Read Online Smiles to Go by Jerry Spinelli - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Jerry Spinelli
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the twins, raced bawling into BT’s arms.
“Tabby tripped me!”
“She stold Ozzie,” gushed Tabby. “I had to stop her.” She was hugging her octopus.
“Where’s it hurt?” said BT.
“I don’t know !” wailed the twin. Her arms collared BT’s neck, her face was buried under his chin. I’d never heard such screaming. I kept looking for blood. Tabby and the other twin were gaping.
BT cradled her like a baby, rocked her. He was perfectly calm. “I think I know,” he said. He pulled up her pant leg. “I think it’s right here.” He kissed her knee. “That better?”
She nodded. She stopped bawling. He tickled her. She laughed. A minute later the three of them were shrieking again in Tabby’s room.
PD127
E ighteen days till Valentine’s! I work on The Plan every day. It’s almost ready.
PD128
P lanning…
PD129
P lanning…
PD130
THE PLAN
Inspired by the words of Mi-Su Kelly:
“The stars. The place. The night.”
I. The Place
A. Smedley Park
1. Picnic grove
II. The Night
A. Speaks for itself
III. The Stars
A. First Option (Clear Sky)
1. Real (Polaris, Sirius, etc.)
B. Second Option (Cloudy Sky)
1. Not real (See V-B)
IV. Extra Credit
A. The Moon
V. Equipment/Materials
A. Thermos
1. Hot chocolate
B. Paper Stars
1. Possible supply sources
a. Lily Pad Art Supplies
b. Staples
c. Rite-Aid
VI. The Bait (at school, February 14)
A. “I’m taking my telescope to Smedley Park tonight. Try to see the Horsehead Nebula. Want to come?”
VII. Procedure
A. Walk with her to Smedley Park after dinner
B. Set up scope
1. Fail to find Horsehead Nebula
a. On purpose
C. Drink hot chocolate
1. Share cup
2. Romantic
D. Words
1. “Hey, I guess we’re having our own little star party here, huh?”
2. “Know what we need? More stars!”
E. Dump paper stars over our heads
F. Words
1. “Happy Valentine’s Day!”
G. Kiss
PD132
I bought stars today at Lily Pad. Little gold ones, like I used to get on my spelling quizzes in first grade. I also bought hot chocolate. Microwavable. With little marshmallows.
PD133
T his is the month! Thirteen days and a wake-up.
PD136
T he more I look at The Plan, the more I see what it doesn’t cover: What happens after the kiss? How will she react? What will she say? I keep coming up with new possibilities. All day long I hear her voice in my head:
“Oh, Will!”
“Will…I didn’t know you felt that way about me.”
“Those stars did the trick!”
“I wish you hadn’t done that, Will.”
PD137
“Y ou Romeo, you.”
“Mmm…yummy.”
“I’ve had better kisses from a puppy.”
PD139
O ne week!
PD140
“W ill…wow! Who have you been practicing on?”
“Kiss me again, you fool.”
“Not bad—but you’re no BT.”
PD141
I was tense at Monopoly tonight. All the usual little things—Mi-Su calling me “sicko” because of my anchovies and extra sauce, BT yapping he’s “wheelin’ and dealin’”—seemed a little different, dipped in glitter, like this is our last Saturday-night Monopoly game before the world changes—again. I remembered Mi-Su’s words when the proton died: “Nothing will ever be the same.”
I watched BT move the tiny iron around the board, and suddenly the question occurred to me: Am I cheating on him? How much do I really know about him and Mi-Su? Mi-Su says it was the night, not BT. Is she telling the truth? Even if sheis, what about BT? Was it just the night and the stars for him, too? Or was it Mi-Su? Has he been thinking about Mi-Su just like I have? Has he discovered the back of her neck, too?
PD142
S omething could have happened.
But didn’t.
Around seven o’clock tonight the doorbell rang. It was Mi-Su. I don’t know why, but I was shocked. She just stood there smiling: black coat, bright red knitted hat with bunny-tail tassel, matching red mittens, matching red nose from the cold, just standing there smiling at me, breaking the world record for adorableness. I didn’t think—I just
“Tabby tripped me!”
“She stold Ozzie,” gushed Tabby. “I had to stop her.” She was hugging her octopus.
“Where’s it hurt?” said BT.
“I don’t know !” wailed the twin. Her arms collared BT’s neck, her face was buried under his chin. I’d never heard such screaming. I kept looking for blood. Tabby and the other twin were gaping.
BT cradled her like a baby, rocked her. He was perfectly calm. “I think I know,” he said. He pulled up her pant leg. “I think it’s right here.” He kissed her knee. “That better?”
She nodded. She stopped bawling. He tickled her. She laughed. A minute later the three of them were shrieking again in Tabby’s room.
PD127
E ighteen days till Valentine’s! I work on The Plan every day. It’s almost ready.
PD128
P lanning…
PD129
P lanning…
PD130
THE PLAN
Inspired by the words of Mi-Su Kelly:
“The stars. The place. The night.”
I. The Place
A. Smedley Park
1. Picnic grove
II. The Night
A. Speaks for itself
III. The Stars
A. First Option (Clear Sky)
1. Real (Polaris, Sirius, etc.)
B. Second Option (Cloudy Sky)
1. Not real (See V-B)
IV. Extra Credit
A. The Moon
V. Equipment/Materials
A. Thermos
1. Hot chocolate
B. Paper Stars
1. Possible supply sources
a. Lily Pad Art Supplies
b. Staples
c. Rite-Aid
VI. The Bait (at school, February 14)
A. “I’m taking my telescope to Smedley Park tonight. Try to see the Horsehead Nebula. Want to come?”
VII. Procedure
A. Walk with her to Smedley Park after dinner
B. Set up scope
1. Fail to find Horsehead Nebula
a. On purpose
C. Drink hot chocolate
1. Share cup
2. Romantic
D. Words
1. “Hey, I guess we’re having our own little star party here, huh?”
2. “Know what we need? More stars!”
E. Dump paper stars over our heads
F. Words
1. “Happy Valentine’s Day!”
G. Kiss
PD132
I bought stars today at Lily Pad. Little gold ones, like I used to get on my spelling quizzes in first grade. I also bought hot chocolate. Microwavable. With little marshmallows.
PD133
T his is the month! Thirteen days and a wake-up.
PD136
T he more I look at The Plan, the more I see what it doesn’t cover: What happens after the kiss? How will she react? What will she say? I keep coming up with new possibilities. All day long I hear her voice in my head:
“Oh, Will!”
“Will…I didn’t know you felt that way about me.”
“Those stars did the trick!”
“I wish you hadn’t done that, Will.”
PD137
“Y ou Romeo, you.”
“Mmm…yummy.”
“I’ve had better kisses from a puppy.”
PD139
O ne week!
PD140
“W ill…wow! Who have you been practicing on?”
“Kiss me again, you fool.”
“Not bad—but you’re no BT.”
PD141
I was tense at Monopoly tonight. All the usual little things—Mi-Su calling me “sicko” because of my anchovies and extra sauce, BT yapping he’s “wheelin’ and dealin’”—seemed a little different, dipped in glitter, like this is our last Saturday-night Monopoly game before the world changes—again. I remembered Mi-Su’s words when the proton died: “Nothing will ever be the same.”
I watched BT move the tiny iron around the board, and suddenly the question occurred to me: Am I cheating on him? How much do I really know about him and Mi-Su? Mi-Su says it was the night, not BT. Is she telling the truth? Even if sheis, what about BT? Was it just the night and the stars for him, too? Or was it Mi-Su? Has he been thinking about Mi-Su just like I have? Has he discovered the back of her neck, too?
PD142
S omething could have happened.
But didn’t.
Around seven o’clock tonight the doorbell rang. It was Mi-Su. I don’t know why, but I was shocked. She just stood there smiling: black coat, bright red knitted hat with bunny-tail tassel, matching red mittens, matching red nose from the cold, just standing there smiling at me, breaking the world record for adorableness. I didn’t think—I just
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