by Carol Gorman
“What’s that?”
“A trip to Chicago to see the Cubs,” I said. “At the end of September.”
“Wow,” Dad said, rinsing off a plate, “that sounds like a trip made for you.”
“It sure does,” I said, grinning at Sam. “And it only costs twenty-five dollars. Just think, a chance to make new friends and see a Cubs game for so little money!”
“Sounds great,” Dad said.
“Yeah, it would be great if Sam and I could both go,” I said. “We can pick up a lot of pointers for the school baseball team.”
“Terrific.”
I held up my fists in victory to Sam. He gave me a silent high five behind Dad’s back.
We were going to see the Cubs game!
Mom walked into the kitchen.
“What’re you two grinning about?” she asked. She put some folded towels in the drawer.
“We’re just happy,” I said. “Sam and I are going to see a Cubs game at the end of the month. Dad said we could go.”
“A Cubs game?” Mom said. “Who’s taking you?”
I explained about the sign in the window at McCloud’s.
“Twenty-five dollars?” Mom said. “Where are you going to get the money?”
I stopped and stared at her. “Uh, I thought you could advance us the money from our allowance.”
“No way,” Mom said. “We just advanced you twenty-four ninety-five for that computerized speedometer.”
“But, Mom—” Panicked, I looked at Dad. “Dad said we could go!”
“You didn’t tell me that you’d have to get the money in advance,” Dad said. “Don’t you have anything in your savings account?”
“Nope,” Sam said. “That’s why she needed the twenty-five-dollar advance for the speedometer.”
“Oh, shut up, Sam!”
Sam looked at Mom. “I have nearly twenty dollars saved. Could I have an advance on the rest? It’d only be five bucks or so.”
“We’ll see.”
“What?” I cried. “You’d let Sam go and not me?”
“Lizard,” Mom said, “you need to learn a lesson in saving. When you spend all your money on baseball cards and sports equipment, you don’t have anything saved for special occasions that come up, like this trip to Chicago.”
“But I’m the biggest Cubs fan in the whole world!” I said. “Baseball is my life!” Then I tried a new tack. “I could take my speedometer back to the store and get a refund.”
“Not this time,” Mom said. “You’d still be twenty-five dollars in debt.” She looked at Dad. “Agreed?”
“You bet.”
“But there won’t be a next time,” I said. “I’ll pay you back fast. I’ll do extra work to earn it.”
“I’m sorry, Lizard,” Mom said. “But you haven’t even started paying back the twenty-four ninety-five. I’m not going to let you dig yourself even deeper in debt.”
“But, Mom—”
“Do you know how long it would take you to pay us back fifty dollars?” Dad stopped me. “You get six dollars a week in allowance. It would take you more than two months to earn that much. And during that time, you’d probably think of five other things you had to have.”
“Lizard,” Mom said. “I know you love the Cubs. Why don’t we plan to see a game next summer? The whole family will go.”
“But that’s almost a year away!”
“In the meantime, you can watch them on TV.” Mom headed out of the kitchen.
I followed. “But, Mom—”
She whirled around in the dining room and glared at me. “That’s it, Lizard. The answer is no. Don’t bring it up again.”
“I—”
“No. You understand? End of discussion.”
Mom walked out of the room. I was stunned. I felt as if I’d been hit with a sledgehammer.
My dream of sitting in the stands at Wrigley Field, watching my heroes play baseball, was gone like a wisp of smoke.
Everyone would be there without me. Even Sam, that rat. He’d come home and tell me every wonderful detail about the game and say, “You should’ve been there, it was so great.”
And I’d think, You bet I should’ve been there, you rat.
I went upstairs, flopped on my bed and stared out the window.
If only I had the money!
That’s when I decided it. This wasn’t over yet! I wasn’t going to be beaten this easily. There had to be a way to get to the Cubs game!
Twenty-five dollars was a lot of money, and I didn’t know how I’d come up with it.
“But I’ll get it,” I promised myself out loud. “Somehow, I’ll find a way to get that money. I will see the Cubs play.”
CHAPTER THREE
THE SKY WAS AS BLACK as my mood the next day. I was still determined to find a way to get the money I needed, but my anger at Mom and Dad continued to run through my body.
We live too close to school to be eligible to ride the school bus, so whenever the weather was bad Mom drove Mary Ann, Sam, and me before she went to work. The windshield wipers slapped at the raindrops as Mary Ann slid into the backseat next to me.
“If it’s still raining after school, Lizard, you and Sam can take the city bus home. Here.” Mom dug into her bag with her right hand and came up with two dollar bills and four quarters. “Do you need some bus money, Mary Ann?”
“No, thanks,” she said. “My dad gave me some this morning.”
Mary Ann looked uncomfortable. I’d called her last night to tell her that Mom and Dad wouldn’t let me go to the Cubs game. Her mom had just given her permission. Mary Ann knew I was still very angry; I had barely said a word since she’d gotten into the car.
She looked out the window.
“Lizard,” Mom said, “good luck on your math test.”
“Thanks.” I said it curtly and refused to look at her.
“What else is on tap for today?” she asked.
I didn’t answer.
“Lizard?”
“Don’t bother trying to talk to her,” Sam said. “She’s pouting.”
“Shut up, Sam,” I said.
“It’s nobody’s fault but your own that you can’t go to the Cubs game,” he said. “If you didn’t blow all your money—”
“I don’t blow all my money!” I said. Of course, that was a lie, but I was itching for a fight.
“Oh, yeah?” Sam said. His eyes went into little slits like they always do when he’s mad and acting like a jerk. “So why is your savings account empty, and mine has nearly twenty dollars in it?”
“I need more stuff than you do. Besides, you’re really cheap—you’re always bumming quarters off Zach and Mary Ann and me for the candy machine at Whetstone’s!”
“I don’t bum quarters!” he yelled. “Do I, Mary Ann?”
“Don’t speak to him, Mary Ann!” I told her.
“All right,” Mom cut in, “that’s enough.”
“She’s acting like a baby,” Sam said.
“And you’re acting like a jerk,” I said.
“Stop it!” Mom said.
Mary Ann probably wished she’d walked in the rain. No one spoke the rest of the way. At school, I got out of the car, slammed the door, and sprinted into the building. Mary Ann followed close behind.
The kids were all crowded into the foyer. The floor was wet with tracked-in rain, and the air smelled of damp hair and—I sniffed again. Yuck. It was that mushy goulash the cooks make for lunch about four days a week.
Zach waved at us from the side of the foyer.
“Come on,” I said to Mary Ann. We weaved our way through the crowd to Zach, who stood with Ed and Stinky. Their hair was soaking wet and matted to their heads, and beads of water dripped off their rain slickers.
“Hey, Lizard,” Zach said, grinning. “You got the bandage off your chin. Those scrapes don’t look too bad.”
“I can’t go to Chicago, Zach.”
His face darkened. “You can’t?”
“Mom and Da
d won’t advance me the money. Sam’s probably going, though.”
“Oh, shoot,” he said. “It won’t be as much fun without you. You still going, Mary Ann?”
“I don’t know,” she said. “I’m not sure I’ll go without Lizard.”
“Well, I’m going,” Stinky said.
“Me, too,” said Ed. He wasn’t even a Cubs fan! Life can be so unfair, I thought.
I sagged against the wall.
Zach stared off into the distance. “Something like this happened once to my cousin Wally.” He got that funny look in his eyes that comes just before one of his stories.
“Another cousin?” Stinky smirked. But he leaned in to listen. Everybody loves to hear Zach tell his stories.
“Yeah,” Zach said. “What Wally wanted more than anything was to go to World-O-Rama and ride on the biggest, wildest roller coaster in the state. It’s all inside a gigantic spook house, where ghosts and goblins come after you in the dark, and you spin in three-hundred-sixty-degree turns, and you get splashed with water and screamed at by demons.”
“Cool,” Ed murmured, his eyes wide.
“It was cool, and it was all Wally thought about,” Zach said. “The idea kind of scared him, but he was obsessed. He wanted to be able to say he’d survived the Demons’ Den. He even dreamed about it at night, and woke up in a cold sweat, shaking all over.
“Finally, he had his chance to go. His scoutmaster announced that they’d all be taking a trip to World-O-Rama. It only cost twenty-five dollars apiece.”
“Just like the Cubs game,” I said.
“Yeah,” Zach said. “But his parents wouldn’t give him the money, either.”
“What did he do?” Mary Ann asked.
“He heard about this weird old woman who granted wishes. She lived in a shack next to the railroad tracks, and Wally went to see her.
“‘I need twenty-five dollars to go to World-O-Rama,’ Wally said. ‘I want to ride through the Demons’ Den.’
“‘No problem,’ she said, ‘but you have to do one thing for me first. Bring me a lock of your principal’s hair.’
“Wally was stunned. His principal was the meanest, rottenest woman in the whole state. How would he ever get a lock of her hair? ‘Couldn’t I slay a dragon instead?’ he asked.
“‘Bring me a lock of her hair,’ the old woman said. ‘Then you will have the money you need.’
“Wally lay awake at night trying to figure out how he could get a lock of his principal’s hair. Should he slip a sleeping potion into her coffee and sneak up on her after she fell asleep in the teachers’ lounge? No, that was too risky. Teachers were always coming into the lounge; he was sure to get caught. He even thought of running up to her, grabbing a fistful of hair, lopping off some of it and running away. He didn’t know what the punishment was for stealing hair, but maybe a trip to World-O-Rama would make it worthwhile.
“But then he got the Idea, and he wondered why he hadn’t thought of it before. He strolled up to the principal the next day and said, ‘Excuse me, Ms. Hardnose, but my mom’s looking for a new haircutter. Your hair looks pretty good. Who cuts it?’
“Wally heard a funny creaking sound as Ms. Hardnose’s face twisted itself into a smile. It was the first smile her face had ever made. Why, Wally, what a nice compliment,’ she said. ‘I get my hair cut by Susie down at Chez Hair.’
“So that’s how Wally got a lock of her hair. He just hung around Chez Hair until Ms. Hardnose’s next appointment, then asked Susie if he could have some of the hair on the floor for a science project.” Zach grinned. “He went to World-O-Rama and had the time of his life. He even got a T-shirt that said, I SURVIVED THE DEMONS’ DEN.”
“Aw, he should’ve just whacked off a lock of Hardnose’s hair and run away,” Stinky said. “That’s what I would’ve done.”
“Right, Stinky,” Ed said, rolling his eyes. “I’d like to see you do that to Wildwoman.” Mary Ann and Zach laughed at the thought. Our principal, Mrs. Wildman (or Wildwoman, as the kids call her), is about six foot two, and Stinky’s pretty short. “You’d need a stepladder to get to her head.”
“I wish I knew a weird old woman down by the railroad tracks,” I said. “I’d do anything to get the money.”
Zach stared off thoughtfully. “Maybe something will come up, and it’ll be easier than you think. Just like it was for Wally.”
“Wouldn’t that be great, Lizard?” Mary Ann said.
It sure would. But I didn’t know what could possibly come up that would help me get the money.
The bell rang, and we trooped into the hall. I said good-bye to Mary Ann and the guys and headed for my locker.
Ginger Flush was pawing through her stuff when I got there. She turned around and beamed.
“Lizard, isn’t it exciting? Today’s the day!”
“What day?”
Her mouth dropped open. “Are you kidding? Today the first cut for the Spring Pines fashion show will be posted!”
“Oh. Right.” I shoved my math book inside the locker and took out my stuff for language arts.
She giggled. “I can’t believe you forgot! I could hardly sleep last night. I kept wondering who, besides Lisa, will get chosen! Of course, I hope it’ll be me, but the competition will be really tough!” She grabbed my arm. “Hey, we’re all going over to the mall together after school to see the list of names. Want to come with us?”
“I’ll probably have homework or something.” I pulled my arm away.
“Oh, come on,” Ginger said. “Everybody who’s anybody will be there.”
I stared at her. I wanted to say, “Like I’d care?” but I knew it would sound really rude, so I kept quiet.
“We need moral support,” Ginger continued. “Lisa doesn’t act nervous, but she’s really a mess. Tiffany’s been biting her nails more than usual, and I haven’t been able to eat for two days! Just think how great it would be for Sam if I was picked. He’d be so happy for me!”
I wondered why it would be great for Sam if Ginger was on the list. “Thanks anyway,” I said.
“But, Lizard, don’t you want to know who made the first cut? The girls on the list go on to the interview.”
“No, thanks. I hope you win.” She squealed at the thought.
I wasn’t in the mood to listen to any more. Who cared about modeling and fashion shows? I couldn’t think of anything more boring than that. I headed to my first class.
Ginger wasn’t the only person with a one-track mind that day. In language arts, our teacher, Ms. Pearl Yeck, asked Christine Mulray to make up a sentence with at least one prepositional phrase. Chris thought a few seconds and said, “After school, I’m going to the mall to read the posting of the first cut for the fashion show.”
“Excellent,” Squirrely Pearly said. Squirrely Pearly is what we call Ms. Yeck behind her back, and the name fits her perfectly. We spend more time fooling around in her class than learning. “How many prepositional phrases were in that sentence, Marcy?”
Marcy Olson grinned. “I don’t know, but I’m going to the mall, too.”
“Lisa St. George is sure to get picked,” Chris said. “Ginger Flush took a survey, and she got ninety-five percent of the votes.”
“That’s because Lisa was hovering over everyone polled,” Ed said, “giving them a death stare.”
That cracked everyone up, including Squirrely.
“It’ll be fun to find out who’s on the list,” Squirrely said. “Come and tell me tomorrow.”
About fifteen girls vowed to be first in the building tomorrow to tell her.
“I’ll come back after school this afternoon,” Marcy said, “and tell you who’s on the list.”
I rolled my eyes. It amazed me how these people could get so excited about a stupid fashion show. Compared to a baseball or basketball or football game, a fashion show was a total yawn fest!
“You going to walk over to the mall to see the posting?” Mary Ann asked me after school. She’d met me at my locker.
“Are you kidding? That’s all anyone talked about today, and I’m sick of it.”
“What are you going to do instead?”
“Go home.”
“And do what?”
“I don’t know.”
“Lizard, you know you’ll just go home and feel sad about not being able to go to Chicago. Why don’t you come with me to the mall?”
“Why do you want to go?” I asked her. “Who cares who’s picked for that stupid fashion show?”
“It’s the list of the people chosen to go on to the interview,” Mary Ann corrected me.
“Whatever.”
“I think it’ll be interesting to see who’s chosen. Come on, at least it’ll take your mind off the trip for a while.”
She had a point. Zach had a dentist’s appointment after school, and with Mary Ann gone, there wouldn’t be enough people to get up a ball game.
I sighed. “Okay. I guess there’s nothing else to do.”
“Oh, Lizard! Mary Ann!” It was Ginger, heading in our direction through the crowds of kids, waving frantically. “Come to the mall with us. We’re all going together to get the big news!”
“Okay,” Mary Ann said.
I shot her a look that said I don’t want to go with them, but she ignored me.
“Fantastic!” Ginger said. “We’re meeting outside. Luckily, it stopped raining.”
We walked through the foyer and out the main entrance. I could hardly believe what I saw there. A mob of girls from my class—there must’ve been forty of them—crowding around, talking and laughing nervously.
“Are they all going to the mall?” I asked.
“You bet,” Ginger said, planting herself next to Lisa. “We all sent in our head shots and bios, and we can’t wait to see who was picked!” She waved her arm over her head as if she were signaling a wagon train to pull out. “Let’s go!”
The girls gave one big squeal.
“Oh, I just can’t believe it!” Tiffany gushed. “In about ten minutes, we’ll all know!”
“I’m so scared, I don’t want to look,” Heather Parks said. “You look for me, Marcy. Tell me if my name’s on the list. If it’s not, don’t say anything, just shake your head.”
“Oh, boy.” I looked at Mary Ann, and she gave me a wry smile. I knew she thought these girls were dumb, too, but she doesn’t mind putting up with them the way I do.