Freckle Juice (2 page)

Andrew closed his eyes.

“Now, young man . . . you are going to bed!”

Andrew thought that was the best idea he'd heard in a long time. Mrs. Marcus gave him two spoonfuls of pink stuff that tasted like peppermint. Then she tucked him into bed.

Maybe the freckles would come out while he was sleeping. Right now he didn't care much if they ever came out! He hated Sharon. She'd done it on purpose. Just to get his fifty cents! He'd show her. She'd be sorry some day. He drifted off to sleep. He had terrible dreams. A big green monster made him drink two quarts of freckle juice, three times a day. Every time he drank it, the monster got freckles but Andrew didn't.

Andrew woke up sweaty. His stomach still felt funny. His mother gave him two more spoonfuls of that pink stuff and he fell asleep again.

The next day Andrew stayed home from school. He only looked in the mirror once--no freckles! He wasn't surprised. At noon he drank some hot tea. He wasn't ever going back to school. Sharon wasn't go-

ing to see him without freckles. She thought she was so great. Well, she wasn't going to get the chance to laugh at him. No sir!

But the following day his mother woke him up and sang, “Time for school. Rise and shine! Don't forget to wash your neck and behind your ears.” She pulled the covers off him.

“I'm not going to school today,” Andrew said. “I'm never going to school again.” He hid his head under his pillow.

“So! I've got a school dropout in second grade. We'll have to do something about that! Here are your clothes. I want to see you up and dressed before I count to fifteen or you're going to take three baths a day every day for the next ten years!”

Andrew got dressed. He ate a breakfast bun and drank some milk. But he couldn't let Sharon get away with it. He had to do something!

After breakfast Andrew raced back to his bedroom. He opened his desk drawer and looked for a brown magic marker. All he could find was a blue one. It was getting late. Blue would have to do. He put the magic marker in his lunch box and headed for school. He stopped two blocks before he got there. He studied his reflection in a car window. Then he took out the magic marker and decorated his whole face and neck with blue dots. Maybe they didn't look like Nicky Lane's freckles, but they sure looked like something! Andrew waited until the second bell rang. Then he hurried to his class and sat down. He took out a

book and tried to read it. He heard a lot of whispering but he didn't look up.

Miss Kelly snapped her ringers. “Let's settle down, children. Stop chattering.” Everybody giggled. “What's so funny? Just what is so funny? Lisa, can you tell me the joke?”

Lisa stood up. “It's Andrew, Miss Kelly. Just look at Andrew Marcus!”

“Stand up, Andrew. Let me have a look at you,” Miss Kelly said.

Andrew stood up.

“Good heavens, Andrew! What have you done to yourself?”

“I grew freckles, Miss Kelly. That's what!” Andrew knew his blue dots looked silly but he didn't care. He turned toward Sharon and stuck out his tongue. Sharon made a frog face at him.

Miss Kelly took a deep breath. “I see,” she said. “You may sit down now, Andrew. Let's get on with our morning work.”

At recess Nicky Lane turned around and said, “Whoever heard of blue freckles?”

Andrew didn't answer him. He sat in class all day with his blue freckles. A couple of times Miss Kelly looked at him kind of funny but she didn't say anything. Then at two o'clock she called him to her desk.

“Andrew,” Miss Kelly said. “How would you like to use my secret formula for removing freckles?” Her voice was low, but not so low that the class couldn't hear.

“For free?” Andrew asked.

“Oh yes,” Miss Kelly said. “For free.”

Andrew scratched his head and thought it over.

Miss Kelly took a small package out of her desk.

She handed it to Andrew. “Now, don't open this until you get to the Boys' Room. Remember, it's a secret formula. Okay?”

“Okay,” Andrew said.

He wanted to run to the Boys' Room, but he knew the rules. No running in the halls. So he walked as fast as he could. He couldn't wait to see what was in the package. Could there really be such a thing as freckle remover?

As soon as he was inside the Boys' Room he unwrapped the package. There was a note. Andrew read it. It said:

TURN ON WATER. WET MAGIC FRECKLE REMOVER AND RUB INTO FACE. RINSE. IF MAGIC FRECKLE REMOVER DOES NOT WORK FIRST TIME . . . TRY AGAIN. THREE TIMES SHOULD DO THE JOB.

MISS KELLY

Ha! Miss Kelly knew. She knew all the time. She knew his freckles weren't really freckles. But she didn't tell. Andrew followed Miss Kelly's directions. The magic freckle remover formula smelled like

lemons. Andrew had to use it four times to get his freckles off. Then he wrapped it up and walked back to his classroom.

Miss Kelly smiled. “Well, Andrew. I see it worked.”

“Yes, Miss Kelly. It sure did.”

“You look fine now, Andrew. You know, I think you're a very handsome boy without freckles!”

“You do?”

“Yes, I do.”

“Miss Kelly . . . Miss Kelly!” Nicky Lane called out, raising his hand and waving it all around.

“What is it, Nicky?” Miss Kelly asked.

“Could I use your magic freckle remover? Could I, Miss Kelly? I hate my freckles. I hate every single one of them!”

Andrew couldn't believe it. How could Nicky hate his freckles? They were so neat!

“Nicky,” Miss Kelly said. “Andrew didn't look good with freckles. But you look wonderful! I'd hate to see you without them. They're part of you. So, I'm going to put away this magic formula. I hope I never have to use it again.”

Well, Andrew thought. She'd never have to use it on him. He was through with freckles.

When the class lined up to go home Andrew heard Sharon whisper to Nicky. “I know how to get rid of them.”

“Get rid of what?” Nicky asked.

“Your freckles.”

“You do?”

“Sure. The secret recipe for removing freckles has been in my family for years. That's how come none of us have any. I'll sell it to you for fifty cents!”

Then Sharon walked up alongside Andrew. Before Andrew could say a word Sharon made a super-duper frog face just for him.

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