Bradley Wallace Murphy just turned thirteen, and he's not happy about it. He doesn't fit in at school, he's no good at sports, a bully torments him, he's a disappointment to his parents, and his only "friends" are fictional characters on a TV show c...
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CHAPTER 2
First Encounter
St. Raphael's School was located in the heart of downtown San Rafael, directly across the street from the 90-plus-year-old Marin County Courthouse, one of Bradley Wallace's favorite buildings in the world. He especially liked the Haunted House the city put on every Halloween in the jail cells deep within the basement.
A Catholic grade school, St. Raphael's was one of the oldest in town, having been built on the site of the original Mission San Rafael Archangel. The school buildings, over fifty years old, were designed in the same Spanish stucco, curved red tile-roof style as the simple, rather ordinary-looking, mission. A short distance from the mission loomed the massive St. Raphael's Church, built at the same time as the school. It was an imposing edifice, with a huge bell tower topped by an enormous cross, the biggest Bradley Wallace had ever seen, fronting the entrance. And directly above the giant-sized metal doors, in the center of the bell tower, stood a colossal statue of St. Raphael himself, painted Statue of Liberty green, holding aloft a big cross, making him look as though he were trying to ward off a vampire.
The other school buildings consisted of classrooms, the gym, and the administration offices, all of which were in dire need of a paint job. Being in the seventh grade this year, Bradley Wallace began each day in homeroom and was then farmed out to several other teachers for different classes throughout the day. The seventh and eighth graders had classes in the same wing, which consisted of four large classrooms along a stark, dimly lit hallway painted an odious bomb shelter green.
Bradley Wallace's homeroom teacher was Sister Margaret Raphael (a convenient name, he thought, and easy to remember), an elderly, somewhat overweight, but amiable enough nun with white hair peeking cautiously out from under her black veil, a pasty white complexion, bulbous nose, and grungy, yellowing teeth. She was seldom ill tempered, but she did have her limits and certain banes to her existence, like John Wagner. But then, John Wagner was on everyone's hit list as far as he could see.
By the time the bell for homeroom had rung, he was proceeding past the milling, scurrying students to Sister Margaret's room when he spotted Wagner with his sidekicks Raley and Smith lounging indolently against the water-fountain waiting for the last possible moment to enter their classroom (they were in the other seventh grade homeroom, thank God!).
Bradley Wallace hoped to slink on past unobserved, but Wagner spotted him, wolf eyes blazing as he muscled his way through the crowded hallway. He was a favorite target of the school bully.
Bradley Wallace ducked hurriedly into homeroom and took his seat. Wagner appeared at the open door moments later and caught his eye, mouthing the words, "I'll get you later, Murphy," before disappearing from view. Bradley Wallace sighed as Sister Margaret shut the classroom door and set about calling the roll.
Today's confrontation with Wagner came during lunch. Wagner had a shock of jet black hair, always unkempt and greasy, baleful grey eyes, like those of a rabid wolf, and a cold, cruel mouth.
