."

"Oh yeah? Or did you use one of those great inventions of yours to steal the show?"

He beamed and didn't question her buttering up. "Well, the best one was my Pinchers of Peril - but don't forget my Slick Shoes! Of course, I like my Bully line of gadgets best - I spent months and months studying on them and investing them-"

"So how did you use them against the Fratellis?" Lacey asked eagerly.

Behind them, the bell rang, and Data looked down at his uneaten chocolate bar forlornly. "I've got to go to class."

"That's okay," she said, standing up. "I do too. Can I ask you more questions another time? How about tonight?"

"Uh, I've got a- a thing, tonight."

She raised her eyebrows. "A date?"

He shook his head. "No. It's top secret."

The corner of her mouth twitched upwards as she shouldered her bag. "It's okay, I won't tell anyone about the 'thing'. I'll catch up with you tomorrow, maybe lunch?"

Data nodded enthusiastically. "Sure, Data's free- I'm free."

Lacey walked away, a bounce in her step and a smile on her face. Her assignment was going to be legendary.

WORD COUNT: 835

PUBLISHED: 10/01/19