by Nancy Krulik
“It’s about my new business,” George said.
“What business?” Katie ran over to the door.
“Katie Kazoo, I didn’t know you were here,” George said. “Your house is next on my list.”
“For what?” Katie wondered.
“My new leaf-raking business,” he explained. He looked out at Suzanne’s lawn. It was covered with dried, brown leaves. “You guys sure have a lot of leaves to rake.”
“My dad’s been busy,” Suzanne told him. “He didn’t have time to rake this weekend.”
“That’s why I’m here,” George said. “I’ll do it instead. For a price, of course.”
Suzanne yawned. Katie figured she was bored with the conversation. After all, it wasn’t about modeling, fashion, or herself.
“I’ll get my mom,” Suzanne said.
A few minutes later, George was busy raking up the leaves in the Locks’ front yard. While Mrs. Lock made dinner, the girls played with Heather. They were dressing her up like she was going to a fancy party.
Suzanne got bored playing with her baby sister, but Katie loved it. Katie was an only child. She had no one to play with at home except Pepper. He could play fetch. And he could cuddle up with Katie when she watched TV.
But having a dog wasn’t the same thing as having a little sister. Pepper never would have let the girls dress him up in a party dress and a hat. Actually, Heather didn’t seem to enjoy it a whole lot, either.
“Heather, leave that hat on,” Suzanne scolded her sister.
“No like!” Heather shouted back. She threw the hat at Suzanne.
Suzanne made a face. “You see what I mean, Katie?” she asked. “Heather does that all the time.”
Just then George peeked his head into the house.
“Bye, Mrs. Lock,” he shouted from the front door. “I’m done and I have to be home before six.”
Uh-oh. Katie looked at the clock. It was 5:45. She was supposed to be home by six o’clock, too!
“I gotta go, Suzanne,” she said, jumping to her feet.
“You’re going to leave me alone with her?” Suzanne asked, pointing to Heather.
“Heather’s not so bad,” Katie replied.
“That’s easy for you to say,” Suzanne told her.
Katie picked up her clarinet and her book bag and opened the front door. But before she could even walk outside, Heather toddled past her into the front yard.
“Leaves!” Heather shouted. She ran as fast as her little legs could take her.
“Heather, get back here!” Suzanne shouted. She started to chase her sister.
BAM! A minute later, Suzanne and Heather had both pounced on the neat pile of leaves George had raked up. Yellow, brown, red, and orange leaves scattered everywhere.
“What are you doing?” George shouted angrily. He started running back. “I just raked those up.”
Katie looked at George. He seemed really mad.
But not as mad as Mrs. Lock. She had just come outside. “Suzanne Elizabeth Lock!” she shouted.
Katie gulped. Uh-oh. Mrs. Lock had just used Suzanne’s full name. When parents did that, it was never good.
“I cannot believe you just did that,” Mrs. Lock continued. “George worked very hard.”
“B-but Heather . . .” Suzanne began.
“Don’t blame this on your little sister,” Mrs. Lock warned. She scooped up Heather in her arms. “Help George rake up the rest of these leaves right now.”
Katie looked at her best friend. Suzanne was angry now, too. Katie didn’t blame her. None of this was really Suzanne’s fault. It was Heather’s. But a baby couldn’t help rake leaves.
Katie watched as Suzanne got an extra rake and began working with George. This sure wasn’t going to make Suzanne like her little sister any better.
George wasn’t too fond of Heather either at the moment. Katie wasn’t sure which made him more angry—having to rake the leaves up again or having to rake them up with Suzanne.
Either way, George wasn’t happy. And neither was Suzanne. Mrs. Lock had no idea what she’d just done. Making Suzanne and George rake leaves together was a recipe for disaster.
Which was why Katie was happy—to get going!
Chapter 5
Suzanne wasn’t thinking about Heather or George when she got to school the next morning. She was too busy being annoyed with Becky Stern. Becky had worn her riding helmet to school. The girls were circled around her, admiring it.
Katie knew how much that must bug Suzanne. Suzanne was used to being the one in the middle of the circle. She was sure to say something to bring everyone’s attention back to her.
“Becky, why are you wearing that?” Suzanne asked. “It’s not like there are any horses on the playground.”
“Everyone was so curious about my riding clothes, I thought I’d show them the helmet,” Becky explained.
“Everyone wasn’t curious,” Suzanne told her. “I wasn’t curious. Katie wasn’t curious. Jeremy wasn’t curious.”
Katie scowled. Why was Suzanne dragging her into this?
But Becky wasn’t upset about Suzanne mentioning Katie. She was more hurt that she’d mentioned Jeremy.
“Jeremy,” Becky called across the playground. “Do you like my new riding helmet?”
Jeremy just rolled his eyes. Becky frowned. That obviously wasn’t the reaction she was hoping for.
“They’re never going to let you wear that thing in school,” Suzanne continued. “And when you take it off, you’ll have helmet hair.”
Becky looked like she was going to cry. Especially when she took off her helmet and felt the top of her head. Sure enough, her hair was all flat.
“I hope Jeremy doesn’t think I look ugly,” she moaned.
At the moment Jeremy wasn’t looking at Becky at all. He was on the other side of the playground. Far away from Becky.
Katie pulled Suzanne by the arm. “Why are you being so mean?” she asked her.
“I’m not mean,” Suzanne said. “I’m just sick of Becky being such a show-off.”
Before Katie could say anything, a fight broke out on the other side of the playground!
“That was my idea!” Kadeem yelled. “I told you yesterday that my mom paid me a dollar to rake our lawn.”
“Big deal,” George screamed back. “That was for your mother. It doesn’t count. I have a business. I rake leaves for lots of people. And I’m making a lot of money, too. In a few weeks I’ll have saved up enough for a new skateboard.”
“I’ll bet I can earn more money than you can,” Kadeem told George.
“Yeah, right,” George huffed. “You’re not the one with a leaf-raking business.”
“I have one now,” Kadeem insisted. “I’m starting right after school.”
Katie looked around the yard and sighed. Things sure were a mess.
Suzanne was angry about not being the center of attention.
Becky was crying about her hair.
Jeremy was hiding from Becky.
And George and Kadeem were arguing.
Katie didn’t know whether George or Kadeem was going to earn more money raking leaves. But one thing was a sure bet.
Trouble was definitely brewing in the fourth grade.
Chapter 6
“Pssst. Katie Kazoo, come here.” Jeremy was hiding behind a tree when Katie arrived at school Wednesday morning. He was wearing dark sunglasses and a baseball hat.
“Jeremy, what are you . . . ?” Katie began.
“Shhh!” Jeremy shushed her. “I’m hiding from Becky.”
“What did she do now?” Katie asked him.
“This is the worst thing ever,” Jeremy told Katie. “She’s in a horse show on Saturday and she invited me!”
Katie looked at Jeremy strangely. That didn’t sound so bad.
“Just tell her you can’t go,” Katie suggested.
“I can’t,” Jeremy insisted. “That’s the really bad part. She asked me in front of my mother.”
“We were having dinner at Louie’s Pizza Shop. Becky and her mom came in,” Jeremy explained. “That’s when Becky invited me to the horse show. And my mom said yes without even asking me first.”
Katie frowned. “I hate when parents do that,” she said.
“Now Becky is telling everyone I’m going to be her special guest.” Jeremy groaned. “You gotta help me, Katie.”
Poor Jeremy. Katie wished there was a way she could help him out. She always tried to be there for Jeremy when he needed her.
Be there for him . . . That was it!
“How about if I go with you?” Katie asked Jeremy. “And we can get some other kids to go, too. Then it will be a bunch of us. There won’t be anything special about you being there.”
Jeremy’s face brightened. “Do you think other kids will come?” he asked hopefully.
A horse show sounded fun. But Katie wasn’t so sure. Becky had been bragging a lot. People were getting kind of sick of that. Katie didn’t say that out loud. She just said, “Let’s hope so.”
The first person Katie asked was Emma W. Emma was nice about it. She said she would try her hardest to come to the horse show.
“It’s my big sister’s turn to watch Matthew and the twins,” Emma W. told Katie and Jeremy.
“Great!” Jeremy exclaimed excitedly.
“Thanks,” Katie told Emma W.
Next Katie and Jeremy went over and asked Mandy, Emma S., Jessica, and Miriam to come to the horse show. Emma S. had a skating lesson, and Miriam had to go into the city with her parents. But Mandy and Jessica both promised to show up.
So far lots of girls were coming to the horse show. But Jeremy was the only boy. That still made him kind of special. And Katie didn’t want that. She had to get some boys at the horse show as well.
“George, come here,” Katie called across the playground.
George began walking toward Katie and Jeremy. He moved really slowly. His legs seemed stiff. And he was holding one of his arms.
“What’s the matter with you?” Jeremy asked George.
“I raked a lot of leaves yesterday,” George explained.
“You did a great job at our house,” Jeremy assured him.
“Thanks,” George answered. “After your lawn, I raked Mr. Brigandi’s front and back yards.”
Katie was impressed. Mr. Brigandi lived on her block. He had a lot of trees in his yard. That meant a lot of fallen leaves.
“No wonder you’re sore,” she said.
“Yeah, but I’m rich,” George told her. “I’m going to earn more money than Kadeem. You’ll see.”
“Can you take a break from raking for a few hours on Saturday?” Katie asked George hopefully.
“To do what?” George asked.
“To come to Becky’s horse show,” Jeremy explained. “A whole bunch of us are going.”
“You’re going to Becky’s horse show?” George asked Jeremy. He sounded surprised.
Jeremy groaned. “Don’t ask.”
“Please, George,” Katie pleaded. “It’ll be fun. We’re trying to get a huge crowd.”
“I’ll come if Kadeem comes,” George told her.
Now that was weird. Usually George stayed as far away from Kadeem as possible.
“Because I’m not going to give up an afternoon of raking lawns if he’s not,” George continued.
Oh. Now it made sense.
“I’ll convince Kadeem to come,” Jeremy said. “He owes me a favor. I helped him study spelling words last weekend.”
“Then I’ll be there, too,” George assured him. “And I’ll ask Kevin. He has karate in the morning, but maybe he can come after.”
“Great!” Katie exclaimed. She smiled at Jeremy. “See? Everyone wants to help you.”
Everyone except Suzanne, anyway.
“Why would I want to go to blechy Becky’s horse show?” Suzanne asked Katie.
Katie sighed. Asking Suzanne to go to the horse show to help Jeremy wouldn’t do any good. Suzanne didn’t like Jeremy very much, either.
But there was something that Suzanne did like—showing off.
“It’s the perfect place to wear your new cowboy boots,” Katie told her. “And that cool black leather cowboy hat you have.”
“What about my pink sparkly bandana?” Suzanne added. “It’s really pretty.”
“Yeah, it is,” Katie agreed.
“I don’t know,” Suzanne said. “I really don’t feel like spending a whole afternoon watching Becky.”
“Everyone’s going to be there,” Katie reminded her. “If something happens, you’ll be the last to know.”
That did it. If there was one thing Suzanne really hated, it was not being the very first person to know something.
“Okay, I’ll go,” Suzanne said. “It could be a lot of fun. Especially if Becky messes up.”
Chapter 7
“There you guys are!” Becky shouted as the kids arrived at the horse show on Saturday afternoon. “You’re late. You missed the first event.”
“We were waiting for Kevin to get out of karate class,” Jessica explained.
“And I had a lawn to rake this morning,” Kadeem said. He smiled triumphantly at George.
George smiled back. “So did I,” he told Kadeem. “And I have one tomorrow, too.”
“Likewise,” Kadeem assured him.
“My arms are really tired,” George said, “because of all the leaves I raked.”
“Not as tired as mine,” Kadeem told him. “And my back hurts, too.”
“Yeah, well, my feet—” George began.
“I got second place in my first event,” Becky interrupted the boys in a loud voice. She moved closer to Jeremy and smiled. “Isn’t this the prettiest ribbon?” she asked him. “I got it for Showmanship.”
Jeremy blushed and turned away.
“I think it’s great,” Katie complimented her. She moved in between Jeremy and Becky for a closer look.
Jeremy gave Katie a grateful smile.
“Did you have to jump over fences to win that?” Mandy asked her.
Becky shook her head. “Showmanship is when you lead the pony by the reins. You don’t ride him.”
Suzanne rolled her eyes. “So you didn’t even ride and you got a ribbon?” she asked. “That seems pretty easy.”
“It’s not,” Becky assured her. “I had to groom Brownie. Do you know how long it takes to braid the hair on a horse’s mane?”
“I’ll bet she’s going to tell us,” Suzanne whispered to Katie.
Katie poked Suzanne to make her be quiet.
“It took me two hours!” Becky exclaimed.
“See?” Suzanne whispered.
“And that was the easy part,” Becky continued. “I worked for weeks to teach Brownie to stand still while the judges graded him on his appearance. And I had to train him to follow a pattern so he could walk in between all these cones they have set up.”
“Was he able to do that?” Kevin asked.
Becky nodded. “He did really well.”
“Did Brownie get a ribbon, too?” Katie asked her.
Becky looked at Katie strangely. “No. I got the ribbon.”
“But Brownie did the work,” Katie insisted.
“No, he didn’t,” Becky insisted. “Why are you making it sound like I did nothing? I trained him. I deserve the ribbon. And I’m going to win another one, too. I have to go get ready for the next event. This time, I’m going to ride Brownie. So there, Katie.”
And with that, Becky stomped off.
“Wow, she was mad,” George remarked.
“Good one, Katie,” Suzanne complimented her.
“Yeah, you told her,” Jeremy agreed.
But Katie hadn’t meant to make Becky angry. She didn’t say Becky didn’t deserve her ribbon. She just thought Brownie deserved one, too. Katie would never hurt anyone’s feelings on purpose.
“I have to go apologize to Becky,” Kat
ie told her friends. Becky was probably in the stables with Brownie. She ran off to find her.
The horse stables were a big place. Katie didn’t see Becky. And after a few minutes of trying to find her, Katie realized she was completely lost. There was nothing around her but hay and empty horse stalls. Rows of them.
Katie sat down on a bale of hay. She looked around, trying to figure out how to get back to the stands. Her friends had surely taken their seats by now.
Suddenly a cool fall breeze began to blow. Well, it wasn’t exactly a fall breeze. It was cold, more like something you might feel in winter.
It was also getting pretty strong.
And blowing only on the back of Katie’s neck.
Uh-oh. That could only mean one thing.
This was no ordinary wind. This was the magic wind!
“No! Not now! Not here!” Katie shouted.
But there was no stopping the magic wind. The tornado whipped around wildly, blowing Katie’s bright red hair all around her face.
The magic wind was so strong that Katie was sure she was going to blow up, up, and away—just like a fall leaf. She shut her eyes tight and tried not to cry.
And then it stopped. Just like that.
The magic wind was gone. And so was Katie Kazoo.
She’d turned into someone else . . . switcheroo!
But who?
Chapter 8
Katie blinked twice and slowly opened her eyes. She looked around. There were wooden walls to the left and right of her. If she looked over the half-door in front of her, she could see a horse in a stall across the way.
She must still be in the stables. That was a relief. At least the magic wind hadn’t blown her clear across the globe to China or anything.
Okay, so now Katie knew where she was. But she still didn’t know who she was.
Itch. Itch. A fly landed on her back and began walking around. How annoying! Katie swished her tail back and forth, trying to swish off the fly.
Her tail? Wait a minute. Katie didn’t have a tail. At least, not usually.