But Bones didn't seem to hear a word I said. He was humming as he adjusted the bike's front tire, which, after careening through the air and getting pinned between two couches, now looked dangerously misaligned. Then he turned the Basket Barge in the direction of the launcher, hopped on, and looked at me expectantly.

"We gotta keep going, Lump! That launcher, or what- ever it is, has to be the coolest thing ever. I mean, it can launch a cow. A COW, Lump!" Clearly he was on a mission, and he wasn't going to give up.

Of course not. When you live like Bones, the word "quit" doesn't exist in your dictionary.

     Even though I knew getting back on the Barge was most definitely a suicide mission, I hopped on anyway. In my own defense, I was completely aware of how idiotic it was, but I just couldn't say no.

Here's the thing: Bones had cancer, and for whatever stupid reason, getting his hands on Yizzzzza's launcher was really important to him. This was basically his fluffoon version of Make-a-Wish, so as his best friend, I was obligated to at least try to make it happen.

As I was digging my heels into the Barge's baskets for the second time that night, a light appeared at the top of the Yizzzzza's junk pile. Not just any light, though, a huge, blindingly bright spotlight, like one you'd see at the circus. It was shining right in our faces and I couldn't see anything.

Then a voice cracked over a loudspeaker, which nearly made me jump out of my shorts.

"GET LOST!" it boomed.

Challenge Question!

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