It was really STEEP, and someone built up a mound of snow near the bottom where kids were catching some SERIOUS are.
We got in a few good runs, but that's when the WHIRLEY Street kids came and kicked everyone ELSE off the golf course so they could have it to THEMSELVES.
But I was OK with that. As long as those guys aren't causing trouble on OUR street, they can have the whole GOLF COURSE for all I care.
The bus ride with the Whirley Street kids wasn't a lot of fun, but me and Rowley just tired to keep a low profile so no one would notice us.
The second it happened the driver pulled over. She said she wasn't moving until the person who threw the snowball turn themself in.
Like I said before, theres't a "no snitching" rule in middle school, so no one from the back of the bus made a PEEP. I wish I knew whod did it, because I wouldn't given up in a HEARBEAT.
I was pretty sure tthe bus driver was just BLUFFING about not moving, and that we'd be on our way within a few minutes.
But then she broke out a BOOK and started on page ONE. So we just sat there and waited for an HOUR while she read.
The worst part about the whole thing was that the bus driver turned off the ENGINE, so there was no HEAT.
There was some conversation going on at the back of the bus, and I think a few kids were trying to get the one who threw the snowball to give himself up.
But I really wish I hand't turned around to look, because, when I DID, some eight-grader realized I wasn't from Whirley Street.
That was all it took. These guys needed someone to take the BLAME for the snowball, and since I was on OUTSIDER it was no-brainer for them.
The bus driver said I needed to get off the bus IMMEDIATELY. That was fine with ME, because now that my cover was blown I didn't wanna stick around any longer than I HAD to. So I got off the bus, and Rowley was two steps behind me.
I was pretty sure we were about a mile from Surrey Street, the street we were on didn't have pavements, and there weren't any Safety Patrols this far out, so we walked on the road.
Five minutes later we heard angry voices. It was a bunch of Whirley Street kids, and they were coming straight FOR us.
First, those idiot LIED about me throwing the snowball on the bus. Then they BELIEVED their lie, and now they were MAD.
Me and Rowley had to make a choice. We could either deal with mob or RUN. We decided to run, and the only place to go was into the WOODS.
Believe me, that was the LAST thing I wanted to do. Everyone knows the woods along that road are where the GOAT MAN lives, which is why nobody ever goes in there.
Rodrick was the first one to tell me about the Goat Man, who he said was half man, half goat.
I wasn't sure if he meant the top half was a GOAT and the bottom part was a MAN, or if it was the other way round. But, either my, the Goat Man seemed pretty scary to ME.
ME and Rowley have argued for YEARS over which version is right. Rowley thinks the Goat Man is split down the MIDDLE.
I guess Rowley could be RIGHT, but, it you ask me, I think his version sounds kind of STUPID.
It's fun talking about this stuff when we're on a sleepover and safe in our sleeping bags. But, now that we were in the woods where the Goat Man actually LIVES, it was no laughing matter.
The Whirley Street kids must've know about the Goat Man, too, because when we went into the woods they didn't follow us. I figured we'd stay in there just long enough for the Whirley Street kids to LEAVE, because we didn't want to be in there any longer than we HAD to.