The Kid in the Red Jacket by Barbara Park

Author:Barbara Park [Park, Barbara]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-0-307-79704-9
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Published: 2011-05-18T04:00:00+00:00

When I went to bed that night, I took Madeline to my room. I guess I figured that as long as she was spending the night, she might as well do it on my floor. I didn’t expect her to watch out for me, though. I swear.

6 On my second day at school, believe it or not, I walked there with Molly Vera Thompson.

I was about halfway down the street when I first heard her.

“Hey! Hey, you! Howard Jeeper! Wait up! It’s Molly Vera Thompson!”

I knew this was going to happen. I just knew it. But even though I had begged and begged for someone to drive me, both Mom and Dad had refused.

“One reason we bought this house was so that you could walk,” my father informed me. “The exercise will be good for you.”

“Hey, I said! Hold it!” she shouted again.

Two girls walking on the other side of the street started to laugh.

What was I supposed to do? If I didn’t stop, she’d just keep shouting her head off. And if I ran, she’d run after me. Finally, I bent down, pretended to tie my shoe, and waited for her to catch up. The way I figured it, walking to school with a first-grader is bad enough, but being chased by one to school is even worse.

“That was close!” she yelled, running up behind me. “For a minute there I didn’t think you heard me or something!”

Why was she still shouting? I was standing right next to her.

“Shhh!” I ordered. “Not so loud.”

Molly’s voice got quieter as she looked around us. “Why? Is someone listening?”

“Only the whole world.”

Molly just shrugged her shoulders and fell into step as I started walking again. We had only gone a couple of yards when she wrinkled up her nose and started to giggle.

“This is fun, isn’t it, Howard Jeeper?”

I started walking a little faster.

“Hey! How’s the weather up there?” she called, looking up at me. Then she started laughing like it was the funniest thing anyone had ever said.

I didn’t answer. What was I supposed to say? Cloudy, with a chance of rain?

“Hey!” she persisted. “What’s wrong? Cat got your tongue this morning?” Her legs hurried faster and faster, trying to keep up with me. “That’s what my nonny says to me sometimes. ‘Cat got your tongue, young lady?’ she’ll say. It means that you’re being quiet.”

“Yeah, right,” I responded. I wasn’t paying attention, of course. All I wanted to do was get to school before anyone saw the two of us together.

“Hey! Why are we walking so fast? Are we in a hurry?”

“Nope,” I answered simply. “I always walk this fast. That’s why you probably shouldn’t walk with me. It’s probably not good for a little kid like you.”

“No. It’s okay,” she replied, huffing and puffing beside me. “I like to walk fast. It kind of bobs you up and down, doesn’t it? See how fast my legs are going?”

Suddenly I started to run. I just didn’t want to be with her anymore, that’s all.

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