The Stinky Sneakers Mystery

by Beverly Lewis

  Stacy pulled off a tiny sprig and put it in her mouth. “Mm-m, good!”

  Sunday Funnies stood up on his hind legs.

  Stacy laughed. “Look, my dog wants a bite too.”

  “I can’t let a dog eat my first prize!”

  “Aw, just a little?” Stacy pleaded.

  The puppy was still begging.

  Jason refused to look at Stacy’s dog. “How long is he going to do that?”

  “Till he gets what he wants,” she said.

  Jason frowned. He looked at Sunday Funnies. “Oh, all right. Give him a taste.”

  Sunday Funnies ate the sprouts, then he licked his chops.

  “He loves them!” Stacy exclaimed.

  “I was afraid of that,” Jason said. He picked up the paper and scissors and began to cut.

  Stacy watched him. “Can you do it? Can you make a hole fit over your head?” she asked.

  He slid the circle halfway over his head. It was too small to go farther.

  Stacy said, “I think you’re stuck.”

  Jason pulled the paper off his head. “This is impossible.”

  “Here, I’ll show you how,” Stacy said.

  Sunday Funnies was begging again. Jason noticed it. “Put my sprouts away,” he said. He pointed to the top of the refrigerator.

  Stacy stood on a chair and put the box up there. Now the sprouts were safe.

  When Stacy got down, she took another piece of paper and folded it in half—long, like a hot dog. She made thirteen cuts on the folded paper.

  Jason watched carefully.

  Gently, she stretched the paper out. And climbed through.

  “Wow, that’s cool!” Jason said. But he didn’t really mean it. Stacy’s project was too good.

  Stacy picked up her folder, scissors, and paper. She walked to the front door. Sunday Funnies followed.

  “Thanks for your help,” she said.

  Jason closed the door without saying a word.

  SEVEN

  Jason yawned. He opened his eyes.

  Thursday at last!

  He flew down the hall to the bathroom and washed his face. He got dressed in record time.

  At breakfast, Jason took his pill without a fuss. And he ate everything on his plate.

  “This is a very big day,” his father said.

  “Sure is,” his mother said.

  “My sprouts are super!” Jason said. “They’re the very best!”

  His parents smiled at him across the table.

  Jason looked at his watch. “It’s too early for school.”

  “You could start gathering up your things,” his mother suggested.

  His father patted him on the back. “Have a great science fair,” he said and left for work.

  His mother went to take her shower.

  Jason scampered to his room and found his notebook. He’d been counting the hours. The fair started today. It would end tomorrow with the judging.

  He couldn’t wait.

  Then Jason remembered Stacy’s paper hole project, and Abby’s homemade rain.

  Shawn was going to make sound dance on the wall. Dunkum had a turnip taste test.

  But what about Eric? What was he doing?

  Quickly, Jason went to the windowsill. Time to take his super sprouts to school. But . . .

  The sprouts were gone!

  “Where’s my project?”

  He searched his room. Then he ran through the house. But his sprouts were nowhere to be seen.

  Gone!

  “Where are they?” he wailed.

  He called to his mother through the bathroom door.

  She didn’t answer.

  Jason pounded on the door. “Mom!”

  “I’m in the shower,” she called back. “I can’t hear you.”

  Jason stood in the middle of the living room. He shook with worry. What can I do?

  A huge lump crowded his throat.

  Then he heard sounds outside. Running to the window, he looked out.

  The Cul-de-sac Kids were walking to school together. They bunched up in front of his house. Waiting.

  Jason opened the front door. “Wait a minute,” he called.

  He couldn’t tell them about his missing sprouts. After all his bragging, he just couldn’t!

  Jason ran around the house searching for something. Anything. What could he use for a science project?

  He looked under his bed and found some dirty socks. Yuk! He held his nose.

  He thought of Shawn’s project—making sound dance on the wall. Maybe he could make smells dance, too.

  No. That was silly.

  He ran to the window. The kids were still waiting—with their science projects.

  “Hurry up!” Abby called from the street.

  Jason banged into the kitchen. He looked around for something to take for the science fair. But there was nothing. Nothing!

  So much for first place, he thought.

  Miss Hershey would give him a big, fat zero!

  EIGHT

  Jason heard a knock on the screen door.

  “Come in,” he said.

  In came the Cul-de-sac Kids.

  Abby and Stacy.

  Dunkum, Shawn, and Shawn’s little brother, Jimmy. Abby’s little sister, Carly, with her best friend, Dee Dee Winters.

  And Eric.

  “Where’s your science project?” Abby asked.

  Jason was speechless.

  “Yeah, let’s see those super sprouts,” Eric said.

  “I . . . uh . . .” Jason knew they would laugh. He couldn’t tell them.

  Stacy looked at her watch. “We better get going. We don’t want to be late.”

  The kids were too excited to wait for Jason. They left for school. Without him.

  Jason decided to look outside for his sprouts. He went around the side of the house.

  He sniffed the air. He coughed. Something smelled rotten, like three-week-old gym socks!

  Eric’s grandpa was sitting on the porch next door. “Good morning, Jason,” he said.

  Jason stepped closer. “What’s that smell?”

  Mr. Hagel was spreading cheese on some bread. “This, young man, is my favorite cheese. It’s called Limburger.”

  Jason pinched his nose shut. “Smells horrible!”

  Mr. Hagel grinned. “Ah, but the taste is out of this world. Care for some?”

  “I . . . uh . . . better not.” Jason stepped back, away from the odor.

  “Just try it,” Mr. Hagel said. “Have it in your lunch, maybe.” He wrapped a lump of it in plastic and gave it to Jason.

  “Uh . . . thanks.” Jason stuffed the nasty-smelling cheese into his pocket. He would toss it in the trash later.

  At school, the kids were lining up outside. Their hands were filled with science projects.

  Jason got in line. He hid his hands in his pants pockets.

  Eric teased, “Hey, Sprout Man, tell the truth. You didn’t really make a project, did you?”

  Jason felt his neck get hot. “You’re wrong!” He ran up to Eric.

  Stacy and Abby pushed the boys apart. “Stop it!” Stacy yelled. “I saw Jason’s sprouts yesterday.”

  Eric looked surprised. “Oh, really? Well, where are they now?”

  “Disappeared,” Jason muttered. “They’re missing.”

  Shawn frowned. “Missing from earth?”

  “No, from Jason’s house,” Abby explained.

  “Too bad,” Shawn said. “I want to see super sprouts.”

  Eric snickered. “You’re not the only one!”

  Jason stuffed his hands into his pockets again. His fingers bumped the mound of smelly cheese. Eric’s grandpa’s cheese.

  And suddenly, he had a great idea.

  NINE

  The mats were out in P.E. It was tumbling day.

  Jason and the rest of the class lined their shoes up along the wall.

  Then they warmed up with three forward rolls each. Next came three backward rolls. Some kids did h
andstands.

  Jason took off his glasses and did two backflips with help. Dunkum did a handstand for five seconds.

  Eric stood on his head without wobbling. Shawn practiced walking on his hands.

  Abby and Stacy did double cartwheels.

  Whew! Jason’s mouth was getting dry. He needed a long, cold drink.

  So did Eric. And Dunkum.

  The teacher let Jason go first. Then Eric. They were only allowed to go one at a time.

  Eric came back from the water fountain. “Mr. Sprout Man gets a zero,” he teased.

  “Leave me alone,” Jason shot back.

  Eric scrunched up his face. “How could you lose a science project? That’s dumb.”

  Jason was boiling mad. He needed another drink. The teacher said he could have one more.

  Hurrying toward the drinking fountain, Jason passed the row of sneakers. He spotted Abby’s red and blue ones. He saw Shawn’s blue sneakers.

  Here’s my chance, he thought. And he dug into his pocket and pulled out the smelly cheese.

  After class, the teacher blew her whistle twice. Time to get shoes back on.

  Quickly, Jason found his sneakers.

  He heard Abby squeal, “This is so yucky!”

  “Gross!” Eric said.

  “Pee-uwee!” Stacy shouted.

  Jason jumped up. “What’s that smell?” He pinched his nose shut.

  “Very big stink,” Shawn said. He pushed his foot into his sneaker. His eyes bugged out. “Something feel mushy inside.” Shawn yanked his foot out.

  Abby came over to see. “Yuk!” she said. “You’ve got rotten cheese in there, too.”

  “So do I,” Eric hollered.

  “Me too,” called Stacy.

  “Me three,” said Abby. “Who did this?”

  Eric shook his sneakers out. “Smells like Grandpa’s cheese!”

  Abby’s eyebrows flew up. “Why’d you put your grandpa’s cheese in our sneakers?”

  “I’d never do that!” Eric held up his own pair of sneakers, shaking his head.

  By now, Miss Hershey was waiting in the hall. “Time to line up,” she called.

  “I’m not wearing these sneakers anymore,” Abby told Eric.

  Stacy, Shawn, and Eric agreed. They went to class in their socks.

  Jason followed, holding his nose.

  Abby got in line. “My sneakers are ruined,” she said. “I can’t believe Eric did this!”

  Eric pushed ahead in line. “I told you, I didn’t do it!”

  “Right,” Abby said. “And I don’t believe you.”

  Jason didn’t smile. He didn’t laugh. But he wanted to—right in Eric’s face.

  Serves him right, he thought.

  TEN

  In the classroom, Jason hurried to his desk.

  Miss Hershey held a hankie over her nose. “This room smells terrible,” she said. “Who knows about this?”

  Shawn said, “My nose does!”

  The kids laughed. So did Miss Hershey. “My nose knows, too,” she said.

  In came the janitor with three big fans.

  Jason and Dunkum opened all the windows.

  Abby and Stacy made paper fans.

  Then science class got started.

  Miss Hershey called Dunkum’s name. He did his taste test, but nobody could taste a thing. Everyone was holding their nose shut.

  Dunkum explained, “This experiment proves my point. You can’t taste, unless you can smell.”

  Abby and Stacy started coughing. Jason pretended to gag.

  Dunkum’s eyes watered. “Make it rain, Abby,” he said. “Quick!”

  “Yes,” Miss Hershey said. “A good rain might clear the air.”

  Abby did her homemade rain project. With her teapot of hot water and soup dipper. But afterward, the smell was still strong.

  Next, Stacy had the whole class cutting holes. “My project is called A Tight Squeeze,” she said. “I will show how paper can stretch.”

  It was hard holding noses and handling scissors and paper. So Stacy showed the class how the cutting was done.

  Then it was Eric’s turn.

  Some of the kids hissed. Jason started to boo.

  “Class,” Miss Hershey said. “That’s not polite.”

  “But Eric put Limburger cheese in our sneakers,” Stacy said.

  Miss Hershey looked at Eric and frowned.

  “I didn’t do it,” he said. “And I can prove it!”

  Jason sat tall in his seat. He was worried.

  Eric set up his science project. “This is a fingerprint experiment,” he explained. “I made a record of fingerprints.” He pointed to a grouping of prints mounted on poster board.

  He showed the class how to make fingerprints and how to dust for them.

  “Now,” he said. “I will prove that I didn’t plant the Limburger cheese.”

  Jason leaned forward. He had to see this.

  Eric held up a piece of cheese. “There’s a thumbprint on this.” He pinched his nose shut with his other hand. “You can’t see it, but it’s there.”

  Jason squirmed.

  Eric continued. “The thumbprint on the cheese doesn’t match mine,” he said. “It doesn’t match any of the prints I have.”

  Miss Hershey asked, “How many thumbprints did you take?”

  Eric looked around the room. “I recorded everyone in the class.” He looked at Jason. “Everyone, except one.”

  Jason squirmed even more.

  Eric grinned. “I think I solved the stinky sneakers mystery.”

  Abby raised her hand. “Whose thumbprint is missing?”

  “Jason’s,” he said.

  Jason stood up without being asked. He went to the front of the room.

  All eyes were on him.

  Eric opened his black ink pad. “Press your right thumb here,” he said.

  Jason pushed his thumb down. The pad felt gooey.

  Eric pointed to a piece of paper. “Roll your thumb on this.”

  Jason obeyed. Then he lifted his thumb off the paper and looked down. Oval lines were there—where his thumb had been.

  “Let’s see if they match,” Eric said. He compared Jason’s thumbprint and the print on the cheese.

  Miss Hershey watched closely.

  All the kids stared.

  Three fans hummed.

  And Jason’s heart thumped. Hard.

  ELEVEN

  Miss Hershey stood up.

  Jason . . . Jason . . . His name flew around the room.

  “Quiet, please,” Miss Hershey said.

  Jason wanted to hide.

  “I want you to stay after school,” his teacher said. “Do you understand why?”

  Jason nodded. “Yes, Miss Hershey.”

  After school, Jason wrote fifty times: I will treat others with respect.

  Then Jason took the paper to Miss Hershey. “I have something to tell you,” he said.

  Miss Hershey looked up.

  “I’m sorry about the stinky sneakers.” Jason took a deep breath. “I just—” He paused.

  “What is it, Jason?”

  “Eric just made me so mad. I couldn’t find my project this morning, and Eric made fun. He said I didn’t even have one. But I did. A really super—” He stopped.

  He didn’t want to brag about the sprouts. Bragging had gotten him in big trouble.

  Jason’s voice grew soft. “I lost my science project.”

  “Can you find it by tomorrow?”

  Jason felt better. “I hope so.”

  Miss Hershey smiled. “So do I.”

  Jason couldn’t believe his ears. Tomorrow was the judging. If he found his sprouts, they might still win first place!

  He ran all the way home.

  At home, Jason searched for his sprouts.

  He looked in the garage and on the back deck. He looked under the front porch. He even searched the attic.

  But his project was missing. Maybe forever!

  Then the doorbe
ll rang.

  Jason’s mother called to him.

  He sat on the beanbag in his room feeling sad. “Who is it?”

  “Your friends are here to see you.”

  Jason sighed. He didn’t move an inch.

  Soon, he heard giggling. It was Stacy and Abby. He’d know their giggles anywhere.

  Jason got up and scurried down the hall. The living room was full of kids—the Cul-de-sac Kids.

  Stacy and Abby were still giggling. And now his mother was, too!

  “What’s so funny?” Jason asked.

  Abby poked her hands in her pocket. “Oh, nothing.”

  Stacy tried to stop laughing.

  Dunkum asked, “Where did you see your sprouts last?”

  Jason thought. “On my windowsill,” he said.

  “After that,” said Stacy.

  Jason thought some more. “Beats me.”

  “Well, think!” Eric said.

  Jason felt nervous. He looked around the room at his friends. “Do you know something I don’t?” he asked.

  All of them nodded.

  Jason jumped up and down. “You’ve found my sprouts?”

  Eric pointed to the kitchen. “Look! I can see them from here.”

  Jason whirled around. He stared straight ahead. Eric was right! The sprouts were in plain sight—on top of the refrigerator. Right where Stacy had put them.

  Jason raced to the kitchen. He dragged a chair across the floor.

  Zoom! He dashed back into the living room. His friends were smiling. Really smiling.

  Jason stood there holding his sprouts. His stomach was in knots. “I’m sorry,” he began. “I did a horrible thing . . . I mean about the cheese in your sneakers.”

  Dunkum went to stand beside Jason. “That’s okay.”

  Eric frowned. “That’s easy for you to say,” he told Dunkum. “You don’t have stinky sneakers!”

  “I forgive Jason,” Abby said. She came over and looked at his sprouts. “We stick together around here, remember?”

  Shawn nodded. He ran around hugging all the kids.

  Jason grinned.

  TWELVE

  The next day, the Cul-de-sac Kids hurried to Blossom Hill School. Together.

  When Miss Hershey saw Jason with his sprouts, she clapped.

  “Look who found his project,” Abby said.

  Miss Hershey smelled the bright green alfalfa sprouts. “Mm-m. Could I pay you to grow some for me?” she asked Jason.