So Sick! (7 page)

‘Footrot?’ asked Hayley, glancing at Cal’s feet as though she was expecting to see them all covered with green slime. She sidled away. ‘Is it infectious?’

The line of students shuffled backwards.

The chemist shop assistant nodded with all the wisdom of a microbiologist. ‘Highly!’ she stated.

The children in the line scrambled back further. Even Hayley took another step back.

The blood drained to Cal’s feet, triggering a spate of
the itches
that made his toenails ache. He wished he hadn’t been born.

‘Toffee apple?’ asked Daniel as Cal hurried past.

Cal shook his head calling, ‘Gotta set up,’ as he scurried on his way. He needed to put as much distance between the chemist shop assistant and himself as possible.

Cal passed Tristan lining up his skittles and Emma putting up her Crazy Nails sign. Beside them he could see the Bobbing for Apples buckets and the Lucky Dip stall. It was while Cal was trying to avoid Hayley setting up her make-up stand that he almost walked into Stephen who was handing out his flippers and taking money from his first customers.

‘Want a go?’ Stephen asked Cal. ‘We’re about to start the first heats.’

‘I might,’ said Cal, trying not to hurt Stephen’s feelings. But one look at the children tugging off their shoes and socks convinced him otherwise. ‘After I see
how things go with the snails,’ he added.

Cal walked to the far end of the playground and chose a spot. Getting out some chalk he drew a large circle on the bitumen and a smaller one inside. Between a tree and a netball post he hung up his poster: Snail Paces. Three Bucks.

‘Don’t you mean races?’ asked Daniel, coming over and pointing to the ‘P’. ‘Forget something?’

Cal shook his head. ‘Uh, uh. I do mean paces. You know, setting a cracking pace.’

‘Oh-h-h,’ said Daniel, trying to look like he understood. Then it was a quick, ‘Gotta go. See ya. Apples to sell.’ And with that he picked up a huge tray of blue toffee apples and was off.

The sun was slowly rising in the sky as Cal watched the playground humming with kids. Some wore dramatic make-up and some flashed fluoro nails. Others walked past, blue tongues flicking.

But no one stopped in front of Cal and his Snail Paces.

I’ll never make the most money and win those tickets to the Sliders, Cal thought dejectedly.

He peeked inside the bucket and frowned. The snails looked like they were all on siesta. He gave one a poke. Nothing happened.

Cal frowned, thinking, I hope they’re not dead.

‘Snail Paces!’ he announced in a loud voice. ‘Come and buy your snails. You get to take them home.’

Cal was hugely relieved when his first customer came up.

Relief turned to terror.

Hayley stood in front of him, her feet apart and her head thrown back.

Instinct told Cal to nick off but common sense made him stay. ‘How ‘bout I give you three snails for a dollar instead of one for three?’ he said. ‘It’s the least I can do after — you know.’

Hayley smiled. ‘Deal,’ she said, holding out her dollar.

‘Deal,’ said Cal. ‘Anything for a sale.’ And anything for you, he added to himself. Taking the money from Hayley, Cal held out the bucket saying, ‘Take your pick.’

‘Who am I going to race?’ asked Hayley, looking around after she’d chosen.

‘Me,’ said Cal, removing the snail from his pocket and placing it in his palm to show her. ‘Hayley, I’d like you to meet Helix. Helix, this is Hayley.’

‘Helix?’ asked Hayley.

‘Helix Aspersa,’ said Cal. ‘It’s his racing name.’

‘Funny name,’ said Hayley.

Cal nodded in agreement. ‘It’s, um, the scientific name for a snail.’

‘Oh-h-h,’ said Hayley, looking impressed. She bent forward. If you could shake a snail’s foot she would have. ‘Nice to meet you, Helix.’

Cal pulled a marker pen from his other pocket. At the same time he asked Hayley, ‘What names do you want on your snails?’

Hayley grinned and didn’t hesitate. ‘Dancer, Prancer and Dasher,’ she said.

More and more children gathered to watch, many buying snails.

‘I’ll take some, too,’ said Emma, pushing her way to Cal. ‘As long as
you
get your nails painted in return. That way both our stalls will make some money and we both have a chance at meeting those yummy Sliders.’

Cal laughed saying, ‘Boys don’t wear nail polish.’

Emma pretended to be cross. ‘It’s only fair,’ she barked. ‘I help you raise money. You help me!’

‘That is fair,’ agreed Hayley, her look daring Cal to argue.

Emma went on. ‘Don’t worry. No one has to know. I won’t paint your fingernails … ’

Cal breathed a sigh of relief.

‘… I’ll paint your toenails, instead.’

Cal shivered in the heat. He searched for something to say but,
Paint my toenails and your fingers will drop off
, wasn’t quite what he was looking for.

Emma stood in front of him, holding out her money. Cal looked at it. He looked down at his feet.
Already they were screaming a
No-o-o!
in protest. But, the thought of Hayley and the Sliders was screaming
Yes!
Cal took the money and put it in his collection bag. ‘Okay,’ he said in a small voice, hoping that with all the excitement Emma would forget. ‘I’ll give you the same deal as Hayley. Three for a dollar.’

With a huge grin Emma dug into the bucket of snails, and pulled out three. Then, she wrote their names on their backs. Each one was the name of a Slider. Emma kissed their shells whispering, ‘Good luck, Drew. Good luck, Dylan. Good luck, Dom.’

‘Stand back!’ called Cal as more and more children came to watch. ‘We’re about to start.’

‘Wait!’ boomed a voice from the back. ‘I’d like some snails, too.’

Surprised, Cal looked up. He searched to see who had spoken.

‘Three snails, please,’ she said with a smile.

Cal shrivelled inside.

It was the chemist shop assistant!

Cal gulped. He squirmed. He reminded himself, only cowards run. Make it quick, Cal prayed to the God of Snails as he handed over the bucket.

‘I’ll take this one, and that one, and this one,’ said the chemist shop assistant plucking reluctant pacers off bucket walls.

‘Ready?’ asked Cal as the snails were labelled Huey, Louie and Dewey.

‘Ready!’ came a chorus of voices.

Cal stood tall. In a loud voice he announced, ‘Let the paces begin!’

Everyone placed their snails into the ring.

Huey, Louie and Dewey hid inside their shells. Dasher should have been called Sleeper for all the dashing it was doing. And Dancer and Prancer could have been re-named Zombie and Dopey.

Drew, Dylan and Dom took one look at the course and went back to bed.

‘C’mon Prancer,’ called Hayley. ‘Go Dasher. Go Dancer!’

‘C’mon Drew,’ called Emma. ‘Go Dylan. Go Dom!’

And so it went …

‘Come on, my little darlings,’ yelled the chemist shop assistant, kneeling at the edge of the ring. ‘Come to mummy!’

Cal rolled his eyes at Hayley.

Hayley rolled hers back.

Together, they laughed.

‘Go, Helix!’ yelled Cal, his heart racing. But even Helix just sat there, not even putting out a feeler to check out how the land lay.

The crowd began to get restless.

‘What’s going on?’ asked Emma, turning to Cal with a puzzled look on her face. ‘Why aren’t they moving?’

‘I don’t know,’ said Cal getting down on his haunches and lifting up a few shells to see if anyone was at home.

‘Maybe some food will help?’ said Hayley. She reached into her bag and pulled out a sandwich. Quickly she removed the wrapper and peeled off a slice of bread. ‘They like lettuce, don’t they?’

‘Thanks,’ said Cal, taking the lettuce leaf and tearing it into pieces, which he placed about the ring. He smiled at Hayley. And when she smiled back it felt so good, like birthdays and holidays all in one.

The kids fell silent. All eyes were on the ring.

Seconds ticked past. Cal stood stiffly, praying for something to happen.

‘Boo-o-o-o!’ went the children.

Cal picked up Helix and blew gently on his soft underbelly. Nothing.

The booing got louder.