Freaked Out (14 page)

“Hi, I'm Charlie. My real name is Charlotte, but everyone calls me Charlie.”

“I'm Avery, and this is Isabel,” Avery introduced. “We have a best friend named Charlotte, too.”

“Are you going to work here? I hope so. I'll bet you're good at sports, aren't you, Avery?”

“What gave it away? My warmup suit or my basketball shoes?” Avery grinned back.

“I wanted to play basketball,” Charlie said. “Now I'm not so sure. I'm in remission. That means that I don't have cancer right now, but I still have a couple more treatments. I'd give a quarter just to go outside for a little while. My mother's here today. If I get permission, can you take me outside?”

Betsy looked at Avery and Isabel, who both shrugged. They didn't know any of the rules. “I'm sure that's okay if your mother and Marilyn agree,” Betsy said.

“I saw a park across the street,” Avery said. “I wish we had Marty with us. He'd love to play with the kids. There's a basketball hoop too. I always leave my basketball in the car.”

“Will your brother help us if some other kids want to go?” Betsy looked around. “Chris could go. He's in remission, too, and feeling pretty good. I think Jadie's mother is here today. She could get permission. I think everyone is at the end of their treatment program, that's why the dogs can come in. We'll just have to get passes for the kids to go.”

Just then, Marilyn showed up, and Avery hoped she wasn't going to spoil the field trip for the kids. Charlie was beaming ear to ear and jumping up and down. “Please don't say no, Marilyn, please.”

“They have to go in wheelchairs,” Marilyn said after hearing their plan. “And one volunteer per wheelchair. That's four kids.”

A fourth kid that everyone called Louie-Louie ran up
saying he could go. His mother had said yes. Avery was glad they'd brought Isabel. She didn't want to disappoint any of these kids.

“And, Charlie,” Marilyn said, “I think you'd better have an adult along. Do you think your mother would go?”

“My mom's game for anything,” Charlie said. “She's so much fun. She's helping Bonita, but let me ask her.”

A half hour later, the small party of kids wearing hats and riding in wheelchairs, along with their volunteers, arrived laughing at the park. Both Charlie's mother and Jadie's mother agreed to go. They strolled along behind the bustle of kids, probably glad to be outside in the warm fall sunshine, too.

“I feel as if I've escaped,” Charlie said. “Will you help me throw that ball, Avery?”

Avery looked at Charlie's mother. She nodded that the game was okay. “For just a little while, Charlie,” she said. “You know you always forget how quickly you get tired.”

They had played ball in the park for about a half hour, when Chris said, “Hey, lunch. We forgot about lunch. I'm getting hungry.”

Chris's white teeth stood out against his walnut-colored face. He grinned all the time, but right now he looked dismayed. It was the first time in weeks that he had been hungry, and he wanted some good food now!

“I'm so tired of hospital food,” Jadie said. “I wish we could have a pizza. Or hamburgers.”

“Hamburgers! Yeah, hamburgers!” all the kids shouted over and over until everyone was laughing.

“Yeah!” Charlie smiled brightly. “Have you got some money, Mom?”

Both Charlie's mother and Jadie's mother nodded and agreed to having lunch outside the hospital. “We're tired of hospital food, too.” Jadie's mother laughed.

“No one told us what time to come back.” Scott looked at Avery.

“There's a burger place up on the corner.” Avery didn't usually eat fast food, but she was willing to give these kids whatever they wanted. And to make their time out of the hospital special.

“I've got money, too.” Jadie waved a ten-dollar bill she pulled from the small purse in her wheelchair.

“Me too.” Chris pulled some bills from his pockets.

“I have some money, too,” piped in Miss Prepared-for-Anything Betsy Fitzgerald.

“I guess that's not a problem then.” Avery smiled. “Let's go.”

Scott pushed Louie's wheelchair. Louie started singing, “Heigh-ho, heigh-ho, it's off for food we go.” Avery chuckled, realizing that they were having their own party, right there, right then. Her mother was right…the kids at the hospital were just like any other kids. She pushed Charlie's chair. Isabel took Jadie and Betsy walked with Chris. The two mothers stayed close but didn't interfere with the kids' fun. In fact, they seemed to be enjoying the field trip, too.

“Let's not go inside,” Jadie suggested when they reached Burger Stop. “We can read the menu and go through the drive-up window. After all, we're sort of driving up. It will be fun…and unique.”

“Good idea. Then we can eat out here at that purple table.” Charlie laughed.

The mothers decided to sit down at the table and wait for the kids.

Avery and crew made sure there were no cars coming, pushed the chairs up to the speaker, ordered, then rolled on up to the takeout window.

A girl with an important expression leaned out the window. “Hey, you can't go through the drive-thru window.”

“Why not?” Avery asked.

“You have to have a car to do that. You'll have to come inside to order your food.”

Four faces lost their party look. “That's no fun,” Chris said.

“That's the rule.” The girl at the window was adamant.

“Is your boss here?” Scott asked.

“No, I'm the boss right now. Only cars can come through the drive-up window. That's the rule, and I can't let you start breaking rules. There's a reason to have rules.” The girl was off with a huge lecture. It sounded to Avery like she was in love with having the power to make people do what she wanted.

“Doesn't she understand there's a time to break rules?” Isabel whispered. “Especially when it doesn't hurt anyone and is no big deal.”

“Never mind,” Scott said. “We'll eat someplace else.”

“But I wanted to eat here. Burger Stop is my favorite and I haven't had one in so long.” Chris looked especially sad.

“I hate rigid rules,” Isabel said. “I have an idea. Are you all game?”

“Sure,” Charlie said. “We're tired of rules. Let's break some rules.”

“We're not going to break any rules. But it will be a little while before we eat. Everyone good to go? Okay?” Isabel turned Jadie's chair back toward the sidewalk. “Follow me, team.”

Avery and Scott looked at each other. Neither had any idea what Isabel was up to. Avery just shrugged her shoulders. One thing she knew for sure was that Isabel was up to something very creative.

“Okay!” a chorus of voices shouted.

“Okay!” Isabel echoed.

B
ack on the street, they all turned to Isabel. “What's your plan?” Louie-Louie asked, his face bright with eager enthusiasm. Isabel took a deep breath. She didn't want to fail their new friends, who had been cooped up for so long. She crossed her fingers and began to outline her idea, hoping it was a good one.

“You remember that furniture store we passed to get here?”

“Yeah, the one on the corner.” Avery didn't know what furniture had to do with lunch. She hoped Isabel knew what she was doing.

“Well, furniture stores always have big boxes out back. Surely this one isn't any different.” Isabel grinned.

Scott grinned and caught on immediately. “A car…we're going to make a car. Great idea, Isabel.” One of the mothers clapped her hands. “This is delightful.”

“The only problem is that I wish I'd brought my paints,
and I nearly always carry a sketch book, but I was in a hurry this morning.”

Betsy pointed across the busy street. “While you're in the furniture store, I'll go over to that drugstore. What do you need? A little bit of paint and some pens won't cost much.”

“Good thinking, Betsy,” said Avery, giving her a thumbs up.

“We can't take too long, so we'll need scissors—a couple pairs of good, sharp ones—and magic markers, all colors. We won't take the time to paint.” Isabel thought for a moment. “That should do it.”

Scott, Avery, Isabel, and Betsy emptied pockets and purses. They dumped their money onto the sidewalk, counted all their pennies, dimes, and nickels. Chris contributed a few bills, but all of them needed to save enough for lunch.

“This should be more than enough.” Betsy scooped up the money and headed for the crosswalk. “I'll meet you at the furniture store if you can help push Jadie.”

The wheelchairs paraded up the sidewalk and into the furniture store. Avery suggested they do that so if they met another rules Scrooge at the store, he'd realize they really needed a box. “We might as well use these wheelchairs to our advantage.” Jadie laughed.

“Well, well, what do we have here?” a young salesman said with a happy smile. “To what do I owe the honor of this visit?” He probably guessed they didn't want to buy furniture or a new refrigerator.

“We need a box,” Charlie said, smiling back.

“A big box,” Chris added.

“Well, we do have boxes.” The man, whose name tag read Mr. Kelly, nodded his head. “What size big box do you need?”

“Refrigerator, I guess,” Isabel said, measuring three wheelchair lengths with her hands. “I think one person will have to double up unless they make really tall fridges these days. But we can decide that later.”

“Or we can walk inside the box,” Louie-Louie said. “We just use wheelchairs sometimes so we don't get too tired.”

Mr. Kelly walked to the back of the store and came out carrying a big box. “How's this?”

“Too small,” said Charlie, looking at Isabel.

“Yes, too small. Do you have another?”

Mr. Kelly smiled and took the box back. In a couple of minutes, he dragged a refrigerator box to the front of the store. “This okay?” He had a hopeful look on his face.

All the kids inspected it. The box might work, but it was fatter than it was tall. Isabel gave Mr. Kelly her most persuasive smile. “Could you look one more time? Something taller, or longer once we lay it down.”

“I can help you look,” offered Scott.

“Thanks, but I can't let customers in the back.”

They watched Mr. Kelly drag the huge brown box back to the storeroom.

“I hope he's not losing patience with us,” Avery said.

“No, he's awfully nice,” Jadie said. “Maybe the next one will work.”

“How about this really tall bookcase box? It's even taller than a refrigerator.” Mr. Kelly tried to smile.

“Perfect.” Isabel clapped her hands. “Thank you so much. Can we work in front of your store if we don't block the front door?”

“We might attract customers,” Betsy pointed out. “They'd stop to see what we were doing, then come inside to see what you have.”

“Sure. It probably won't take you long. Will it?”

“No, not long at all, since we're getting hungry.” Chris laughed and slapped high fives, low fives, and some kind of secret handshake with Louie-Louie.

“Thanks a lot, Mr. Kelly,” Isabel said. “You've been really nice to us. And we both know that you can't compromise when it comes to creativity.”

Mr. Kelly melted again after Isabel smiled. “Here's a magic marker to get you started and an X-Acto knife. You look like you can handle it, young man. It'll be easier to cut with a knife than scissors. Be careful, though.” He passed the X-Acto to Scott.

By the time Betsy got to the sidewalk in front of the store, they had opened up the box. Isabel had drawn a bus—wheels, windows, doors, the works. Scott was already slicing through the cardboard where Isabel indicated windows.

Charlie's mother and Jadie's mom had not helped with the project, but they'd watched proudly the whole time. It was clear that they wanted their children to have an adventure.

“Most parents and regular volunteers like me are
trained to let the kids do as much as they can on their own,” Betsy told Avery and Isabel softly. She smiled. “I like the way you just assumed the kids could do this, Isabel. You're a natural.”

In a short time, watching Isabel draw and Scott cut, Chris announced, “It's a school bus! I used to hate riding the bus. Now I just wish I could go back to school.”

Avery took going to school for granted. Maybe she wouldn't do that so much any more.

“The store had big bottles of tempura paint,” Betsy said. “I'm going to take the scissors back and get two bottles of yellow paint and two brushes.”

With everyone working, within a short time they had a lovely car-bus-vehicle that met drive-thru standards. They had also drawn a crowd of onlookers. Most smiled and were patient with the sidewalk detour, and some even stopped to talk to the kids.

“What a fun project.” “Why are you out here working on the sidewalk?” “Are you from the hospital?” Some made suggestions. Mr. Kelly eventually came out of the store to watch their progress and to offer a few pieces of advice.

The hospital kids were very friendly and vocal. They loved talking to people. Avery doubted all the cancer-ward kids had such ability to mix, but their foursome did. And she heard some of them tell the whole story, the why-they-had-to-make-a-car story.

From the corner of her eye, Avery saw a man with a video camera taking photos and talking to the kids as well as the two mothers. She guessed that was all right. What they were doing certainly wasn't a secret.

“We could have made a yellow submarine,” Louie-Louie said, grinning.

“No, this is a Hummer.” Chris made motor noises. “Vroom, vroom.”

“And it doesn't even use too much gas.” Scott laughed.

“Don't you think we're being completely ‘immature,' Avery?” Betsy said, reminding Avery of Anna's remark.

“Right on! Juvenile forever!” She and Isabel pumped their fists in the air, making up a new BSG motto.

Mr. Kelly applauded when he returned and saw the finished bus. “It's a Carrari,” he said.

“No, it's a You-Can't-Stop-Us Mobile,” Louie-Louie said, sticking his fist in the air.

Jadie wanted Scott to write that on the side of the car.

“Let's take a vote,” Scott suggested. It was unanimous. The “You-Can't-Stop-Us Mobile” won hands down.

Betsy, who had even better handwriting than Isabel, lettered the slogan on the side of the car.

“It's a great vehicle. How are you going to get it back to the drive-in?” Mr. Kelly asked.

“It'll be a little hard to carry, I guess,” Scott said. “We'll have to wear it.”

“It's my break time.” Mr. Kelly looked at his watch. “I just might be in the mood for hamburgers and fries. And one of the delivery trucks is back. What if I sneaked it over to the restaurant and unloaded it where no one in the drive-thru could see it?”

“Thanks so much, Mr. Kelly!” Isabel enthused. Scott, Avery, Betsy, and all the kids echoed their thank-yous.

By the time they walked back to Burger Stop, they were all starving. “I want a double cheeseburger with fries and a salad, with the yogurt fruit cup and some chocolate milk,” Chris said, practically drooling as he spoke. As soon as Mr. Kelley pulled up, everybody became very efficient.

Louie-Louie was the strongest of the kids. He was going to walk. They lifted the box over the other three wheelchairs, resting the box sides just inside the wheels so it wouldn't drag.

“Ready?” Scott asked. He had tucked into the front, duck walking so he could see out the driver's side window, get the food, and hand over their money. They built the bus so that everyone had a window, but Avery, Isabel, and Betsy also had to duck walk. Louie-Louie only had to squash down a little.

They “drove” up to the very same girl as before.

“I'm so glad she wasn't on break,” Avery whispered.

Giggles spread through the bus.

“That will be—hey!!” The girl at the window suddenly became speechless. Her face got red. “You can't….”

Other employees ran to the window to look out. A man, the returned manager, the real boss, smiled. The You-Can't-Stop-Us-Mobile was in!

“Twenty-seven dollars and seventy-five cents.” The girl finished telling them how much they owed.

“Do we have enough?” Betsy asked. “I have the change from buying the paint.” They all scrambled to count their crumpled dollar bills and change again.

The girl at the window took the money without saying another word.

They “drove” out of the pickup window, all the way in front and circled the restaurant to the picnic tables in the back. That was as far as they could walk with bent legs. Lifting the box, they realized that the man with the camera was still there.

“You're going to be on TV tonight, kids. Be sure to watch
All Around Boston
after the news.” He shut down the camera, smiled, and left.

“TV?” Avery looked at Isabel and Scott and Betsy.

“TV!” “Yeah!” “Right on!” All the kids laughed while they dug into their sandwiches.

“I gave the reporter permission.” Charlie's mother joined them. “I hope that's all right with everyone.”

“Do we want to be on television turning a box into a car?” Avery whispered to Isabel.

Isabel grinned. “Definitely. I'm proud to be part of this very mature act.” Both girls dissolved into laughter.

“Let's call the segment ‘Mature Seventh Graders Help Out,'” said Betsy with a straight face.

They were all happily munching when Mr. Kelly offered a suggestion. “How about I deliver your Carrari up to the hospital? I'm sure it has some miles left in it.”

“Yeah!” Charlie and the other kids clapped and cheered. “I want everyone to see it.”

“Do you think they will be upset about the kids being on TV?” Avery said, a little worried that the hospital might not like all the publicity.

Avery was surprised to realize that she really did want to come back and work with the kids again. Maybe not build another car and get on television, but play games,
talk to the kids. If Isabel came, she could give them some art lessons. Suddenly, the whole “party” thing seemed unimportant.

Marilyn was waiting for them at the entrance to the children's wing. “Do you think we're in serious trouble?” Avery whispered.

Marilyn stood there looking at them, hands on hips, painted clown smile frozen. “I think I see some very happy people here.”

“I think they're going to be on television tonight,” Charlie's mother told Marilyn. “I hope you don't mind.”

“Sounds like good publicity. People need to see that kids are kids—no matter what. I hope you and Isabel come back again, Avery,” Marilyn said.

“We will.” Avery grinned at Isabel. “Most definitely.”

“That
was
fun.” Betsy's voice held a wistful tone.

“I have another good idea,” Isabel said.

“Shoot.” Avery dribbled her imaginary basketball and pushed in a rim shot.

“What if all the Beacon Street Girls came over to the hospital some Saturday and worked with the kids? We could dress like clowns,” Isabel joked.

“I think clowns are creepy.” Avery grimaced. “I have another idea. I saw a dog visiting some kids this morning. Let's teach Marty some more tricks and bring him to visit.”

“Can I come too?” Betsy asked. “We can ask at the office, but I'm pretty sure that you have to get Marty specially trained.”

“Sure,” Avery and Isabel agreed together. Avery was
starting to realize that even though Betsy's perfectionist tendencies were irritating, she was actually a really cool, smart person. And funny, too.

“They have a pet visiting program here. If you have a pet, especially a dog that is well behaved, he can visit the kids,” Betsy continued.

“Hey, why can't we bring Marty when we're clowns? I could make him a little clown suit, and he could dance,” Isabel suggested.

“Enough with the clowns.” Avery laughed. “I'm going to teach Marty to do a hand…no a
paw stand
on a basketball.”