The Chocolate War Page #6

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I know.

Pardon me for asking...

Ask away.

What do we want Renault there for?

To give him a chance.

A chance to get rid of

his chocolates, old buddy.

I'm not your old buddy, Archie.

I know that.

And how's Renault gonna

get rid of his chocolates?

He's going to raffle them off.

A raffle?

Yes, Obie, a raffle.

I don't know, Archie.

Brian, you did such a great job

on the chocolates.

Just trust me on this.

How are you gonna get them to do it, anyway?

Easy.

Janza's an animal,

and Renault wants revenge.

And they won't back down

if the whole school's looking on.

You just do your job. Sell the tickets.

And leave the details to me.

- Hello?

- Hey, kid, how you doing?

- F*** you, Archie.

- Hey, hey, don't hang up.

Why not?

Listen, Renault,

do you wanna get revenge?

Get even? Show them what you think

of their goddamn chocolates?

And how do I do that?

Easy, kid.

Easy, if you're not chicken, that is.

There's a guy named Janza.

Real animal. No class.

And I hear he needed a bunch of little kids

on his side to take you on.

So I figure we ought to settle things

in an assembly at the athletic field.

Boxing gloves. Everything under control.

It's your chance to get even, Renault.

What about with you, Archie?

Me?

Why me? I was only doing my job.

I gave you an assignment,

it ended, you did the rest.

I didn't beat you up.

Look, kid, I'm doing this

because I believe in fair play.

End it and get on with other things.

Christ, there's more to life

than a lousy chocolate sale.

You and Janza in the ring,

face to face, fair and square.

And that's it. All done.

Finished.

Archie guarantees it.

Yes, Caroni?

Well, sir, I've been sent by the...

By the boys

to ask if we might have a football rally

tonight out in the athletic field.

Well...

Well, especially in light of the sales, sir.

Well, yes, of course, Caroni.

A football rally. What a good idea.

And might we ask

that it be kept students only, sir?

Oh, that seems fair enough.

Just don't burn down the bleachers,

if you can help it.

Oh, and, sir?

Yes?

Thank you for revising my grade.

Not at all, Caroni.

Well done.

The punches thrown

will be read off the tickets,

according to standard boxing regulations.

No kicking, punching below the belt,

nothing like that.

Other than that, it's up to them.

- Wait a minute...

- Okay with me.

I'll beat this kid any way you want.

So, what do you say, Renault?

Do you accept?

Or are you gonna back down

in front of the entire school?

I accept.

Good.

I thought you might.

Let's see.

Hey, Archie, they're really selling.

I even bought two myself.

What'd you pick?

Right cross to the jaw and an uppercut.

I almost gave them to Renault out of pity.

But I figure, what the hell?

He's got it coming to him, right?

It's a beautiful night.

See, I told you

everyone was panicking for nothing.

I don't know how you do it, Arch.

Simple.

See, Carter, people are two things.

Greedy and cruel.

We've got the perfect setup.

Greed.

A kid pays $2 for a chance to win $200

plus 50 boxes of chocolates.

And the cruel part, watching two guys

hitting each other in the ring,

unable to defend themselves,

under their commands,

while they're safe in the bleachers.

That's why it works, Carter.

Because we're all bastards.

Beautiful. Beautiful.

- Yeah?

- Goober?

- Yeah?

- It's Caroni.

Oh, yeah, what's up?

Where you been?

You haven 't been to school for a week.

I'm sick, okay? What's up?

I know Renault is your friend.

I just thought you might wanna know about this.

Boy, you guys are really something,

aren't you?

Well, Carter, this isn't a Vigils meeting.

This is not an assignment.

You wanna explain that to them?

You wanna back down

in front of the whole school?

I don't think so. Come on.

I will walk up there alone, Carter.

And I will walk back again, too.

And another.

What the f*** are you talking about?

Two fighters.

Two assignments.

Two marbles.

Too bad.

Hey, hey, hey!

All right, the kid whose written blow

is the one that ends the fight,

either by knockdown or surrender,

wins the raffle and wins the prize.

John Tessier.

He wants Janza to hit Renault

with a right to the jaw.

Now, since Archie's standing in for Janza,

Archie's gonna deliver the blow.

Eric Aderman.

Janza, uppercut to the jaw.

All right.

Artie Heller.

Janza, right to the stomach.

- Just leave it open.

- Make him hurt!

Go, Arch!

Arthur Robillard.

Renault, right hook to the jaw.

Hit him, Jerr!

Eric Dickerson.

Janza, right cross to Renault's head.

Jerry! Jerry! Jerry! Jerry!

I should have just sold the chocolates.

I played their game, anyway.

It's gonna be okay.

It'll be all right.

Kagan, Stanley.

Assignment?

He has to get us naked pictures

of his little sister.

No, no, no. No, better yet, his mom.

Hey, Arch, no complaints, huh?

You're still lucky to be in the Vigils.

Three more to go.

Lydon, Jeremy.

Assignment?

He has to eat his snot in front of everybody.

Hey, Arch?

Yes?

I don't know what

you're always complaining about.

This is easy.

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