Read EllRay Jakes is a Rock Star! Online
Authors: Sally Warner
EllRay Jakes is a Rock Star! (7 page)
“That's a good idea,” I say, staring out the car window at the wet cars, the wet street, the wet sidewalks, the wet
everything
.
everything
.
This dark and gloomy day matches my mood perfectly, becauseâhow am I going to get my dad's crystals back? I hate even asking someone to lend me an eraser, much less give me back a present I gave them.
In fact, this is a whole new experience for me.
I am beginning to hate new experiences.
“You're not paying attention to me,” Alfie complains. “Mom,” she calls out, interrupting my mother's important driving concentration. “Make EllWay pay attention!”
“I can't do that, sweetie,” Mom says, signaling to turn left. “But if you say something really, really interesting, I'm sure he
will
pay attention.”
will
pay attention.”
This shuts Alfie up for a few blocks. I guess she's trying to think of something awesome to say, so I take advantage of the unusual calm to remind myself of who has which crystal.
1. Annie Pat has the red garnet.
2. Cynthia has the pale blue tourmaline.
3. Emma has the blue-green aquamarine.
4. Kevin has the golden topaz.
5. Jared has the gray smoky quartz.
6. And Ms. Sanchez has the Herkimer diamond, which isn't really a diamond, even though it looks like one and is bigger than her engagement ring. Way bigger.
How am I going to get them back, ever, much less by tomorrow afternoon?
But I have to, or else my dad will march into my classroom on Friday morning and embarrass me more than I've ever been embarrassed in my life!
“We're here,” Mom tells me.
“No, wait,” Alfie says, grabbing at my sleeve. “I almost thought of something interesting to say.”
“Tell me later, after school,” I say, flipping the hood of my yellow rain jacket over my head.
“Good luck today, honey,” Mom says, catching my eye in her rear-view mirror.
She knows everything, of course. But she loves me anyway.
That's moms for you.
“Thanks,” I tell her, opening the car door. “Because I'm gonna need it.”
Oak Glen Primary School was built with sunny days in mind, in my opinion, and it's usually sunny in Oak Glen, California. But when it rains, things get a little weird. For example, kids jam together in the hallways before class instead of going out to the playground or the fenced-in yard. And everyone smells wet, and everyone yells.
Then, during nutrition break, we have to eat our snacks in class when it rainsâbut we can't spill even a crumb, or the mice will come back and Ms. Sanchez will freak again like she did that famous time.
Also, at lunch on a rainy day, everyone has to crowd into the cafeteria instead of eating outsideâeven the kids who bring their own lunch, like me and most of my friends, because you get to play longer when you bring your lunch.
And during afternoon recess on a rainy day, Ms. Sanchez either plays games with us like “Twenty Questions” or “Simon Says,” or, if we “get too squirrelly,” as she puts it, she marches us up and down the stairs for exercise with our mouths pretend-zipped shut.
Meanwhile, the real squirrels get to play outside in the rain, and it doesn't do
them
any harm. But nobody thinks of that, do they?
them
any harm. But nobody thinks of that, do they?
So, basically, rainy days are no fun at Oak Glen, and today, Wednesday, will be the worst one in history. I look around for Kevin or Corey so I will have someone to yell with, at least.
“EllRay,” Emma calls out from down the crowded hall, and she and Annie Pat make their way toward me.
“Hi,” I say, wondering why Emma wants to talk to me so early. Or at all.
I sneak a look around, but no one is watching, so at least that's okay.
“Thanks again for the aquamarine,” she says when she gets to me.
“Yeah,” Annie Pat chimes in. “And thanks for the garnet. I showed it to my baby brother Murphy, and he almost tried to eat it, like it was hard red Jell-o. But I didn't let him.”
“That's good,” I mumble.
“What?”
“
That's good!
” I repeat. “Listen,” I say, grabbing the chance. “I'm really glad you like those crystals and everything, but I gotta get 'em back. It's an emergency,” I add, thinking this might make things more convincing.
That's good!
” I repeat. “Listen,” I say, grabbing the chance. “I'm really glad you like those crystals and everything, but I gotta get 'em back. It's an emergency,” I add, thinking this might make things more convincing.
“What kind of emergency?” Emma asks, her eyes wide. “Are they dangerous?”
“N-n-not exactly,” I say slowly, wishing I could say that all the crystals
were
dangerous. Radioactive, maybe, whatever that means. I know it's something bad.
were
dangerous. Radioactive, maybe, whatever that means. I know it's something bad.
“Well, how come, then?” Annie Pat asks.
She's not mad or anything, she's just asking, and that gives me courage.
“Turns out they were my dad's,” I say in a
“Go figure!”
kind of way. Like this was a major surprise to me. “And he decided he needs them backâright away. For important science research reasons,” I add, because science is what Emma and Annie Pat like best.
“Go figure!”
kind of way. Like this was a major surprise to me. “And he decided he needs them backâright away. For important science research reasons,” I add, because science is what Emma and Annie Pat like best.
“But I already put mine in my aquarium,” Annie Pat says, her red pigtails drooping with disappointment. “So the tetras wouldn't be so bored all day.”
Emma frowns, and she plays with a piece of her curly hair. “And I was going to give mine to my mom for Valentine's Day,” she tells me.
“She'd probably like a candy bar instead,” I say. “A big one. Something chocolate. I'll pay for half of it. And I'll make something else for your fish to look at,” I tell Annie Pat, as wet kids push and shove all around us. “Like a LEGO castle, maybe. This is really important, you guys. Can you bring the crystals to school tomorrow?”
“I guess,” Annie Pat says sadly, looking as if she would rather not.
“Okay,” Emma says. “But we better go, or Ms. Sanchez will yell at us.”
Our teacher doesn't yell, but I know what Emma means.
“So let's go,” I say, and I cross Emma and Annie Pat off my invisible list of names.
Two down, four to go.
12
TICK-TOCK
Kevin McKinley is the opposite of me in every way except color. Kevin started going to Oak Glen in kindergarten, and I started in first grade. He's tall, and I'm short. He's chunky, and I'm skinny. He has a brother, and I have a sister. He sometimes says “
Present!
” when Ms. Sanchez takes attendance, and Heather Patton usually has to poke me in the back when our teacher calls my name.
Present!
” when Ms. Sanchez takes attendance, and Heather Patton usually has to poke me in the back when our teacher calls my name.
I like to daydream, that's the thing.
But we hang togetherâwith Corey Robinson, the kid who swimsâso I'm not too nervous about asking Kevin to bring back my dad's topaz. I go up to him during nutrition break. Nutrition break is really just morning recess with food, only today, because of the rain, we're having it in class.
Kevin is over by the window, looking out at the rain. He keeps dipping his hand into a small crinkly bag of bright orange crackers.
“Hey,” I say, unrolling my strawberry fruit leather.
“Hey,” he says back, giving me an orange crumb smile.
“I gotta ask you something,” I say.
“Okay.”
“You know that crystal I gave you? The topaz?” I say.
“Mmm,” he nods, chewing.
“I need it back,” I say.
“Okay,” Kevin says. “I'll see if I can find it in my room.”
UHâOH
. You should see Kevin's room. I'm surprised he can find his own feet when he gets out of bed in the morning. “I can probably come over this afternoon and help you look for it,” I tell him. “I'll call my mom at lunch and ask her.”
. You should see Kevin's room. I'm surprised he can find his own feet when he gets out of bed in the morning. “I can probably come over this afternoon and help you look for it,” I tell him. “I'll call my mom at lunch and ask her.”
If kids at Oak Glen have cell phones, which I do not, not yet, they have to leave them in the main office during the day. But there's a pay phone just outside the office, and the lady at the desk will always lend you the money if you need it. She keeps track, though.
“Okay,” Kevin says, smiling, and he reaches into the cracker bag again.
And I cross another name off my invisible list.
Three to go.
“Excuse me, Ms. Sanchez?” I ask two seconds after the lunch buzzer has buzzed. “Can I talk to you for a minute?”
Ms. Sanchez tries to hide her sigh. “Of course you
can
, EllRay. You are obviously physically able to speak to me. Are you asking if you
may
speak to me?”
can
, EllRay. You are obviously physically able to speak to me. Are you asking if you
may
speak to me?”
She will never, ever stop correcting us on this one. “
May
I speak to you?”
May
I speak to you?”
“You may,” she says, sneaking only a tiny peek at her golden watch. “What's up?”
“Well, it's complicated,” I say, trying for a thoughtful expression. “But my dad needs that crystal back for his important work. You know, the one I gave you. The Herkimer diamond.”
“Ah yes,” Ms. Sanchez says with a smile. “That dear Mr. Herkimer.”
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