Green Gravy (3 page)

At recess, Carly and Dee Dee made a circle. A tiny, secret circle. Just for two best friends.

Carly told her friend about the Pinch Rule. “Whoever isn't wearing green gets pinched,” she said. “That's the Pinch Rule.”

“Isn't the whole class gonna wear green?” Dee Dee asked.

“Jimmy's not,” Carly replied.

“Then he's the only one who's gonna get pinched,” said Dee Dee. But she wasn't laughing.

“I know.” Carly grabbed a swing.

Dee Dee took the one next to her. “So why do you wanna have a Pinch Rule?” she asked.

Carly didn't want to lie. That wouldn't be a good citizen.

“Is it 'cause of Jimmy?” Dee Dee asked.

“Jimmy's a sour pie. That's what!” Carly leaned back in her swing. She made it go high into the sky.

“I thought you liked Jimmy,” Dee Dee shouted. “Ever since your parents adopted him, it's been you and him. Good friends.”

Carly didn't say anything. She wished Dee Dee would keep quiet. Too many kids were standing around.

“Jimmy's your brother, remember?” Dee Dee said.

“I didn't say he wasn't,” Carly hollered back.

Dee Dee dragged her feet and stopped swinging. She got off. And she stood right where Carly could see her.

But Carly stared up at the sky. “Quit buggin' me,” she said.

Dee Dee said, “Yes, Your Royal
Highness.
”

Then she walked away.

“Oh, great,” Carly whispered. “The Student of the Week has another enemy.”

She—Carly Hunter—wasn't so special. She knew it for sure.

So did her best friend.

And probably her brother.

She felt like crying.

FIVE

It was Carly's special day.

“Make Jimmy wear green!” Carly wailed.

Her mother shook her head. “I'm not going to force him,” she said. “Jimmy's Korean, not Irish.”

“But he
has
to,” Carly told her. “The whole class is supposed to wear green and eat green.”

“Well, I gave Jimmy some lunch money,” her mother said. “So it's up to the school cook, I guess.”

Carly wanted to stamp her foot. But
she knew better. Her mother would give her extra chores. For sure.

She went to her room. She made her bed and folded her pajamas. Cleaning up helped to take the “M” out of mad!

On top of that, she counted to fifty. Very slowly.

Soon she was drawing a picture of Quacker.
This
time she looked out the window at her duck. She took her time and did a good job.

The sketch turned out just ducky.

She pinned on her
Student of the Week
button.

Now she was ready to make her green lunch.

First, she washed two big pieces of celery.

No peanut butter today. Wrong color.

Next, she put two pieces of lettuce together. She added sliced dill pickles.

She found some raw broccoli. A little avocado dip would taste good.

She helped herself to a handful of Spanish olives.

Her green meal was done. All but the drink.

A can of lemon-lime pop was easy. Nice and green, too.

Before she left, she reached into the cookie jar.

Mm-m, yum!

She'd helped her mother bake beautiful green clover cookies. With ooey, gooey green topping.

“Take plenty for your friends,” her mother said.

“Teacher too?” Carly asked.

“Help yourself.” Her mother found a plastic bag.

Carly put a bunch of cookies inside. “Maybe
now
Jimmy will eat something green,” she said.

Her mother smiled. “Maybe, but maybe not.”

“Why's he so stubborn?” asked Carly.

“Stubborn?” her mother said. “You could be wrong about that, dear. Jimmy might be feeling something else.”

“Like what?” Carly asked. She couldn't think of anything.

“Jimmy needs to be himself,” her mother said. “He's still getting used to America. And to all of us.” She kissed Carly good-bye. “Do you have your shoe box full of things?”

“In my room,” Carly said. “I have everything I need for my special day.”

Everything but a best friend and a nice little brother
, she thought.

That added up to nothing much!

“Take good care of our family pictures,” her mother reminded her.

“I will,” Carly said. “I promise.”

“I'll carry the cookies,” Abby said.

“Thank you,” Carly said.

She was trying hard to be a good citizen.

Carly stuck with her big sister, Abby. And her big brother, Shawn. They walked across the street together.

So did Stacy Henry, Abby's best friend. Eric Hagel, too.

They were four of the older Cul-de-sac Kids. The rest of the kids in the club were already at school.

Miss Hartman's outside door was easy to see.

Super easy!

It was the one with all the green kids. A ribbon of green stretched out across the playground.

Carly saw something else. Something purple.

It's Jimmy,
she thought.
He's spoiling my day.

“Make sure you don't drop your pictures,” Abby said.

“Mommy already told me that,” Carly shot back.

“Hey, what's the matter?” Abby said. “I
was only trying to help.”

“Well, I don't need any help.” Carly stamped off.

It was OK to stamp in the school yard.

Abby couldn't stop her.

“Guess I'll just eat up your cookies!” called Abby.

Carly spun around. “No! No!”

Abby hurried over. “Here,” she said. “I was only kidding.”

“Don't be a sour pie like Jimmy,” muttered Carly to herself. Carefully, she carried the cookie bag and the shoe box.

Now . . . where was Dee Dee?

Carly searched. The green student line was a problem. Everyone looked the same!

Finally, she found her friend. Dee Dee's natural curls had a big green bow.

Carly waved to her. But Dee Dee didn't wave back.

Neither did Jimmy. He was at the end of the line.

“You look nice and green,” Carly said.

Dee Dee didn't smile. “So do you.”

Something was strange about Dee Dee's voice. It sounded like a flat tire.

“What's the matter?” Carly asked.

“Nothin' much,” Dee Dee said.

She always said that when she was upset.

Carly got in line behind her. But Dee Dee didn't turn around. She didn't even look at Carly's clover cookies!

What's her problem?
she wondered.

Carly could hardly wait for the bell.

SIX

Miss Hartman was writing on the board.

Her suit was bright green. Her green-and-blue blouse was all swirly.

When everyone was seated, she called the roll.

Jimmy was the only one missing.

“Is your brother sick?” Miss Hartman asked Carly.

Carly turned around. She looked all around the room. “I just saw him at the end of the line,” she said.

Dee Dee tapped her on the shoulder.
“Look out the window. Jimmy's hiding. “

Carly stretched up, up out of her seat.

Her brother was sitting on the slide.

“There he is!” Carly pointed.

“Oh, dear,” Miss Hartman said and rushed out the door.

Everyone jumped up to see.

Carly and Dee Dee got out of their seats, too.

“What's going on?” Dee Dee asked Carly.

“Who knows.”

“Looks like Jimmy's got some markers,” one girl called.

Everyone rushed to the window. They crowded in.

Carly was too short. She couldn't see.

Dee Dee crawled up on someone's desk. She started to giggle.

“What's funny?” Carly asked.

“Jimmy's painting dots on his nose,” Dee Dee said.

“Dots? What for?” Carly asked.

“How would I know?” Dee Dee said.

The kids watched for a moment.

“Here comes the teacher!” someone said. “And Jimmy!”

They darted to their seats. Like scared mice.

Miss Hartman came inside, grinning. Silently, she guided Jimmy to his seat.

Carly stared. She wasn't daydreaming. Not at all.

Now everyone was staring.

Dee Dee was right. Jimmy
did
have dots on his nose.

But they weren't just any kind of dots.

They were GREEN ones!

“Those are some strange freckles,” one boy joked.

Jimmy spoke up. “Friendly freckles.” He laughed.

Miss Hartman sat at her desk. “Quiet, class,” she said.

Everyone settled down.

“Every student in this class has helped
make Carly's wish come true,” Miss Hartman said. “Happy St. Patrick's Day.”

The kids chattered a bit. They were saying “Happy St. Patrick's Day” to each other.

But Carly wasn't. She was staring at Jimmy.

His friendly green freckles went all across his nose. They spilled over onto his cheeks.

Carly was no dummy. She could see right through those Sour-Pie freckles.

Jimmy had tricked her. On purpose!

He'd tricked her with those green freckles.

She couldn't use the Pinch Rule on him.

It was no good now.

Rats!