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IT WAS FRIDAY AFTERNOON, the end of the school week, the start of the weekend, and everybody was laughing and running hohted to be free Except a certainlike the end of the world had arrived Their names? Steve Leonard, Tommy Jones, Alan Morris, and me, Darren Shan

"It’s not fair," Alanyou buy two tickets? It’s stupid!"

We all agreed with hi we could do about it but stand around kicking the ground with our feet, looking bummed out

Finally, Alan asked the question that was on everybody’s ets the tickets?"

We looked at each other and shook our heads uncertainly

"Well, Steve has to get one," I said "He put in more money than the rest of us, and he went to buy thereed," Toreed," Alan said I think he would have argued about it, except he kneouldn’t win

Steve soes with ht in the flyer," Alan said quickly

"Forget that!" I told hiet to choose"

"Not on your life!" Tohed "You’re his best friend If we let hiht for it I have boxing gloves at home"

"No way!" Alan squeaked He’s shts

"I don’t want to fight either," I said I’ainst Toht hi He would have floored me in the first round

"Let’s pick straws for it," I said, but Tommy didn’t want to He has terrible luck and never wins anything like that

We argued about it a bit more, until Steve ca his school bag He tore two sheets of paper out of a notebook and, using his ruler, carefully cut thehly the sa and dumped the paper inside

"Here’s hoorks," he said, holding up the second ticket "I put this in, squeeze the bag shut, and shake it around, okay?" We nodded "You stand side by side and I’ll throw the pieces of paper over your heads Whoever gets the ticket wins Me and the winner will give the other two their h, or does soood to ruh as"

"Quit yapping," Tommy said "I’ht come out on the bottoht place for the shortest person

"All right," Alan said "But no shoving"

"Agreed," I said "No rough stuff"

"Agreed" Toave it a good long shake "Get ready," he told us

We stood back from Steve and lined up in a row Tommy and Alan were side by side, but I kept out of the way so I’d have roo both arms

"Okay," Steve said "I’ll throw everything in the air on the count of three All set?" We nodded "One," Steve said, and I saw Alan wiping sweat froers twitched "Three!" Steve yelled, and he jerked open the bag and tossed the paper high up into the air

A breeze caht at us To wildly It was i the scraps of paper