Jurnalul unui ninja dintr-a sasea Vol.2: Invazia piratilor

Fragment din romanul „Jurnalul unui ninja dintr-a sasea Vol. 2: Invazia piratilor” de Marcus Emerson:
“I folded my arms. I hated when she called me that, and she knew it. Being the leader of a ninja clan wasnt easy, and for the past month, I wasn’t sure if I was doing a good job of it. Whenever she called me that, I knew the name was a joke, but part of me couldn’t help but feel like I was actually the joke.
Anyways, everywhere I turned, kids were talking like pirates. It was awful, but I couldn’t get away from it, so maybe Zoe was right and I should lighten up.
„Sorry,” I said to Brayden.
„Cool,” he replied. „For a second I thought you were gonna use your awesome nun chuck skills to helicopter out of here. Isn’t that what you do? Don’t ninjas do that?”
„No,” I started to say, but Zoe interrupted me.
„I heard that ninjas can throw an uppercut so fast that it actually travels backward in time and punches the baby version of the victim!”
„Har har,” I said, faking a laugh. „Very funny.”
Brayden continued. „I heard that some ninjas just paint themselves black and run around naked because wearing clothes isn’t hardcore enough. Any truth to that?”
I sighed and sunk down in my seat.
Brayden laughed. „Shiver me timbers! It’s only a joke, mate!”
My teeth were grinding in my mouth, but I forced a smile. Homeroom was only fifteen minutes long, and all I had to do was wait it out.
Mi-am incrucisat bratele peste piept. Nu-mi placea cand imi spunea asa, iar ea o stia foarte bine. Nu era usor sa fii liderul unui clan ninja si nu eram sigur daca-mi facusem treaba cum trebuie sau nu in ultima luna. De cate ori imi spunea asa, stiam ca porecla era in gluma, dar intr-un fel ma simteam ca si cum eu insumi as fi fost o gluma.
Oricum, oriunde ma uitam, copiii vorbeau ca piratii. Era ingrozitor, dar nu puteam sa scap de asta, asa ca poate Zoe avea dreptate si trebuia s-o las mai moale.
– Scuze, i-am zis lui Brayden.
– N-are nimic, a raspuns. Pentru o clipa, am crezut c-o sa te rupi in figuri cu nunceakul ca sa-ti iei zborul de aici. Nu asta faci? Nu asta fac ninja?
– Nu, am dat eu sa zic, dar Zoe m-a intrerupt.
– Am auzit ca un ninja da un upercut atat de rapid, ca de fapt calatoreste inapoi in timp si loveste victima pe vremea cand era bebelus!
– Ha, ha, am zis eu, facandu-ma ca rad. Foarte amuzant.
– Am auzit ca unii ninja nu fac decat sa se vopseasca in negru si sa umble dezbracati, fiindca ei sunt prea duri ca sa poarte haine, a spus Brayden, tinandu-i hangul. E vreun adevar in asta?
Am oftat si m-am pleostit pe scaun. Brayden a ras.
– Sa ma trasneasca, nu alta! E doar o gluma, tovarase!
Scrasneam din dinti, dar m-am fortat sa zambesc. Dirigentia tinea doar un sfert de ora, asa ca nu-mi ramanea decat sa astept sa se termine.”