My Life as a Cartoonist (2 page)

When I show Matt the new SUPER FRANK, he tells me it's good but needs even more action.

“How about if the evil seal takes hostages at the bank and Super Frank has to break into the building before it blows up?”

If you don't count the seal and the monkey, Matt's suggestion sounds like the plot to a zillion movies we've watched together over the years. But because he's my best friend, I tell him it's a great idea.

“How about if the seal wears a sombrero?” Matt continues. “And one of those long ammunition straps—with scuba gear.”

I try to envision why a bank robber with a sombrero would need scuba equipment, then take it as a challenge to come up with a scenario where those items actually do make sense.

Matt and I stop in the hall at the same time to continue the discussion. We both act as if the reason we're stopping is because the topic is so important, but our REAL excuse for hitting the pause button is because Carly's at her locker talking to Crash, who's a year ahead of us. Crash wears his usual school uniform of flip-flops, baggy surf shorts, and a frayed T-shirt. Carly met him at surf camp in Santa Monica a month ago, and lately she's been spending as much time with him as she does with Matt and me.

She waves when she sees us, but Crash doesn't bother to nod even though she's introduced him to us a thousand times.

“He's the most arrogant kid in school,” Matt says. “I don't know what she sees in him.”

“If he doesn't start combing his hair, he's going to have dreadlocks soon,” I add.

“Yeah, because he's not cool enough now,” Matt says.

“What's next, a tattoo?”

“He'd be the only person in middle school with one—if you don't count the teachers.” For the past few years, every one of our homeroom teachers has had at least two tattoos.

We immediately drop the conversation when Carly approaches. She's her usual bubbly self, not aware that her two best friends have just been talking about her. “Have you met the new kid?” she asks.

“Your boyfriend, Crash?” I say.

“Crash isn't my boyfriend!” Carly blushes, then gives me a little shove. “Don't you listen to Ms. McCoddle? There's a new kid in our class. He transferred in today.”

Hearing this makes me wonder how much other information I miss when I'm drawing in my notebook during Ms. McCoddle's morning meetings.

“His name's Umberto,” Carly says. “I met him a few minutes ago. He's really nice.”

“You say that about everyone,” I tell her.

“That's not true. Toby is a knucklehead and I'll tell him to his face.”

Matt laughs, but I'm surprised by how much more self-assured Carly's become in the last few weeks. Have they started putting something in the Pacific Ocean or is all that fresh air responsible for Carly's shift? Or does Carly's sudden confidence come from hanging around with her buddy Crash?

The bell rings and we head into the classroom. Ms. McCoddle's been on this whole “around the world” decorating theme, so this week every inch of the classroom is covered with photographs of Egyptian hieroglyphics as well as the pyramids and the Sphinx. Last month's educational destination was China—I was hoping we'd get some ginger chicken or hot and sour soup along with the photographs, but we didn't get either.

Carly holds out her arms like some woman on TV turning letters on a game show. “Derek, Matt—meet Umberto.”

I'm so busy staring at the hieroglyphics above the Smart Board that I almost trip over a kid with a Lakers T-shirt and closely shaved hair. He's parked right between my desk and me, in a wheelchair.

I tell Umberto it's nice to meet him, but before he can answer, Ms. McCoddle asks us to take our seats. Umberto skillfully wheels his chair to a new desk placed next to mine. I've seen a few of these desks in other classrooms—more like a table than a desk—designed for easy access for kids with wheelchairs.

Matt gives me a look that says, “We have a lot to discuss at recess.” Our tightly knit class hasn't had a transfer student yet and in all my years of elementary and middle school, I've never sat next to a kid in a wheelchair. As Ms. McCoddle babbles on about the Nile River, I imagine Matt and me on our skateboards, racing down the hill at UCLA alongside Umberto. He's wheeling as fast as he can while Matt and I slalom on either side of him.

As the three of us glide down the hill, I ask Umberto a million questions: What school did he transfer from? Has he always been in a wheelchair? Do his parents have one of those cool vans with a mini elevator?

I snap out of my reverie when Ms. McCoddle pauses at my desk and shoots me the evil eye.

But of all the things I want to talk to Umberto about, the one at the top of my list is this:
I HAVE A CAPUCHIN MONKEY WHO'LL SOON BE TRAINED TO HELP PEOPLE IN WHEELCHAIRS!