THE GREAT SNOWBALL ESCAPADE
by
J.D. Holiday
Chapter 1
THE GREAT SNOWBALL ESCAPADE
by
J.D. Holiday
Chapter 1
Wilhemena Brooks watched her cousin, Bud Dunphry race down the street to the schoolyard gate.
Bud stopped and scooped up some snow. "I don't want to play with you. Who wants to play with a someone named Wilhemena. It‘s a funny name," he yelled.
Then Bud threw the snowball at Wil. It hit her in the arm, but it did not hurt.
Bud ran into the schoolyard.
Wil shouted after him, "I don't want anybody to see me with you anyway. Who wants to be seen with a bully. And what's wrong with Wilhemena? Wait till I tell Grandma you don't like her name."
'Wil' was what her father and mother called her. She liked to be called Wil. Bud knew that and was just being mean.
Wil wiped the snow from her arm. Too bad there was not more
snow on the ground, she thought. Sledding on Slide Hill after school would be just the thing to help her forget about her cousin. She could try out the blue sled she got for Christmas.
Wil walked slowly to the schoolyard. She was not in a hurry to see what trouble Bud would get into.
This was the first day back to the Ten Street School after Christmas vacation. Bud was now in her second grade class.
Over the holiday, he and his mother came to live with Wil's family.
Aunt Karen lost her job and was looking for a new one. Wil's parents did not know how long Aunt Karen and Bud would be staying with them.
Bud was a pain. Wil hoped they would not stay with them long. She wondered why Bud could not live with his father and why was this happening to her? She did not like changes.
Wil closed her hand. She could feel her new pink eraser inside her mitten. Her initials were on it. W.B. She did not want to lose it, or the pink pencil case that came with it. They were part of a set but the pink pencil sharpener that came with them was missing. Wil thought Bud took it, though he said he did not have it.
Wil had not seen her sharpener since the day after Christmas when Bud was drawing space monster pictures for his bedroom walls. Rather, her brother, Jason's, bedroom walls.
Jason was twelve. He went to a military school and liked being a cadet. He liked wearing a uniform like their father.
If Jason did not have to go back to school there would be no bedroom for Bud to stay in and Wil would not have to put up with him.
Wil sighed. She knew she should be nice to Bud. Her parents say you should be nice to everybody. She liked her Aunt Karen. They were good friends. Bud did not want to be her friend. She wished Jason did not like to march so much. She wished Bud were the one going to a military school.
Wil hurried through the schoolyard gate. It was too early for the bell to ring. All the kids were in the playground. No one was in line yet. Then she saw Bud running toward the boys throwing a ball against the school building.
Wil wished her friend Joey Van Stand was not there. Joey was smaller than Bud. Bud said Joey was a baby. There was going to be trouble.
Suzie Kemp and Robert Anders hurried over to Wil. Suzie had on the rose perfume she liked. She pointed to Bud and rubbed her head. "That boy pulled my hair," she wailed. "Who is he?"
Robert was staring at Bud. "Just what we need. Another mean Drew McFarley," he said. "Drew shoots rubber bands. I think he can shoot ten rubber bands a minute, and they hurt."
"It's not that many," Suzie told Robert. "It's about five rubber bands. He shoots rubber bands at everybody. Have you seen he’s big dog? It has huge teeth."
Wil was not listening. She was trying to forget about her cousin across the playground.
Robert shook his head. "I think I've seen him before,” he said.
Then somebody began to shout. Wil knew that voice. It was Bud's. Looking around she saw him.
Bud grabbed the ball and stopped the game. The other boys gathered around him.
Robert and Suzie were watching Bud, too. Robert said, "I heard about reform schools in the old days. He's the type of kid that would go there."
"Yeah. I heard that in reform schools kids eat bread and water and break rocks for exercise," Suzie said.
Bud was shouting at Joey. Wil looked at the ground. She wished the bell would ring soon.
Then Bud pushed Joey.
Suzie cried out, "Oh, no!"
Wil looked up. Now everybody was staring at Bud and Joey. Joey's face was red. He looked scared.
"You cannot play, Shrimp," Bud told Joey. "Go join the babies on the monkey bars."
His arms at his side Joey kept opening and closing his hands. "I can so play," he wailed. His eyes were watery.
Wil rushed across the playground. She had to reach Joey. She did not know what Bud might do next. Suzie and Robert followed Wil.
Wil stood next to Joey. "Everybody can play," she said.
Bud made his mean face. "I'm not talking to you, Wilhemena," he said.
Joey edged closer to Wil. He whispered, "Yeah, everybody can play."
"Who said, little BABY," Bud said to Joey.
Joey's lips trembled. "The principal, Mrs. Johnson said. She makes the rules," he said.
"The principal isn't here, is she?" Bud shouted.
Wil stepped in front of Joey. I have to be nice, she kept telling herself. She grinned and said, "Those are the rules. Why don't we start up another game?"
Some of the kids started to play again.
"What do you know, Wilhemena?" Bud yelled.
Suzie said, "She doesn't like to be called Wilhemena."
"She likes 'Wil'," Joey said.
"What's going on?" a voice said.
It was Mrs. Campbell, the playground monitor. She was coming closer.
"Oh, nothing," Bud said. He kneeled and pretended to tie his boots.
No one else said a word.
"You're new here, aren't you?" Mrs. Campbell asked. "What's your name?"
Bud looked up. "Bud Dunphry," he said. His voice was squeaky.
Wil had an idea. "It's his first day. Bud has to see the principal before school starts," she told the playground monitor.
Then the bell rang. Mrs. Campbell blew her whistle.
Putting a hand on Bud's shoulder, she said, "You can come with me. Bud. I'm heading for the office. Everyone else line up! Line up!"
"Okay,” Bud mumbled. He fell into step beside Mrs. Campbell then turned
and make a face at Wil. It was his, you're-going-to-get-it face.
Robert stared at Bud. Then he looked at Wil. "Hey," he said. "Isn't he the kid who was with you and your mother at the store yesterday, Wil?"
Wil frowned. "He's my cousin."
Suzie cried, "Oh, no! You've got problems."
End Of Chapter 1
