The More the Merrier (7 page)

M
r. Harrison was so crazy about that car that he walked me and Rosemary T. all the way to the fence to wait for Aunt Flora. He was all full of questions too. To give you a few examples, he asked if it used regular or unleaded gas and how many miles it got to the gallon. The bad news was, I didn't know any of the answers. The good news was, he talked so much that it wasn't awkward at all that Rosemary T. and I were giving each other the silent treatment.
Phew!
When we heard the Flying Machine's sputtering sound, Mr. Harrison started bouncing on his toes. He practically ran to open the door when Aunt Flora pulled up. I climbed right in and buckled up, but Rosemary T. did not move from the fence.

“Let's go, Rosemary T.; you don't want to keep this car waiting,” said Mr. Harrison.

Rosemary T. looked down the fence to Rosemary W., who was still waiting to be picked up. They both rolled their eyes at each other, and Rosemary T. slouched into the car.

“Hi, Rosemary T.,” said my aunt. “I'm Flora.”

“Oh,” said Rosemary T.

I saw my aunt's eyebrows go up a little bit in the rearview mirror. “How was school?”

Rosemary T. didn't say anything, so I did. “It was great. Jack's grandpa was our special visitor. He's a fireman, and he came wearing all his gear and he brought his dog.”

“Was it a Dalmatian?” asked Aunt Flora.

“No,” I said. “I thought it would be too, but it was a black Lab named Ashes. He was so cute like you wouldn't believe.”

“Harrumph.”
Rosemary T. made her unicorn noise.

“Are you more of a cat person, Rosemary T.?” asked Aunt Flora.

“No.” Rosemary T. was staring hard at the five earrings in my aunt's ear and the little diamond in her nose.

I thought about mentioning that Aunt Flora could be in the Pierced Ears Club, but then I remembered I wasn't talking to Rosemary T. Also, we pulled up in front of dance class just then.

“Thank you, Aunt Flora,” I said.

“You're welcome,” she said. “I'll be picking you up too.”

“Why?” Rosemary T. looked a little sick to her stomach.

“Something came up for your mom.” Flora gave a little wave, and her bracelets jangled.

We walked over to Miss Akiyama, who always waits in front for everyone to arrive.

“Hello, girls,” she said. “You can go on in and get ready.”

Rosemary T. raced inside.

“I think I'll just wait for my best friend, Erin, to get here,” I said. “She's brand-new, and I want to introduce you.”

Erin's car pulled up, and Erin and Emma and Nicole piled out. Emma and Nicole are in the other third-grade class, by the way. They live close to Erin, so they got to carpool together, lucky pucks.

I introduced Miss Akiyama to Erin and then brought her inside and showed her all around. I'd been teaching Erin all sorts of warm-up positions and tap dance steps, and I think Miss Akiyama was very impressed. She told Erin “Good job” when class was over, and Miss Akiyama is always serious and doesn't usually talk like that.

“How was dance class?” Aunt Flora asked when we climbed back in the Flying Machine to drive home.

Rosemary T. didn't say anything again, so I said, “Great as always. I think Erin is a natural.”

I thought Rosemary T. might
harrumph
again, but instead she said, “This car smells funny.”

I took a big, long sniff, but I didn't smell anything.

“Does it smell like gas?” asked Aunt Flora. “I just filled it up.”

“Speaking of gas,” I said, “Mr. Harrison wanted to know what kind you use.”

“I use regular,” said Aunt Flora.

“It doesn't smell like gas,” said Rosemary T.

“Does it smell dentist office-y?” I forgot I wasn't talking to Rosemary T. for a minute.

“No,” said Rosemary T. “It's giving me a headache.”

“Good thing we're home.” Aunt Flora pulled up in front of Rosemary T.'s house.

Charlie was walking by carrying the Hansens' dog, Ralph. He smiled at us, and Ralph started wriggling. I asked if I could get out too and walk the rest of the way home with them.

“Sure,” said Aunt Flora.

“Hey, you missed the chase,” said Charlie.

“Sorry.” I scooped up Ralph so Charlie's arms could have a break.

“Thanks.” Charlie started shaking out his arms. “He's getting heavier.”

The Ralph that was getting heavier was the same Ralph that stole my clog and left his puppy teeth marks in it, by the way. He's a brownish, fluffy dog who's a very good escape artist and a very fast runner. And that is an awshucksible combination.

“I can't believe you got to ride in Flora's car,” Charlie said to Rosemary T.

“Got to?” said Rosemary T. “You mean
had
to. Twice.”

I started walking to the Hansens with Ralph in my arms so I wouldn't have to listen to Rosemary T. anymore.

“Had to?”
I heard Charlie say. “You are so weird.”

He ran and caught up with me.

Rosemary ran to catch up too. “I am not weird,” she said all offended.

“Yes, you are,” said Charlie.

“If anyone's weird, it's Cinderella's family.”

“We're not weird!” I said.

“Yes, you are!” said Rosemary T. “You hang up on people and slam doors in people's faces. Where are your manners?”

“Most of the time we have good manners,” I said.

“You also refuse to talk to people and that is so stupid.”

“I thought you weren't talking to me either,” I said.

“I decided it was too immature,” she said.

We made it to the Hansens and climbed the steps to their front porch.

“And your crazy aunt talks about doing spells and telling fortunes,” said Rosemary T. “She's the biggest weirdo of all.”

I could not believe my ears. I'd heard kids call other kids names, but I'd never heard a kid do that to a grown-up.

“Take that back, Rosemary T.” I set Ralph down, and he pawed at his front door.

“No,” Rosemary T. said. “She wears tons of bracelets and earrings and drives that smelly old car.”

“I think her car is awesome,” said Charlie.

“I think she's awesome,” I said.

“That just makes you a big, weird weirdo too,” said Rosemary T.

And right then and there I might have been pushed too far. “Rosema—,” I started to say, but Mrs. Hansen opened her door.

“You caught him!”

Ralph barked and danced around like he was the happiest dog ever.

“If you like being home so much,” Mrs. Hansen said, “why do you ever run away?”

Ralph wiggled his tail and raced inside.

“How about a piece of chocolate meringue pie as a reward?” Mrs. Hansen asked.

“I didn't really do anything,” I said.

“Oh, you always do your fair share,” said Mrs. Hansen. “You're welcome to come in too, Rosemary.”

“No, thank you,” said Rosemary T.

And that was a big
Phew
. It seemed like I was going to have to have a what's what after all, and I did not want to have it in front of Charlie and Mrs. Hansen.

After we finished our reward, me and Charlie headed home.

“Really, really try to win the spelling bee, Cinderella,” he said. “My table does not want to have a sparkly, pink, unicorn party.”

“I'll try,” I said. “I'm going to start studying again right when I get home.”

“You should be studying every minute of every day,” said Charlie, “like with me and basketball.”

“I thought you played all the time just because you like it,” I said.

“That's partly why, but also because I want to be the best.” Charlie pretended he had a basketball and started dribbling right then and there. “So spell
basketball
.”

“
B-a-s-k-e-t-b-a-l-l
.”

“Good. Spell
dribbling
.”

“
D-r-i-b-b-l-i-n-g
.”

He jumped up in the air and pretended to shoot the basketball. “Spell
offense
and
defense
.”

“
O-f-f-e-n-c-e. D-e-f-e-n-c-e
.”

“It's
s-e
. Spell
forward
.”

“
F-o-r-w-a-r-d
.”

“Good. Spell
guard
.”

“
G
—” I stopped. I knew there was something tricky about this word.

“Think about the lifeguard sign at the beach,” he said.

“Oh yeah.
G-u-a-r-d
.”

“Right. Spell
center
.”

But luckily we got to my door, and I slipped inside.

“Phew!”
I said.

Aunt Flora and Tess looked up from a puzzle. “Why ‘
Phew
'?”

“Charlie was quizzing me on spelling, and I was getting tired,” I said.

“You've had a long day,” said Aunt Flora, “what with school and dance class and Ralph.”

“Yep.” Then I remembered something. “When you come to class tomorrow, can you bring something to give to the kids?”

“Like what?” she asked.

“I'm not sure,” I said. “Rosemary T.'s dad brought in these paper penny roll things and that was really popular.”

“I'm sure I can come up with something,” said Aunt Flora.

I plunked down on the couch. “I guess I should start studying again.”

“You don't sound too happy about that,” said my aunt.

“I think I have some other things on my mind,” I said.

“Like what?” asked Aunt Flora.

“Words,” I said.

“Spelling bee words?”

“No, mean words,” I said. “Rosemary T. called me names, and they're sort of blocking up my brain and making it hard to think about spelling.”

“When I was a kid, we used to say ‘Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names can never hurt me.'”

I thought hard about that for a minute. “I think names can hurt.”

Aunt Flora looked like she was thinking hard for a minute too. “I think you're right. What were the words?”

“
Stupid
and
weird
,” I said.

“
Weird
?” asked Aunt Flora. “I always thought
weird
was a good word.”

“You did?”

“Sure,” said my aunt. “I'd rather be called
weird
than
ordinary
or
boring
any day. Weird people tend to be very interesting.”

“Did you think that when you were a kid?” I asked.

“I don't remember,” said Aunt Flora. “I also don't remember third grade being this complicated.”