Buster by Caleb Huett (ebook reader library txt) 📕

Skyler had started messing with the register and wasn’t looking at Tonio anymore. I saw him look from her, to the case, and back to her. He tensed up, uncomfortable with the idea of interrupting her. “Um, excuse me,” he mumbled, too quietly.

She didn’t look up. Tonio looked back at the case, clenched his hand tight around my leash, and headed for the door.

I wanted to stop, to tug him back, but that wasn’t my job. I was disappointed, but it was his decision. He reached up to push the door open, then closed his eyes and turned back around. Yes! He took the few steps back to the register and tried a little louder.

“Excuse me, do you have Om, the Martian Dragon?”

Skyler’s eyes lit up. “You’re after the good stuff! A lot of people are looking for him right now, but I actually just bought one off of somebody this morning.” She took off her ice-cream serving gloves, turned around, and flipped through a folder of cards in plastic sleeves. After a moment, she pulled one out and presented it for Tonio to see.

The image on the card wasn’t like anything I’d seen before, and I understood immediately why Tonio wasn’t able to draw it himself. Unlike the other Beamblade cards, which were mostly flat illustrations, Om’s “face” was made out of a special kind of shiny foil that gave the effect of a void filled with glittering stars that moved when your head moved. It wasn’t something you could copy with pens and paper.

“Most attack power in the set,” Skyler said. “The foil’s so cool, right?” Tonio nodded emphatically. “He’s really rare, though. If you want to take him home, it’ll be fifty-five dollars.”

Oof. That took the wind out of Tonio’s jowls. He shook his head and Skyler nodded, understanding.

From the back of the store, one of the adult players had started to argue with the kid who was playing.

Skyler called out, “Hey, now! I’m the one with the judge badge. What’s going on over there?”

“Does Summon Advanced Familiar’s ability work on the Manabytes you use to cast it?” The adult’s words sounded like absolute nonsense to me. Skyler looked a little confused, too.

“No,” Tonio whispered. “Because the spell isn’t finished until the familiar is on the field. It can’t recharge Manabytes that aren’t spent yet.”

“No!” Skyler also said, then repeated what Tonio had said. After she was done, she looked down at him and whispered back, “You sure you don’t play? It sounds like you know your stuff. Come on—just sit in for a bit and see how it goes.”

I nuzzled the palm of Tonio’s hand with my nose, and he scratched behind my ears while he thought about her offer.

Finally, he said, “Okay.” She grinned, and we followed her to the tables in the back. She introduced the players as she went.

“You already know Phil, and that’s Keegan. Laurie Ann went out for pizza, I think, and—oh, right. The new kid’s name is Devon. Say hi, everybody! This is—actually, I forgot to ask. What’s your name?”

“Antonio!” Devon, the kid Tonio’s age with the gap between his front teeth, smiled a big smile and waved. “What’s up?”

It was like an anvil had fallen on Tonio’s chest. He dropped the rest of his cookie dough ice cream on the floor and took two steps backward.

“Are you okay, Antonio?” Skyler asked, a concerned look on her face. Tonio did the signal on his leg, so I pawed at him and whined a little.

“Sorry, I’m sorry. My dog really has to pee. I’m sorry!” And just like that, we were out the door. As soon as they couldn’t see him, he was gasping for air. I gently guided him over to a bench by the corner so he could sit down and collect himself.

Devon, I realized, was the same Devon he’d thrown up on at yearbook signing—and the reason he was scared to go back to school. I couldn’t believe that goofy kid with the sweet smile had such a strong effect on Tonio, but there were a lot of things about how Tonio’s anxiety worked I was still learning to understand. I stepped up onto the bench and laid down over Tonio’s lap, trying to add warmth and reassurance in some small way.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered. I couldn’t do much in response other than wiggle, but I wished he wouldn’t apologize. I turned and licked his face. He pushed me away, laughing and making a “pwuh” noise. “I guess you don’t care, huh? You’re just having a good time outside.” He smiled. “Thanks.”

At least that was something. He glanced back at Roll the Ice, sighed, and started walking home. We’ll keep trying, I promised silently. Things are going to change.

But first I had to figure out what to do.

Mr. Pulaski was going in for another night shift, so we had “dinner” again at four in the afternoon.

“I saw you had some Beamblade cards out,” Mr. Pulaski said once the tuna casserole had been finished off. “You know, I’ve got a bunch of my old cards in storage, if you need ’em. Gotta blade, right?”

“That’s okay,” Tonio replied. “You don’t have to.”

“I know, but I will. A Beamblade card isn’t meant to sit alone in a box. It’s meant to blade! I wish I was still in college. I’d slash through all your life crystals in three turns, flat.”

Tonio didn’t answer. Mr. Pulaski shook his head like he was suddenly amazed. “You’re such a good kid, Tonio.”

“Dad, I—”

“No, no, I’m gonna be a dad here for a second and tell you how good of a kid you are! All our friends, everybody, their kids would yell, and scream, and throw tantrums. You never did that, never threw a tantrum, not once. Still haven’t. You’re almost a teenager now, sure, but I know you won’t be any trouble.”

He was trying to be nice, but something about his compliment rubbed my