The Stinky Sneakers Mystery (3 page)

SIX

Snooping on Eric is great!
thought Jason.

He watched Eric go to Mr. Tressler's house next. Mr. Tressler and Eric's grandpa were good friends.

Eric rang the doorbell and waited. Mr. Tressler let him in.

Jason waited, still hiding behind the tree.

Soon, Eric came out. He headed to Jason's house next.

Quickly, Jason hopped on his bike. He
had to know what Eric was doing!

Jason flew down Blossom Hill Lane. He braked in front of his house.

Eric stopped on Jason's driveway and frowned.

“What's up?” Jason asked.

“Can I borrow your thumb?” Eric asked.

“My thumb?” Jason said. “What for?”

Eric smiled. “For my science project.”

Jason got off his bike. He folded his arms across his chest. “I'm not helping
you.
And that's final.”

“But—”

“You heard me!” Jason shouted. And he stomped into the house.

Thirty minutes later, Jason's doorbell rang. He was ready to sock Eric in the nose.

Jason grabbed the doorknob.

It was Stacy Henry. She was holding
her white cockapoo puppy. His name was Sunday Funnies—because he always found the Sunday comics first. Before anyone!

Stacy's science folder was tucked under her arm. “I need to test my project,” she said. “Can you help me?”

Jason didn't want to at first. Why was everyone asking for his help?

“Please?” Stacy said. “It won't take long.”

He opened the screen door. “Okay.”

They went into the kitchen. Stacy put her puppy down on the floor. She took out a piece of paper and some scissors from her folder.

“Here,” she said. “Try to cut a hole big enough to pass over your body.”

Jason picked up the scissors. “Easy.”

While he cut, Stacy asked about his project. “Can I see your super sprouts?”

“Only if you don't laugh at them,” he
said. He put the paper and scissors on the table.

“I promise.”

“Okay then,” Jason said.

He went to his room and came right back, carrying the box. Inside, the carpet was full of bushy green sprouts.

She sniffed the sprouts. “Smells good. May I taste?”

“Just a little,” Jason said. “I need lots of them for tomorrow.”

Stacy pulled off a tiny sprig and put it in her mouth. “Mm-m, good!”

Sunday Funnies stood up on his hind legs.

Stacy laughed. “Look, my dog wants a bite too.”

“I can't let a dog eat my first prize!”

“Aw, just a little?” Stacy pleaded.

The puppy was still begging.

Jason refused to look at Stacy's dog. “How long is he going to do that?”

“Till he gets what he wants,” she said.

Jason frowned. He looked at Sunday Funnies. “Oh, all right. Give him a taste.”

Sunday Funnies ate the sprouts, then he licked his chops.

“He loves them!” Stacy exclaimed.

“I was afraid of that,” Jason said. He picked up the paper and scissors and began to cut.

Stacy watched him. “Can you do it? Can you make a hole fit over your head?” she asked.

He slid the circle halfway over his head. It was too small to go farther.

Stacy said, “I think you're stuck.”

Jason pulled the paper off his head. “This is impossible.”

“Here, I'll show you how,” Stacy said.

Sunday Funnies was begging again. Jason noticed it. “Put my sprouts away,”
he said. He pointed to the top of the refrigerator.

Stacy stood on a chair and put the box up there. Now the sprouts were safe.

When Stacy got down, she took another piece of paper and folded it in half—long, like a hot dog. She made thirteen cuts on the folded paper.

Jason watched carefully.

Gently, she stretched the paper out. And climbed through.

“Wow, that's cool!” Jason said. But he didn't really mean it. Stacy's project was too good.

Stacy picked up her folder, scissors, and paper. She walked to the front door. Sunday Funnies followed.

“Thanks for your help,” she said.

Jason closed the door without saying a word.

SEVEN

Jason yawned. He opened his eyes.

Thursday at last!

He flew down the hall to the bathroom and washed his face. He got dressed in record time.

At breakfast, Jason took his pill without a fuss. And he ate everything on his plate.

“This is a very big day,” his father said.

“Sure is,” his mother said.

“My sprouts are super!” Jason said.
“They're the very best!”

His parents smiled at him across the table.

Jason looked at his watch. “It's too early for school.”

“You could start gathering up your things,” his mother suggested.

His father patted him on the back. “Have a great science fair,” he said and left for work.

His mother went to take her shower.

Jason scampered to his room and found his notebook. He'd been counting the hours. The fair started today. It would end tomorrow with the judging.

He couldn't wait.

Then Jason remembered Stacy's paper hole project, and Abby's homemade rain.

Shawn was going to make sound dance on the wall. Dunkum had a turnip taste test.

But what about Eric? What was
he
doing?

Quickly, Jason went to the windowsill. Time to take his super sprouts to school. But . . .

The sprouts were gone!

“Where's my project?”

He searched his room. Then he ran through the house. But his sprouts were nowhere to be seen.

Gone!

“Where are they?” he wailed.

He called to his mother through the bathroom door.

She didn't answer.

Jason pounded on the door. “Mom!”

“I'm in the shower,” she called back. “I can't hear you.”

Jason stood in the middle of the living room. He shook with worry.
What can I do?

A huge lump crowded his throat.

Then he heard sounds outside. Running
to the window, he looked out.

The Cul-de-sac Kids were walking to school together. They bunched up in front of his house. Waiting.

Jason opened the front door. “Wait a minute,” he called.

He couldn't tell them about his missing sprouts. After all his bragging, he just couldn't!

Jason ran around the house searching for something. Anything. What could he use for a science project?

He looked under his bed and found some dirty socks. Yuk! He held his nose.

He thought of Shawn's project—making sound dance on the wall. Maybe he could make smells dance, too.

No. That was silly.

He ran to the window. The kids were still waiting—with their science projects.

“Hurry up!” Abby called from the street.

Jason banged into the kitchen. He looked around for something to take for the science fair. But there was nothing. Nothing!

So much for first place
, he thought.

Miss Hershey would give him a big, fat zero!

EIGHT

Jason heard a knock on the screen door.

“Come in,” he said.

In came the Cul-de-sac Kids.

Abby and Stacy.

Dunkum, Shawn, and Shawn's little brother, Jimmy. Abby's little sister, Carly, with her best friend, Dee Dee Winters.

And Eric.

“Where's your science project?” Abby asked.

Jason was speechless.

“Yeah, let's see those super sprouts,” Eric said.

“I . . . uh . . .” Jason knew they would laugh. He couldn't tell them.

Stacy looked at her watch. “We better get going. We don't want to be late.”

The kids were too excited to wait for Jason. They left for school. Without him.

Jason decided to look outside for his sprouts. He went around the side of the house.

He sniffed the air. He coughed. Something smelled rotten, like three-week-old gym socks!

Eric's grandpa was sitting on the porch next door. “Good morning, Jason,” he said.

Jason stepped closer. “What's that smell?”

Mr. Hagel was spreading cheese on some bread. “This, young man, is my favorite cheese. It's called Limburger.”

Jason pinched his nose shut. “Smells horrible!”

Mr. Hagel grinned. “Ah, but the taste is out of this world. Care for some?”

“I . . . uh . . . better not.” Jason stepped back, away from the odor.

“Just try it,” Mr. Hagel said. “Have it in your lunch, maybe.” He wrapped a lump of it in plastic and gave it to Jason.

“Uh . . . thanks.” Jason stuffed the nasty-smelling cheese into his pocket. He would toss it in the trash later.

At school, the kids were lining up outside. Their hands were filled with science projects.

Jason got in line. He hid his hands in his pants pockets.

Eric teased, “Hey, Sprout Man, tell the truth. You didn't really make a project, did you?”

Jason felt his neck get hot. “You're
wrong!” He ran up to Eric.

Stacy and Abby pushed the boys apart. “Stop it!” Stacy yelled. “I saw Jason's sprouts yesterday.”