“Are you the Moe Turner that had Mrs. Zwiebach for fifth grade?” asked Brandon, feeling like he was spitting nails with every word.

Moe said, “Are you the Brandon Wilson that had Mrs. Zwiebach for fifth grade?”

They looked at each other with a mixture of rage and disgust and each said, “Of course!”

Eddie poked his head in. “What’s going on? Do you know each other?”

Brandon hesitated, but just for a moment. Although he felt almost silly going forward, his annoyance mingled with anger and hurt seized the moment.

“We know each other,” Brandon hissed. He pointed at Moe and snarled, “He embarassed me in front of the whole school!”

Moe looked down like he had hit by an arrow. He pointed at Brandon and said, “You’re the one that embarassed me in front of the whole school!”

Brandon blurted out, “You ruined my fifth-grade life!”

Moe narrowed his eyes and shouted, “You ruined MY fifth-grade life!”

Brandon caught his breath and wondered why he was using the same words that Moe was. The other junior members of the DMIC had started to gather and someone else asked what was going on. Eddie volunteered, “They’re talking about fifth grade.” A titter spread throughout the group. Moe and Brandon whirled around and said in unison, “Shut up!”

The music played on in a roomful of shocked silence.

* * * *