Read Online Pickle Puss by Patricia Reilly Giff - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Patricia Reilly Giff
Ads: Link
words though.
She closed the book. She went outside.
“Hurry,” Beast yelled. “It's almost dark.”
“You're it,” Dawn said.
Emily pressed her nose against the tree. She shut her eyes tight.
She loved to play hide-and-seek.
“Ten. Twenty. Thirty. Forty. Fifty,” she yelled. “Here I come, ready or not.”
“Not ready,” Jill Simon shouted.
Emily waited a minute. She kept her eyes shut.
Jill was too fat to run fast.
Someone was hiding in the bushes.
Emily could hear him moving around.
It was probably Beast.
Without thinking, Emily opened her eyes.
“No fair peeking,” Dawn Bosco called.
Emily made a face. “I'm not a cheater.”
She thought about Dawn Bosco.
Dawn had three bathing suits.
She had ladybug earrings.
Her middle name was Tiffanie,
Sometimes she was a big pain.
Emily waited another minute.
Then she yelled, “Here I come. Right now.”
She walked down the driveway. She could see something pink behind the fence.
It was one of Jill's bows.
She didn't look at Jill.
Jill would cry if she were caught.
Emily walked backward toward the bushes. She made believe she was looking at the tree.
She'd catch Beast.
She dived into the bushes. “Got you,” she yelled.
Something yowled.
Emily jumped back.
A black-and-white cat streaked past her. “Hey,” Emily yelled.
Just then she heard steps behind her.
Running steps.
Emily twirled around.
Dawn was racing for the tree.
Emily raced for the tree too. She tried to run faster than Dawn.
At the tree they bumped heads.
“Got you,” Emily yelled.
“Home free,” Dawn shouted.
“No fair,” Emily said. “I tagged you first.”
“I'm not playing with cheaters,” Dawn said. She made a fresh face.
Emily wanted to pop her right in the mouth.
Beast came out from the backyard. “What's going on?”
Jill came out too.
“I'm going home,” Dawn said.
“Don't do that,” Beast said. “We can't play with only three kids.”
Emily's little sister, Stacy, jumped off the steps.
“I'll play,” she said.
Emily looked at her.
Stacy had red all over her mouth.
Ketchup.
They had eaten hamburgers for supper.
“You can't count,” Emily said in a low voice.
“I can so,” said Stacy out loud. “One, two, four, eight, five.”
Just then they heard a whistle.
It was Beast's father.
“Time to go home,” Beast said.
Emily started back up her path. “Come on, Stacy.”
“Make up with Dawn,” said Beast.
Emily turned around. “Want to make up?”
“Maybe.” Dawn said. “And maybe not.”
Emily stared at Dawn.
Dawn still had a fresh face.
“Not,” said Emily.
“I'm going to have a pile of fish,” said Dawn. “You'll probably have none.”
Emily stamped up her steps. “Watch outfor cobras” she said. “They'll spit in your eye.”
“Pickle puss,” said Dawn.
Emily stuck out her tongue.
She slammed into the house.
Emily held her nose. She took a deep breath.
She jumped into her pool.
The water was cold.
Freezing.
She came to the top. “Yeow,” she screeched. She hung on to the side.
Her little sister, Stacy, looked up from her dirt pile. “Mommy said to turn on the hose in front.”
“Do it for me,” Emily begged.
Stacy shook her head. “Can't. The turner-on thing is too hard.”
Emily sighed. She climbed out of the pool.
She ran down the driveway on tiptoes.
She had to watch out for sharp stones.
She looked up. Jill was coming toward her.
Jill had yellow bows on her braids today. Her bathing suit was yellow too.
She looked like a fat yellow beach ball.
“Hi, Emily,” she said. “Can I go for a swim?”
“Sure. Go ahead,” Emily said. She scooted around Jill.
She bent over and turned on the sprinkler.
Dawn Bosco passed by on the other side of the street.
“Hey, Dawn,” she yelled.
Dawn didn't answer. She started to run.
Emily watched her.
Dawn had two books in her arms. One fell on the ground.
She stopped to pick it up. “I'll have a fish today,” she
She closed the book. She went outside.
“Hurry,” Beast yelled. “It's almost dark.”
“You're it,” Dawn said.
Emily pressed her nose against the tree. She shut her eyes tight.
She loved to play hide-and-seek.
“Ten. Twenty. Thirty. Forty. Fifty,” she yelled. “Here I come, ready or not.”
“Not ready,” Jill Simon shouted.
Emily waited a minute. She kept her eyes shut.
Jill was too fat to run fast.
Someone was hiding in the bushes.
Emily could hear him moving around.
It was probably Beast.
Without thinking, Emily opened her eyes.
“No fair peeking,” Dawn Bosco called.
Emily made a face. “I'm not a cheater.”
She thought about Dawn Bosco.
Dawn had three bathing suits.
She had ladybug earrings.
Her middle name was Tiffanie,
Sometimes she was a big pain.
Emily waited another minute.
Then she yelled, “Here I come. Right now.”
She walked down the driveway. She could see something pink behind the fence.
It was one of Jill's bows.
She didn't look at Jill.
Jill would cry if she were caught.
Emily walked backward toward the bushes. She made believe she was looking at the tree.
She'd catch Beast.
She dived into the bushes. “Got you,” she yelled.
Something yowled.
Emily jumped back.
A black-and-white cat streaked past her. “Hey,” Emily yelled.
Just then she heard steps behind her.
Running steps.
Emily twirled around.
Dawn was racing for the tree.
Emily raced for the tree too. She tried to run faster than Dawn.
At the tree they bumped heads.
“Got you,” Emily yelled.
“Home free,” Dawn shouted.
“No fair,” Emily said. “I tagged you first.”
“I'm not playing with cheaters,” Dawn said. She made a fresh face.
Emily wanted to pop her right in the mouth.
Beast came out from the backyard. “What's going on?”
Jill came out too.
“I'm going home,” Dawn said.
“Don't do that,” Beast said. “We can't play with only three kids.”
Emily's little sister, Stacy, jumped off the steps.
“I'll play,” she said.
Emily looked at her.
Stacy had red all over her mouth.
Ketchup.
They had eaten hamburgers for supper.
“You can't count,” Emily said in a low voice.
“I can so,” said Stacy out loud. “One, two, four, eight, five.”
Just then they heard a whistle.
It was Beast's father.
“Time to go home,” Beast said.
Emily started back up her path. “Come on, Stacy.”
“Make up with Dawn,” said Beast.
Emily turned around. “Want to make up?”
“Maybe.” Dawn said. “And maybe not.”
Emily stared at Dawn.
Dawn still had a fresh face.
“Not,” said Emily.
“I'm going to have a pile of fish,” said Dawn. “You'll probably have none.”
Emily stamped up her steps. “Watch outfor cobras” she said. “They'll spit in your eye.”
“Pickle puss,” said Dawn.
Emily stuck out her tongue.
She slammed into the house.
Emily held her nose. She took a deep breath.
She jumped into her pool.
The water was cold.
Freezing.
She came to the top. “Yeow,” she screeched. She hung on to the side.
Her little sister, Stacy, looked up from her dirt pile. “Mommy said to turn on the hose in front.”
“Do it for me,” Emily begged.
Stacy shook her head. “Can't. The turner-on thing is too hard.”
Emily sighed. She climbed out of the pool.
She ran down the driveway on tiptoes.
She had to watch out for sharp stones.
She looked up. Jill was coming toward her.
Jill had yellow bows on her braids today. Her bathing suit was yellow too.
She looked like a fat yellow beach ball.
“Hi, Emily,” she said. “Can I go for a swim?”
“Sure. Go ahead,” Emily said. She scooted around Jill.
She bent over and turned on the sprinkler.
Dawn Bosco passed by on the other side of the street.
“Hey, Dawn,” she yelled.
Dawn didn't answer. She started to run.
Emily watched her.
Dawn had two books in her arms. One fell on the ground.
She stopped to pick it up. “I'll have a fish today,” she
Similar Books
