A Frog in My Throat (4 page)

“Did you bring your dolls today?” Sarah asked Kate the next morning before class.

“No, I only have one doll and her arm fell off,” said Kate.

“Well, you can still play dolls with us, but having your own doll is better.”

“I guess so,” said Kate. “See you at recess.”

Kate walked back to her seat. She didn't want to play dolls again. But if she didn't play with Sarah and Marlee, who could she play with?

Kate was so busy worrying, she didn't see the foot sticking into the aisle. She stepped on it.

Kate looked up. It was Patty's foot.

“Sorry,” said Kate.

“It's okay,” said Patty, looking up at Kate with her big green eyes. “I was reading and I forgot my foot was sticking out.”

“Hey, you're reading
Mystery on Planet Zebra
. I love that book.”

“Me too,” said Patty, smiling shyly. “I want to read all the Mystery Planet books.”

Kate was surprised. Patty didn't usually say much. She'd just moved to their school, and she was usually so quiet that you didn't know she was there.

“What chapter are you on?” asked Kate.

“Six. But I'll probably finish the book by tonight. I can't stop reading it. It's so good.”

“Hey, Patty,” said Kate. “Do you want to play at recess?”

“Yes,” said Patty. “I have some sidewalk chalk. Do you want to draw?”

“I love making sidewalk pictures,” said Kate. “Let's meet at the back of the school at recess.”

Patty's round face glowed.

The bell rang. Kate slid into her seat. To her surprise, Jake was in his seat on time. He'd been on time for the last two days.

Jake was doodling. He was drawing a picture of two boys playing computer games. One boy looked tall and the other was short. Kate knew who the boys were: Jake and Lionel. But today, Kate didn't feel bad about Jake and Lionel.

Mr. Bolin walked into the classroom and told the class to write a page on “What I Want To Learn at the Chocolate Factory.” As Kate wrote, she worried about what she'd say to Marlee and Sarah. How could she tell them she didn't want to play dolls?

As soon as the bell rang, Kate ran over to them. “I don't think I'm good at playing dolls,” she said.

“That's okay,” said Marlee, combing her short brown hair. She and Sarah gave each other relieved looks. Kate knew they were happy to play by themselves again.

“See ya,” Kate said, and she raced out to the back of the school. Patty was waiting with a box of sidewalk chalk. For the rest of recess, Kate and Patty drew rockets, monsters and cats in green, blue, violet and red.

Patty was great at drawing cats. She showed Kate how to make fat cats, skinny cats and fluffy cats.

“Let's draw again tomorrow,” suggested Kate.

Patty's big smile told Kate she couldn't wait.

By recess the next day, it was official.

Patty and Kate were going to be partners on the bus to the chocolate factory.

Kate and Patty bounded into class after recess.

“If I get a milk-chocolate sample,” said Patty, “you can have it.”

“If I get a dark-chocolate sample, you can have it,” said Kate.

Kate slid into her seat beside Jake. He didn't look up from his book.

Mr. Bolin told them that their art assignment was to draw a rain forest. “Chocolate is made from cocoa beans,” he explained. “And cocoa beans grow in the rain forest.”

Kate drew cocoa trees in the rain forest. She drew parrots flying between the trees. She drew a parrot perched on a girl's hand. But Jake wasn't drawing. He was just staring at his paper.

“Hey, Jake,” Kate asked. “Why aren't you drawing? You love to draw.”

“I don't feel like it,” muttered Jake. He looked sad.

“What's the matter?” Kate asked.

“Lionel,” muttered Jake. “He won't play with me anymore. He says I'm a little kid, and he wants to play with big kids.”

“Oh,” said Kate. Jake looked so miserable that Kate almost forgot how he'd dumped her for Lionel.

“I don't care,” said Jake. “Lionel's not that funny anyway. And he didn't even like
Revenge of the Ghost
—the best movie ever.”

“I know,” said Kate.

“I only said I didn't like it before because...well... just because,” said Jake.

Kate nodded. She knew Jake had been showing off to Lionel.

“Can we play together again?” asked Jake. “I know I've been hanging around with Lionel a lot and... well... You're still my best friend, Kate. And... I'm sorry.”

“Sure we can play,” said Kate. It was hard to stay mad at Jake. Especially when he said he was sorry.

“Hey, that's great. And we could play pirate ship in your closet this weekend. That is, if you want to.”

“Sure,” said Kate.

“I'd better start drawing,” said Jake, smiling his old goofy smile. Jake picked up a blue marker.

Kate smiled. Jake was happy to be friends again. And she was too.

“Are you sitting with anyone on the bus to the chocolate factory?” Jake asked as he drew a giant cocoa pod.

Oh no, thought Kate. What should she do? She had promised to sit with Patty, but then Jake wouldn't have anyone to sit with. And if she didn't sit with Patty, Patty would be all alone on the bus.

“I...I...,” stammered Kate.

“Aye, aye, Kate m'mate!” said Jake, beaming.

Oh no, thought Kate. Jake thought she said “yes” in pirate talk. Now she was in real trouble.

“I can't wait to go to the chocolate factory,” said Jake on the way home from school. Jake talked about how much fun they'd have on the bus ride. He talked about how much fun it would be sharing free samples.

It felt like old times, but it wasn't like old times. Now there was Patty.

What was Kate going to do?

Kate couldn't stop thinking about Jake and Patty. Everyone in the class had a partner, even spitball Leo and drippy-nose Brad. They were partners with each other. There had to be a way for Kate, Jake and Patty to be partners. But how?

On the way to school the next morning, Kate still didn't know what to do.

She slipped into her seat just before the bell rang. Jake slid into his seat a minute later.

“Let's finish those rain forest pictures,” Mr. Bolin told the class. “I want to display them in the hall.”

Kate drew two parrots on a tree in the rain forest. One more parrot on the branch and I'm finished, she thought. But there was no room on the branch for another parrot.

Where can I put him? she wondered.

Maybe... Yes! Suddenly Kate knew what to do about the third parrot—and what to do about her friends.

“Mr. Bolin,” she said, raising her hand, “could I talk to you—privately?”

“Come on up to my desk.”

Kate hurried up to Mr. Bolin's desk. She told Mr. Bolin about wanting to be partners with Patty and Jake. “If I'm partners with one person, the other
person won't have anyone to sit next to,” she explained. “So I have an idea.”