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Authors: Matt Christopher
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That board is awesome! Can I hold it?”
Charlie hesitated. After all, he didn’t even know this kid’s name.
But what’s he gonna do, jump on and ride off?
Charlie thought. He handed the board to the boy.
The boy spun the red wheels, then traced the red designs with his finger. He pointed to the “C.A.”
“What’s that stand for?” he asked.
“My name, Charlie Abbott.”
“I’m X,” the boy said. When Charlie looked confused, he laughed and added, “It’s short for Xavier. Xavier McSweeney.” He handed
the board back to Charlie. “So, are you here to check out the new family? My mom sent me to get the four-one-one on them.”
“The what?”
“The four-one-one,” X repeated, eyebrows raised. “Don’t you know what that means?”
Charlie shook his head.
“Four-one-one is the phone number you dial for information, right? So getting the four-one-one means getting information.
Sheesh, I thought everyone knew
that.”
Charlie reddened.
“So, you know what I heard?” X said. “I heard the old lady who used to live there
died
in that house! When they carried her out, she looked like this.” He crossed his eyes, stuck his tongue out of the side of
his mouth, and turned his hands into claws. “Man,” he said, going back to normal, “there’s no way
I’d
live in a house where someone died. What if her ghost came through the bathroom door when you were, you know, doing your
business?” He shuddered. “No way!”
Charlie frowned. He didn’t like X calling Grandma Beth an “old lady” or making fun of her death. Besides, he knew for a fact that Grandma Beth had died in a hospital. He decided to set X straight — to give him the 4-1-1.
“Listen —”
X interrupted, “So you wanna go rip it up over at the skatepark?” Without waiting for Charlie to answer, he kicked off on
his skateboard.
Charlie was torn. He wanted to see the skatepark. Then again, he was still burning from Xs little death performance.
But he didn’t know she was your grandmother,
he reminded himself.
And what else are you going to do now? Watch moving men unload furniture? Snoresville!
He put his board to the pavement and shoved off.
CHAPTER THREE
Minutes later, Charlie stood open-mouthed at the skatepark gate. In front of him was a slice of extreme-sports heaven. The
park was chock full of equipment. Ramps, pyramids, and boxes took up one part. In another were grinding rails of different
heights. And in the center, not one but two half pipes, complete with decks. There was even an obstacle course.
“Are you going in or what?” X shoved past Charlie. Charlie was about to put his board down and follow him when a hand pulled
him back.
“Hold on just one second.”
The hand belonged to a teenage girl with a spikyhairstyle and almond-shaped eyes. “You’re new here, aren’t you?”
“His name’s Charlie and he’s with me, Alison,” X said.
Alison relaxed her grip and grinned. “Sorry to hear that, Charlie,” she said. “Ever been to a skate-park before?”
“Yeah. My old town had one. But it wasn’t anywhere near as good as this one.”
Alison nodded. “Yeah, this is decent. Top of the line and brand new. We almost didn’t get half this stuff, either.”
Suddenly, her eyes narrowed. “’Scuse me.” She stuck her fingers in her mouth and let out a piercing whistle. “Hey, you, on
the half pipe!” she bellowed. Her voice was so loud Charlie couldn’t believe it came out of her small body. “Wait your turn
or you’re out of here!”
The girl on the half pipe quickly sat down.
“So anyway,” Alison resumed in a normal voice, “the community center gets permission to build thepark, right? But there’s not a whole lot of money for equipment. We’re thinking, great, the park is going to be lame. Then,
out of the blue, someone donates a whole big wad of cash to the project. So instead of a dinky little park we got this beauty.”
She gazed out at the park with
Charlie hesitated. After all, he didn’t even know this kid’s name.
But what’s he gonna do, jump on and ride off?
Charlie thought. He handed the board to the boy.
The boy spun the red wheels, then traced the red designs with his finger. He pointed to the “C.A.”
“What’s that stand for?” he asked.
“My name, Charlie Abbott.”
“I’m X,” the boy said. When Charlie looked confused, he laughed and added, “It’s short for Xavier. Xavier McSweeney.” He handed
the board back to Charlie. “So, are you here to check out the new family? My mom sent me to get the four-one-one on them.”
“The what?”
“The four-one-one,” X repeated, eyebrows raised. “Don’t you know what that means?”
Charlie shook his head.
“Four-one-one is the phone number you dial for information, right? So getting the four-one-one means getting information.
Sheesh, I thought everyone knew
that.”
Charlie reddened.
“So, you know what I heard?” X said. “I heard the old lady who used to live there
died
in that house! When they carried her out, she looked like this.” He crossed his eyes, stuck his tongue out of the side of
his mouth, and turned his hands into claws. “Man,” he said, going back to normal, “there’s no way
I’d
live in a house where someone died. What if her ghost came through the bathroom door when you were, you know, doing your
business?” He shuddered. “No way!”
Charlie frowned. He didn’t like X calling Grandma Beth an “old lady” or making fun of her death. Besides, he knew for a fact that Grandma Beth had died in a hospital. He decided to set X straight — to give him the 4-1-1.
“Listen —”
X interrupted, “So you wanna go rip it up over at the skatepark?” Without waiting for Charlie to answer, he kicked off on
his skateboard.
Charlie was torn. He wanted to see the skatepark. Then again, he was still burning from Xs little death performance.
But he didn’t know she was your grandmother,
he reminded himself.
And what else are you going to do now? Watch moving men unload furniture? Snoresville!
He put his board to the pavement and shoved off.
CHAPTER THREE
Minutes later, Charlie stood open-mouthed at the skatepark gate. In front of him was a slice of extreme-sports heaven. The
park was chock full of equipment. Ramps, pyramids, and boxes took up one part. In another were grinding rails of different
heights. And in the center, not one but two half pipes, complete with decks. There was even an obstacle course.
“Are you going in or what?” X shoved past Charlie. Charlie was about to put his board down and follow him when a hand pulled
him back.
“Hold on just one second.”
The hand belonged to a teenage girl with a spikyhairstyle and almond-shaped eyes. “You’re new here, aren’t you?”
“His name’s Charlie and he’s with me, Alison,” X said.
Alison relaxed her grip and grinned. “Sorry to hear that, Charlie,” she said. “Ever been to a skate-park before?”
“Yeah. My old town had one. But it wasn’t anywhere near as good as this one.”
Alison nodded. “Yeah, this is decent. Top of the line and brand new. We almost didn’t get half this stuff, either.”
Suddenly, her eyes narrowed. “’Scuse me.” She stuck her fingers in her mouth and let out a piercing whistle. “Hey, you, on
the half pipe!” she bellowed. Her voice was so loud Charlie couldn’t believe it came out of her small body. “Wait your turn
or you’re out of here!”
The girl on the half pipe quickly sat down.
“So anyway,” Alison resumed in a normal voice, “the community center gets permission to build thepark, right? But there’s not a whole lot of money for equipment. We’re thinking, great, the park is going to be lame. Then,
out of the blue, someone donates a whole big wad of cash to the project. So instead of a dinky little park we got this beauty.”
She gazed out at the park with
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