made fun of them! They’ll be real mad, Alfie’s Brother. Even at
Alfie
, maybe.”
And—she reaches for another doll. The doll who has the pink plastic pony.
“This is your last chance to stop bullying Alfie, Suzette Monahan,” I say, lowering my voice the way Dad does when he means business.
“Go away, Alfie’s Brother, or I’m gonna take
two
dolls,” Suzette says, not even looking up. “Or Alfie’s new pink jacket.”
The pink jacket Alfie won’t even wear anymore.
Suzette
is
terrible! See?
It is time for part two of my plan to protect my little sister.
13
BABYISH
“Too bad about that bed-wetting thing you do,” I say, trying to sound as bored as she does. “That’s so babyish for a four-year-old. Ooh, smelly little baby.”
I have totally made this up.
Suzette finally looks at me, her hands still. “What?” she asks, frowning.
“I’ve heard all about it,” I say. “Not from Alfie,” I add quickly. “She’s too nice to say something that personal about a friend. But other kids might find out,” I tell her, shrugging.
“I do
not
wet my bed,” Suzette says, her cheeks turning just pink enough with anger to tell me that she might. Every so often, at least.
“Sure, you do,” I say.
“Don’t say that,” Suzette says, throwing down Alfie’s doll and covering her ears.
“Okay,” I tell her real loud, shrugging again. “But that just proves it’s true. So
babyish
,” I say again.
Suzette’s mouth is just a straight pink line. “ LIAR-LIAR-PANTS-ON-FIRE ,” she finally tells me, but her voice wobbles. “Who cares what you say?”
“Lots of people,” I say, lowering my voice. “Starting with my friend Corey’s little sister, and Jared’s little brother, just to name two. They both go to Kreative Learning, and I’m sure they’ll spread the news all around.”
“They’re just babies,” Suzette says, her green eyes flashing with anger. But she’s relaxing a little, probably thinking my threat is pretty weak. “They can barely talk.”
“Ah. But you’ll be going to Oak Glen Primary School pretty soon,” I remind her. “Next year, right? For kindergarten? And that news will be waiting for you, because I’m gonna tell
everyone
. Unless you stop bullying Alfie, that is. ‘Here comes Suzette-Monahan-the-bed-wetter!’ they’ll all say,” I tell her, as if making an announcement.
Now, I have her complete attention.
Do I feel mean? Yeah, a little. Maybe a lot. But I have to defend my sister.
“It’s a big fat lie,” Suzette says, the words almost exploding out of her mouth.
I shrug again. “So is telling other kids that Alfie’s invisible,” I point out. “That’s a lie too, isn’t it?”
“Huh,” she says, almost snorting out the word like a stinky puff of dragon smoke.
“I guess some people tell lies,” I say, shrugging for the third time. “But at least I have a reason for lying, Suzette. Unlike you.”
“It’s still not right,” she mutters, and I guess she’s correct about that.
But I can live with being a little wrong. It’s for a good cause.
The sweet smell of baking cookies floats down the hall, which seems weird, given the sour things going on in Alfie’s pink and purple room.
“Lying is
wrong
,” Suzette says, trying to sound like the queen of good behavior. But her pointy chin is wobbling just enough to remind me that she is only four years old, and I feel kinda bad again for a second.
She’s been picking on Alfie since forever, though, hasn’t she?
“I know it’s wrong,” I say quietly. “So I’ll quit lying if you will.”
“You’re still gonna tell,” Suzette says, narrowing her dragon eyes once more. “Just for the fun of it. Mean
boy
.”
“Is that why you lied about Alfie being invisible?” I ask. “For the fun of it?”
Now, Suzette is the one to shrug. “I don’t know,” she mumbles.
I think she’s actually telling the truth, for once.
“But you’re going to quit it?” I ask
Alfie
, maybe.”
And—she reaches for another doll. The doll who has the pink plastic pony.
“This is your last chance to stop bullying Alfie, Suzette Monahan,” I say, lowering my voice the way Dad does when he means business.
“Go away, Alfie’s Brother, or I’m gonna take
two
dolls,” Suzette says, not even looking up. “Or Alfie’s new pink jacket.”
The pink jacket Alfie won’t even wear anymore.
Suzette
is
terrible! See?
It is time for part two of my plan to protect my little sister.
13
BABYISH
“Too bad about that bed-wetting thing you do,” I say, trying to sound as bored as she does. “That’s so babyish for a four-year-old. Ooh, smelly little baby.”
I have totally made this up.
Suzette finally looks at me, her hands still. “What?” she asks, frowning.
“I’ve heard all about it,” I say. “Not from Alfie,” I add quickly. “She’s too nice to say something that personal about a friend. But other kids might find out,” I tell her, shrugging.
“I do
not
wet my bed,” Suzette says, her cheeks turning just pink enough with anger to tell me that she might. Every so often, at least.
“Sure, you do,” I say.
“Don’t say that,” Suzette says, throwing down Alfie’s doll and covering her ears.
“Okay,” I tell her real loud, shrugging again. “But that just proves it’s true. So
babyish
,” I say again.
Suzette’s mouth is just a straight pink line. “ LIAR-LIAR-PANTS-ON-FIRE ,” she finally tells me, but her voice wobbles. “Who cares what you say?”
“Lots of people,” I say, lowering my voice. “Starting with my friend Corey’s little sister, and Jared’s little brother, just to name two. They both go to Kreative Learning, and I’m sure they’ll spread the news all around.”
“They’re just babies,” Suzette says, her green eyes flashing with anger. But she’s relaxing a little, probably thinking my threat is pretty weak. “They can barely talk.”
“Ah. But you’ll be going to Oak Glen Primary School pretty soon,” I remind her. “Next year, right? For kindergarten? And that news will be waiting for you, because I’m gonna tell
everyone
. Unless you stop bullying Alfie, that is. ‘Here comes Suzette-Monahan-the-bed-wetter!’ they’ll all say,” I tell her, as if making an announcement.
Now, I have her complete attention.
Do I feel mean? Yeah, a little. Maybe a lot. But I have to defend my sister.
“It’s a big fat lie,” Suzette says, the words almost exploding out of her mouth.
I shrug again. “So is telling other kids that Alfie’s invisible,” I point out. “That’s a lie too, isn’t it?”
“Huh,” she says, almost snorting out the word like a stinky puff of dragon smoke.
“I guess some people tell lies,” I say, shrugging for the third time. “But at least I have a reason for lying, Suzette. Unlike you.”
“It’s still not right,” she mutters, and I guess she’s correct about that.
But I can live with being a little wrong. It’s for a good cause.
The sweet smell of baking cookies floats down the hall, which seems weird, given the sour things going on in Alfie’s pink and purple room.
“Lying is
wrong
,” Suzette says, trying to sound like the queen of good behavior. But her pointy chin is wobbling just enough to remind me that she is only four years old, and I feel kinda bad again for a second.
She’s been picking on Alfie since forever, though, hasn’t she?
“I know it’s wrong,” I say quietly. “So I’ll quit lying if you will.”
“You’re still gonna tell,” Suzette says, narrowing her dragon eyes once more. “Just for the fun of it. Mean
boy
.”
“Is that why you lied about Alfie being invisible?” I ask. “For the fun of it?”
Now, Suzette is the one to shrug. “I don’t know,” she mumbles.
I think she’s actually telling the truth, for once.
“But you’re going to quit it?” I ask
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