Read Online Small Steps by Louis Sachar - Free Book Online
Authors: Louis Sachar
Tags: Ages 10 and up
Ads: Link
place.
“Kaira DeLeon.”
“Never heard a her.”
Wiley wore a Harley T-shirt and had tattoos up and down both arms.
“Go punch E-4,” Murdock told him. “See if she don’t knock your socks off.” He turned his attention back to X-Ray. “I really do appreciate you boys coming all the way down here. When it’s your own business, you got to stay on top of it twenty-four hours a day. I do it all: cook, wash dishes, you name it.”
Armpit was still waiting for either the money or Murdock to return the tickets.
Wiley fumbled with the jukebox. He was a big guy, and Armpit would not want to have to try to deal with him and Murdock.
“Can I get you something to eat?” Murdock asked. “On the house.”
“Chopped-beef sandwich,” X-Ray answered right away.
“How ’bout you, Armpit?”
He was more concerned about the money than he was about food. “The same,” he said.
“You like your sauce hot or mild?” Murdock asked.
“Mild,” said X-Ray.
“Armpit?”
“The same.”
Kaira’s voice filled the restaurant.
I’m not the kinda girl who’s apt to . . .
Settle down.
No, I’m the kinda girl who likes to . . .
Get around.
Murdock brought the sandwiches over to the cash register. He opened it, then took out two hundred and seventy dollars, which he gave to X-Ray, along with his sandwich.
Armpit felt bad about not trusting him.
I see you lookin’ at me
the way you do . . .
Just hold on!
a little longer.
Just hold on!
a little bit longer.
Hold on, baby
just a little bit longer
’Cause I’ll get around to you!
Murdock laughed. “Man, don’t you just love her?”
“She’s all right,” said Wiley.
“So what do you want to drink?” Murdock asked X-Ray.
Next to the cash register was a large metal bucket filled with ice and soft drinks.
“Root beer,” said X-Ray.
Murdock looked at Armpit. “Let me guess. The same?”
Armpit shrugged.
“Does he tell you when to go to the bathroom, too?”
Armpit smiled and sheepishly shrugged.
And now that you got me . . .
in your arms,
Ooh, I feel so . . .
soft and warm.
There’s only one thing
I want to say . . .
Armpit bit into his sandwich. He’d eaten a lot of barbecue in his life, but this might have been the very best. Of course, that might have had something to do with the fact that he now had all his money back, and then some.
Just hold on!
a little longer.
Just hold on!
a little bit longer.
Hold on, baby,
just a little bit longer
And then I’ll be on my way.
12
X-Ray sold four more tickets to a couple of high school students from Westlake, and just like that, Armpit had another two hundred and seventy dollars. He was up three hundred dollars, and there were still two tickets left, which would mean another hundred and thirty-five for him.
The final two ruler-of-the-world campaign speeches were given Thursday morning. The second-to-last speech was given by Claire, Tatiana’s friend, who brought Dumbo the Elephant.
“. . . so all the other elephants made fun of him, but then he got drunk and ended up in a tree, and these birds sang to him. And then his mouse friend said he could fly because of a magic feather. . . .”
“Yeah, I’ve seen the movie,” a boy in back said, but Claire just continued.
“I used to love that movie!” Armpit heard Tatiana whisper. He wondered if she still planned to vote for Coo.
The last speech, given by Robbie Kinkaid, was for an armadillo name Joe. Robbie obviously made up the speech as he went along, including the name of his armadillo.
“This is an armadillo, I think. You can vote for him if you want. His name is . . . Joe. Joe the Armadillo. He’s brown, and has four legs, and this shell thingy. . . .”
Then came the vote.
Everyone had to write down his or her first and second choices.
Joe the Armadillo won, and Dumbo was elected vice ruler of the world. If for any reason Joe was unable to fulfill his obligations, Dumbo would take over.
Armpit tried not to
“Kaira DeLeon.”
“Never heard a her.”
Wiley wore a Harley T-shirt and had tattoos up and down both arms.
“Go punch E-4,” Murdock told him. “See if she don’t knock your socks off.” He turned his attention back to X-Ray. “I really do appreciate you boys coming all the way down here. When it’s your own business, you got to stay on top of it twenty-four hours a day. I do it all: cook, wash dishes, you name it.”
Armpit was still waiting for either the money or Murdock to return the tickets.
Wiley fumbled with the jukebox. He was a big guy, and Armpit would not want to have to try to deal with him and Murdock.
“Can I get you something to eat?” Murdock asked. “On the house.”
“Chopped-beef sandwich,” X-Ray answered right away.
“How ’bout you, Armpit?”
He was more concerned about the money than he was about food. “The same,” he said.
“You like your sauce hot or mild?” Murdock asked.
“Mild,” said X-Ray.
“Armpit?”
“The same.”
Kaira’s voice filled the restaurant.
I’m not the kinda girl who’s apt to . . .
Settle down.
No, I’m the kinda girl who likes to . . .
Get around.
Murdock brought the sandwiches over to the cash register. He opened it, then took out two hundred and seventy dollars, which he gave to X-Ray, along with his sandwich.
Armpit felt bad about not trusting him.
I see you lookin’ at me
the way you do . . .
Just hold on!
a little longer.
Just hold on!
a little bit longer.
Hold on, baby
just a little bit longer
’Cause I’ll get around to you!
Murdock laughed. “Man, don’t you just love her?”
“She’s all right,” said Wiley.
“So what do you want to drink?” Murdock asked X-Ray.
Next to the cash register was a large metal bucket filled with ice and soft drinks.
“Root beer,” said X-Ray.
Murdock looked at Armpit. “Let me guess. The same?”
Armpit shrugged.
“Does he tell you when to go to the bathroom, too?”
Armpit smiled and sheepishly shrugged.
And now that you got me . . .
in your arms,
Ooh, I feel so . . .
soft and warm.
There’s only one thing
I want to say . . .
Armpit bit into his sandwich. He’d eaten a lot of barbecue in his life, but this might have been the very best. Of course, that might have had something to do with the fact that he now had all his money back, and then some.
Just hold on!
a little longer.
Just hold on!
a little bit longer.
Hold on, baby,
just a little bit longer
And then I’ll be on my way.
12
X-Ray sold four more tickets to a couple of high school students from Westlake, and just like that, Armpit had another two hundred and seventy dollars. He was up three hundred dollars, and there were still two tickets left, which would mean another hundred and thirty-five for him.
The final two ruler-of-the-world campaign speeches were given Thursday morning. The second-to-last speech was given by Claire, Tatiana’s friend, who brought Dumbo the Elephant.
“. . . so all the other elephants made fun of him, but then he got drunk and ended up in a tree, and these birds sang to him. And then his mouse friend said he could fly because of a magic feather. . . .”
“Yeah, I’ve seen the movie,” a boy in back said, but Claire just continued.
“I used to love that movie!” Armpit heard Tatiana whisper. He wondered if she still planned to vote for Coo.
The last speech, given by Robbie Kinkaid, was for an armadillo name Joe. Robbie obviously made up the speech as he went along, including the name of his armadillo.
“This is an armadillo, I think. You can vote for him if you want. His name is . . . Joe. Joe the Armadillo. He’s brown, and has four legs, and this shell thingy. . . .”
Then came the vote.
Everyone had to write down his or her first and second choices.
Joe the Armadillo won, and Dumbo was elected vice ruler of the world. If for any reason Joe was unable to fulfill his obligations, Dumbo would take over.
Armpit tried not to
Similar Books
