Cast of Characters:

Cody Schroder - main character of the book

Brock Daniels - Sheriff of Astatula and Cody's guardian

Matt Cochran - Cody's best friend

Dale Earnhardt - world famous stock car racer

Bugs Bunny - cartoon character

Elmer Fudd - arch-nemesis of Bugs Bunny


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End of Chapter 4:

After the confrontation concluded, Cody walked away...until he was out of Mr. Miller's line of vision. Once outside in the bright sunlight, he snatched his blue BMX Mongoose off the bike rack and mounted the two-wheeler. With his report card stuffed inside the right hip pocket of his jeans, Cody eagerly anticipated the newfound freedom Summer brought. He would never forget the way his elementary school days ended.



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Palo Pinto had been a nightmare nobody should have to live through. Cody often wondered how he survived that incredulous ordeal? Since he arrived in Astatula, he had a new best friend. His name was Matt Cochran.

Sometimes, Cody called him "MD". On other occasions, he'd make like Bugs Bunny when he chomped on a carrot and asked Elmer Fudd, "What's up, Doc?"

The boys enjoyed watching the antics of "that wascally wabbit" as Elmer Fudd referred to Bugs Bunny. Matt marched to the beat of a different drum. The crazy thing was Cody heard the same one. Not only that, the peas of a pod both liked to color outside of the lines. Neither one of them catered to conforming to established rules. They much preferred to make their own, within the boundaries they were confined in of course.

Matt had attended Astatula Elementary School since he started kindergarten. He thought the school was okay, for a school that is.

He would often jokingly ask, "Prison bars come in all different shapes and sizes, don't they?"

Known to chatter a mile a minute, or at least as fast as he could zip a football, the star-quarterback-in-the-making's emerald green eyes lit up whenever he spoke. They were set deep in his round face. This provided him a kind of balloon-head look, sort of like Charlie Brown of the Peanuts comic strip fame.

Matt got teased a lot about his appearance, especially by Cody. But, to him, it was no big deal. He took most things in stride and knew it was all good-natured badgering. So, most of the time he rolled with the flow. Matt also liked to cut his jet black hair in a Shaggy mop top. Watching Scooby-Doo was one of his favorite pastimes. Since Cody arrived in Astatula, they always hung out together.

Matt stuck his chest out like a puff adder and bragged to anyone listening, "Inseparable companions, that's what Cody and I are."

The boys did have a lot of good times together. Some days they even dressed alike in their blue jeans, pullovers, and Puma Smash Leather sneakers. To celebrate their final day of 5th grade, they wore white shirts. The kind found at fairs. The words "Crosby County Wildlife Festival," over emblems of Black Bears, were imprinted on the front of them." Cody and Matt wore those tee shirts until they fell apart.

Always very personable, Matt thought Cody was unlike any other boy he'd ever known. His soft corn-silk blond hair, and sea-blue eyes, sparkled. Cody was also more of a loner than Matt had ever encountered before. Matt chalked that up to his friend still getting used to his new life in Astatula.

"I'm sure the tortoise will pop his head out of his shell at any time," Matt commented when others asked him why Cody was so reserved.

Cody had not told Matt much about his past, only tidbits here and there. He couldn't recall many pleasant memories so he kept most of those secrets bottled up way down deep inside himself. Eventually, they would all come spilling out. The whole nine yards. When they did, Cody's past did not scare Matt off. He thought it might. In fact, it seemed to draw them closer together.

The boys left the school in the distance and flew up Mountain View Drive. Cottonwood trees lined both sides of the residential street. They turned east on Forsythe Avenue and passed a cluster of majestic junipers. This brought them by the Dowd ranch, and its fenced pasture full of Black Angus. At least two hundred head grazed there. The aroma of fresh cow pies in their olfactories unplugged their sinuses and made their eyes water. After they cleared the farm, they darted into their Sherwood Forest neighborhood.

Neck-in-neck the boys dashed down Maid Marion Lane, like Dale Earnhardt at the Daytona 500, to see who would get to Cody's house first. They moved like slick winter winds. Their breathing grew heavier the faster they pedaled. Just boys being boys. That's all they were doing.

Hand-built by Sheriff Daniels, 1313, the house Cody lived in, was a red brick Contemporary structure that sat right smack dab in the middle of a cul-de-sac. Or more properly stated, the property consumed the entire cul-de-sac. Matt had known the sheriff his entire life. He'd been in the Delivery Room when Matt was born.

Matt also lived two houses down the street from Cody. That made getting together much easier and afforded them more time to do fun things together. As soon as they reached their destination, the trouble between them started.

Without putting the kickstand down, Cody leapt off his bike< He allowed the Mongoose to fall on the well-manicured, green fescue grass. He jumped on Matt before he could dismount his red bicycle, with its silver streamers hanging off the handlebars.

Angry, Cody stated, "You cheated to win!"

Surprised by Cody's attack, Matt replied, "Did not! I beat you fair and square. You're a sore loser!"

Cody took noticeable exception to Matt's ribbing and challenged him with, "Don't start something you can't finish, alligator!"

In a confrontational tone, Matt responded, "I can finish you, lion!"

Cody heard the word as "liar" and the battle raged!