There's Blood on the Moon Tonight Read Online Free Page A

attention or cared about the new kids on the first day of classes. Territories were still in limbo, the cliques in flux. But once the toughest kids in school laid claim to their dominions, and the social status of each and every kid was determined, a new student entering the mix had that harsh Spotlight all to himself. It’s no surprise then that Tubby preferred larger schools. They were more impersonal and easier to lose oneself in. Small schools were his bane. That Spotlight of Shame would follow him for weeks on end, until another new kid entered the lion’s den. Or until they got bored of picking on him. And deflecting attention was something Tubby had become very good at over the years. He’d learned early on the sooner you ignored the taunts and bullying—embraced them, even—the sooner they’d move on to someone else. Over the years his moonpie face had evolved into a doughy mask of indifference.
    No matter what they did to him, he’d never given them the satisfaction of seeing him cry.
    There was steel in Ralph Tolson; he just wasn’t aware of it yet. Moon Island would change all that.
    Having long ago accepted his lonely lot, Tubby’s great ambition now was to become one with the daily wallpaper of life. Unfortunately, Tubby stood out like a Kick Me! sign on a freshman’s rear end. Fat kids are fair game in the eyes of most kids, even the more socially conscious ones. It isn’t cool to rag on someone for the color of their skin, or for a handicap, yet it’s deemed perfectly acceptable to look down upon the overweight. To isolate them socially from the herds. It’s just how things were done by the trim and fit, and Tubby refused to lose any sleep over their disregard of his feelings.
    His mother could call him “Husky” all she wanted, but his days of shopping at the Husky section at JC Penny’s were long gone now—somewhere between a Big Mac and a Butterfinger. Now he shopped in the Big & Tall stores with full-grown men, even though he was only sixteen-years-old. Food was both his enemy and best friend. His mother unconsciously helped to reinforce the latter notion by showering him with his favorite comfort foods—her way of keeping him close to her. She too was fat, and it’s easier to live that way when you have company.
    Tubby knew this to be so. As kids his own age go, he was wiser than most. More insightful. Fat kids, you see, have ample time for introspection.
                  Tubby was actually pondering this unhappy fact, while chasing a powdered donut down with a ten-ounce Yoo-Hoo. He sighed and wiped his mouth with the back of one meaty paw. His dad had just informed him and his mother that they were moving again. And even though the school was small, it wasn’t all bad tidings. The fact that Tubby had just finished the school year, the tenth grade, made the news a bit more palatable this time. He had the whole summer ahead of him before he had to worry about being the new kid again. Even so, it didn’t stop him from complaining—something Tubby rarely did. 
    “Moon Island! Gee, Dad, I’ve never even heard of the place. And you promised we’d go on vacation this year!”  
                  His father sighed sympathetically. He knew the kind of anguish these moves posed for his son. “I’m sorry for doing this to you again, kiddo. I just couldn’t pass on this opportunity. Anyway, there’ll still be plenty of time for you to hit the beach and have some fun. There’s a real nice one on Moon; where all the kids hang out and play. Things will be different this time, Ralph. You’ll see.”
                  “How’s that, Frankie?” asked Tubby’s mother, not unkindly. She too was tired of moving but understood the necessity. Thanks to the Frank Tolson work ethic, they were close to owning their own home. So close, she could almost smell the fresh paint. “Is this job going to last longer than the others? Will we at least get a chance to