Read Online Blossoms and the Green Phantom by Betsy Byars - Free Book Online
Authors: Betsy Byars
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it’s not coming right now,” he said as his vision cleared, “but I really think it’s nearer the edge, don’t you, Maggie?” Junior wisely asked the only person in the group who might spare him.
Maggie was taking her role as Junior’s mother-for-a-night seriously, and she did exactly what she knew her mother would do. She put her arm around Junior’s shoulder and squeezed him as hard as she could.
Junior knew the truth when he felt that arm on his shoulder. He waited, cringing, for the words that went with it.
“No, it isn’t, hon. It’s there to stay.”
If it had been his mother’s real arm, that might have stopped Junior. But it was just his sister’s. He squirmed out of Maggie’s grasp, spun around and faced her. His hands were on his hips.
“It is not either there to stay!”
“Junior,” Maggie began. She reached out. Junior stepped back.
“It is not there to stay because I’m getting it down.” He jabbed his thumb against his chest.
“You can’t get it down, Junior. You know Mom doesn’t allow you to get up on a roof anymore.”
“I’ll do it,” Ralphie said wearily.
“You try to do everything!” Junior cried, turning on Ralphie. “I’m getting sick and tired of you trying to take over. It’s my Phantom, not yours, and I’m going to be the one to get it down!”
Ralphie gave another of his be-my-guest gestures, and Junior turned and set off for the chicken house. He did it so fast that there was a gasp of surprise from those he left behind.
Junior was halfway to the chicken house, out in the middle of the open yard, when he decided this might have been a good time to let Ralphie help if he really wanted to. Before he could do anything gracious, however, Ralphie and Vern rushed up, one on each side, and grabbed his arms. In a sort of lop-sided crouch—Ralphie’s artificial leg held him back—they bore him to the chicken house.
Everything happened so fast then, Junior was helpless to change the outcome. Vern and Ralphie had their hands out, clasped together to boost him up. His foot went up into their hands. And then—this was so fast, it took Junior’s breath, it was like Superman taking off from the earth—Junior was flung through the air. He landed flat on his stomach on the chicken house roof.
He lay there, frozen with fear. At the same time the inside of his body—all the important things—seemed to have turned to jelly.
Junior’s eyes were squeezed shut. He always shut his eyes when there was something he desperately did not want to hear. It never worked, but he couldn’t stop himself from trying it. This time what Junior desperately did not want to hear was the sound of startled chickens.
Below him the hens were fluttering their wings and clucking to each other, responding to the soft thud they had heard, but it wasn’t that shrill clucking that would wake old man Benson. After a long moment, Junior opened his eyes.
The Phantom was right there in front of him. He could reach out and touch it. This was a real relief to Junior. He wouldn’t even have to stand up or anything—just give a little tug on the nearest air mattress. He tugged.
The Phantom bobbed toward him. One of the garbage bags brushed his forehead. Then the Phantom pulled back to its original place. Junior tugged again. Again the Phantom came so close, the garbage bag touched his head. Again it went back.
“It’s stuck.” Junior breathed these words to himself. Slowly, carefully, he got to his feet. The roof had a steep slope, and Junior did not want to fall off. He glanced down to see if Vern and Ralphie were still there. They were, and so was Maggie. He felt a little better.
“Hurry!” Maggie hissed.
Junior put one finger to his lips in a plea for total silence. He took one step. He pulled again. He could see what the trouble was now. The wire between two of the air mattresses was hooked around the edge of the roof.
He would have to pull and lift at the same time. He got a good
Maggie was taking her role as Junior’s mother-for-a-night seriously, and she did exactly what she knew her mother would do. She put her arm around Junior’s shoulder and squeezed him as hard as she could.
Junior knew the truth when he felt that arm on his shoulder. He waited, cringing, for the words that went with it.
“No, it isn’t, hon. It’s there to stay.”
If it had been his mother’s real arm, that might have stopped Junior. But it was just his sister’s. He squirmed out of Maggie’s grasp, spun around and faced her. His hands were on his hips.
“It is not either there to stay!”
“Junior,” Maggie began. She reached out. Junior stepped back.
“It is not there to stay because I’m getting it down.” He jabbed his thumb against his chest.
“You can’t get it down, Junior. You know Mom doesn’t allow you to get up on a roof anymore.”
“I’ll do it,” Ralphie said wearily.
“You try to do everything!” Junior cried, turning on Ralphie. “I’m getting sick and tired of you trying to take over. It’s my Phantom, not yours, and I’m going to be the one to get it down!”
Ralphie gave another of his be-my-guest gestures, and Junior turned and set off for the chicken house. He did it so fast that there was a gasp of surprise from those he left behind.
Junior was halfway to the chicken house, out in the middle of the open yard, when he decided this might have been a good time to let Ralphie help if he really wanted to. Before he could do anything gracious, however, Ralphie and Vern rushed up, one on each side, and grabbed his arms. In a sort of lop-sided crouch—Ralphie’s artificial leg held him back—they bore him to the chicken house.
Everything happened so fast then, Junior was helpless to change the outcome. Vern and Ralphie had their hands out, clasped together to boost him up. His foot went up into their hands. And then—this was so fast, it took Junior’s breath, it was like Superman taking off from the earth—Junior was flung through the air. He landed flat on his stomach on the chicken house roof.
He lay there, frozen with fear. At the same time the inside of his body—all the important things—seemed to have turned to jelly.
Junior’s eyes were squeezed shut. He always shut his eyes when there was something he desperately did not want to hear. It never worked, but he couldn’t stop himself from trying it. This time what Junior desperately did not want to hear was the sound of startled chickens.
Below him the hens were fluttering their wings and clucking to each other, responding to the soft thud they had heard, but it wasn’t that shrill clucking that would wake old man Benson. After a long moment, Junior opened his eyes.
The Phantom was right there in front of him. He could reach out and touch it. This was a real relief to Junior. He wouldn’t even have to stand up or anything—just give a little tug on the nearest air mattress. He tugged.
The Phantom bobbed toward him. One of the garbage bags brushed his forehead. Then the Phantom pulled back to its original place. Junior tugged again. Again the Phantom came so close, the garbage bag touched his head. Again it went back.
“It’s stuck.” Junior breathed these words to himself. Slowly, carefully, he got to his feet. The roof had a steep slope, and Junior did not want to fall off. He glanced down to see if Vern and Ralphie were still there. They were, and so was Maggie. He felt a little better.
“Hurry!” Maggie hissed.
Junior put one finger to his lips in a plea for total silence. He took one step. He pulled again. He could see what the trouble was now. The wire between two of the air mattresses was hooked around the edge of the roof.
He would have to pull and lift at the same time. He got a good
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