The Curse of Captain LaFoote

RICKY BRADSHAW, fifteen-year-old high school freshman

REBECCA - daughter of the Governor of Port Charles. Read more about Rebecca. (and a mirror image of a girl Ricky knows from high school)

CAPTAIN LAFOOTE, murderous captain of the Black Avenger

THE DOCTOR, wise sage

SQUIRE, Rebecca’s uncle and a slave trader

BARNACLE, stray dog suffering from shrimp breath

TURNBULL, “Turtle Bill,” first mate

BECKY NANCE, a girl in my ninth-grade health class, says cheese will give you zits but I figure what the heck. It was my birthday, not hers. Besides it’s not like Becky is gonna ask me to be her escort on homecoming court. In fact, Becky has only looked my direction twice. One time in health class when she made the comment about zits and then the day before our winter break when she summoned me to her lunch table. I’d been sitting in an area of the cafeteria traditionally occupied by boys with hairless arm pits, glasses, and no hope at all of penetrating the inner sanctuary of the Pretty and Popular Girls group. Becky waved me over.
I hurried toward her table with a nervous palpitation in my heart stifling the urge to blurt out, “I love you, Becky. Will you go out with me?” What I said instead was, “Sup?”
“Roger, I want to ask you something.”
“Ricky,” I said.
“Excuse me?”
“My name is Ricky. Ricky Bradshaw.”
“Whatever.” Becky rolled her eyes. Becky has lovely green eyes, even when they roll.
“I was wondering if you would do me a favor. I need to… You sure your name’s not Roger?”
“It’s Ricky. We have health together.”
“Right. That’s why I called you over, Rog.-”