If you don’t want to be noticed, you certainly will be. Just ask Zip.

Corey “Zip” Zilch didn’t want all this attention, but it came, ready or not, starting when the Scuds pushed him into Weasel Creek. Oh, and they tossed his books in with him for good measure.

That’s when everything let loose.

1. His mom’s reaction was to treat him like a baby
2. His water-soaked schoolbooks wouldn’t open in class
3. The principal pelted him with dictionary words
4. He was forced to step between the Scuds and Sarah (that takes guts!)
5. And with all of this, his dad didn’t have a clue. About anything.

But, hey, life wasn’t all bad.

Seventh grade gave him a new start. Sarah and her friend Hu became his best buds, he discovered cross country running (and he was good!), he found a coach who treated him like a man, he became part of a team, and he (amazingly) survived the (ick!) health-conscious school lunches.

So far, he hadn’t discovered the identity of the prankster mucking stuff up for the team, nor realized the bully danger in the boys’ room, or how to talk to girls, or how hard it would be to win at least one race.

Zip didn’t have it all figured out, but why should he? That’s what middle school is for.