About the Author
Hi! I am Yuna! I love to write and play soccer, and I am dedicated to both activities. I am very athletic and love to burn off energy, but I am just as happy to chill on the couch watching a movie. My favorite animals are dogs, and I respect rights for women. I was inspired by Lionel Messi and Rick Riordan to follow my dreams, which is to one day earn a Newberry Honor Medal for my current story, Canine, and become the first women to play in professional men’s football league. And I one day hope that our world will be perfect: No guns, violence, or war, have equal rights for everyone, ban weapons unless absolutely necessary(and hopefully alcohol too ;), and make the world a better place.
Excerpt from “Revenge”
by Yuna J.
Benny rushed home with Kurt trailing along behind him. He was so excited to show Kurt his new high score on Battle of The Bots, his favorite video game, and a meme on TikTok that Ian had shown him. When he gets to his house, Benny sprinted sprints up the stairs, and the only greeting to his mother, Mrs. Johnson, was, “Hey, mom! Kurt’s here!” His mother barely looked up from making her signature pumpkin pie, but waved a silent hello, and responded, “Welcome, Kurt, honey.” Kurt said thank you, and tried to follow Benny. When Kurt got upstairs, Benny was already going to the TikTok site that he had nagged Kurt about for the last few days.
“Man, why are you so slow?” Benny asked him when he finally sat down on his chair.
“Sorry,” Kurt murmured.
“Anyways, you are gonna love this TikTok. Especially since you love doges(Shiba Inu memes).”
“If you say so.”
Benny turned his computer to face Kurt and he watched it. It definitely was not that cool to Kurt; all that happened was an endless Shiba Inu reign of faces, and singing in the background was the melody, I am a doge.. I am a doge.. I am a DOGE! He was relieved when Benny turned to the site of the Battle of the Bots. Benny was a big bragger about everything and all month, Benny repeatedly had been complimenting his own high score. Everyone in the fifth grade and even the whole West River School knew about his high score. continued to bother Kurt saying his new highscore. From downstairs, Benny’s mom called and was like, “Boys, I’m going to the market to get whipped cream for my pie!” but no one noticed. Kurt watched him turn to the website. He pressed play. Kurt couldn’t have been happier to move on to the game, until slowly red dots started to take over the screen. He thought it was an update, but soon he saw that they were growing. More and more red pixels stuff started to appear, and when Kurt blinked, he saw that the whole screen was red. Soon he noticed the words, “YOU’VE BEEN HACKED” bled onto the screen, dripping blood, and a pixelated demon appeared on top was also visible. It was crying blood, and it looked like a fictional character dressed up for Halloween. T-Rex and the head of a Hydra combined. Razor sharp horns pointed out from the side of its head, and skulls were around its face. It was covered in sickly red skin, which made Benny’s stomach churn. In the corner, it read Your hacker now knows your location IRL. We’ll be returning to your previous site shortly. Benny’s eyes widened.
“Kurt. Kurt!” Benny panicked.
He rapidly closed his computer shut. A little piece of metal flew off, but no one cared at this point. Benny was going paranoid and Kurt was trying to calm him down. But Benny thought this was genuinely frightening so Kurt had to just let him be. Kurt himself wasn’t so scared, but Benny just kind of forced him to huddle in the bottom bunk of his bed to the bottom floor of his bunk bed. Since Kurt slept over sometimes, there were blankets and pillows on the bottom floor. Benny quickly shut off the lights and joined Kurt. Before Benny went there with Kurt, he shut off the lights of the room. Benny hid himself and Kurt under the blankets and went silent. Benny was shaken up. Kurt had found a flashlight in his pocket. He wanted to be funny, so he turned it on, put it under his chin and started to make ghost noises. Benny growled as if he were annoyed, but reading his expression, Kurt could tell he was more scared. Finally, he said, “Shut up, Kurt,” and Kurt just did. Then, it was silent. They could, only to hear each other’s heartbeat and Benny’s heavy breathing. Suddenly, That’s when they heard a knock on the door. The voice outside was yelling, “Let me in!” Benny’s heart raced faster and faster. He clutched the blankets even tighter. “I know you’re ignoring me! Let me in!” The voice screamed once more.
Benny was nearly practically hyperventilating. His legs started to shake. At the top of his lungs, he yelled, “IAN! Help!” Benny scrambled to get out of the blankets, and raced to his brother’s room where he was watching Youtube with his friend Ginnis.
“Hey, little bro. If you’re hungry, I already told you, I cannot make you an omelet!” Ian boomed. “I’m not joking right now, Ian! There’s a kidnapper at the door! He hacked me a few minutes ago, and now he’s here to get me!” Benny yelped. Ian snickered.
“HeyYo, Benny, are you sure you’re not hallucinating? I mean Like, do I have to take you to Dr. Stanley Deb to check in on you?” Ian chuckled.
“This is serious! Use the Ju Jitsu fighting that our karate master taught you to get him away!” Benny pleaded.
“Dude, chillax. You know it’s just mom, right?”
“It’s not!”
“Yes, it is. Common sense, man. I’m gonna get the door. BRB.”
“Ian!” Benny cried.
But Ian was still going to get the door. Benny tried to chase after him, tripping on his own foot in the process. As he lay down to ‘assess the damage’, he watched as Ian made his way down the steps. The shadow of the person outside was swarming the door. Benny bit his tongue like he always did when he was nervous. When Ian was about to turn the knob, Benny slammed the door shut. Benny shoved Kurt into Ian’s room and then himself, and locked the door. From outside the room, he could hear his mom’s voice saying, “Thank you, Ian! I forgot my keys!” Benny gasped. His face turned beet red. So it was actually his mom. Still, the hacker knew his location, and he could come any time. Suddenly the doorknob tried to turn. Ian yelled, “Let me in!” Kurt unlocked the door. Ian burst in, knocking his open computer into Benny’s view. It read, “ Mock Hack Your Friends!”.
“IAN!” Benny shrieked.
“Whoa, little dude. What?”
“You did this all!”
“Well, duh, I did!”
Kurt broke in:. “You hacked Benny? Cool beans!”
“It’s not cool…, Kurt!” Benny screamed.
“Benny Johnson, don’t you dare tell mom! You stop right now or I’ll sic Ron on you! You stop right now or I’ll make sure that Ron gets a piece of it!” Ian remarked.
Benny stopped. Ron was Ian’s Tabby cat that bit whenever given cue. And it really hurt. When he looked back at Ron, he was snarling, eyes deadlocked with Benny. Ron was very aggressive. So Benny went back to his room, and Kurt followed him.
That night, he thought about how he was going to get revenge on Ian. He decided to put pepper in his drink, and when he spit it out, it would go on Ron, who would get mad and bite. So the next day, he searched for the bottle of pepper puree and poured it in Ian’s tea. Then he placed sleeping Ron on the stool next to Ian’s chair. Benny patiently waited for Ian to drink it. He finally did. But he didn’t spit it out on Ron. He drank it, and didn’t spit it out, either. He just gagged, and then he threw up on the table. Benny’s mom was confused, but then she checked her security camera in the room and sighed.
“Benny, how could you? To your own brother! We’re going to go see a therapist!” His mother was shocked.
Benny had to admit, Ian looked pretty weak, but every time he glanced back at him, Ian gave him the evil eye. A couple hours later, Benny’s mom got an appointment with a therapist and took him to the Pediatrician's Office. They hopped into the Uber taxi and rode in silence to the hospital. After what seemed forever, somebody called his name, and they went into one of the many rooms. Inside, a shaggy haired guy was on a bench sitting in patience. He had a name tag that read, HENRY WATSON and waved hello when he saw Benny and his mother. Once they were all settled in, they began their discussion.
“Now, Mrs. Johnson, what seems to be the problem with your son, Benny?” Henry asked.
“Well, he fed his brother Tylenol on purpose! And he knows that his brother is allergic!” His mother cried.
“Interesting. Benny, what happened from your eyes?” Henry questions.
His mom’s eyes were saying, Tell the truth.
“Yesterday, my brother ‘hacked’ me, and the screen said that he knew my location. And he knows that ever since my father was shot and killed, I’ve been extra sensitive about these things. So I put the pepper puree in his tea, not knowing it was Tylenol!” Benny argued.
Henry stroked his chin.
“Ma’am, may I have a moment with your son?”
Benny’s mom nodded and left the room. Henry turned to Benny.
“I know older brothers are a pain. But listen, I’ve always believed that things are done with a purpose. And most of all, I believe that everyone deserves a second chance.”
“What about terrorists?”
“Them too. No one in the world is bad, they just did bad things.”
Benny thought about that. Maybe everyone did deserve a second chance.
Comments