(Or, "The Red Beam of Inflation")
Brody liked to show up at school early, so he could quickly put his books away in his locker and get to homeroom before anyone noticed him. He didn’t like to be noticed, because that meant being noticed by girls, who laughed at him, and by boys, who would pick on him. Even if it meant getting up ridiculously early and sneaking in the side door to the high school, Brody knew it was essential for self-preservation.
