Ramsey.”
Mr. Ramsey, Maeve, and Charlotte walked over to where Isabel and Katani were mesmerized by a book with lots of colored pictures…of snakes. Maeve looked over their shoulders. “Where are the New Hampshire snakes?”
Avery walked up behind them. “Most snakes are as afraid of you as you are of them. They get out of the way fast if they have time.” Avery spoke authoritatively. She knew a lot about snakes because she kept one, Walter, as a pet.
“That’s very true, Avery,” Mr. Ramsey concurred.
“I think you wear a bell,” Kelley said, hugging Mr. Bear tighter.
“No, that’s for bears,” Dillon Johnson interjected out of nowhere. “Did you get your bear bell, Maeve?”
“No, I plan to send you ahead on the trail.”
“Are you here alone?” Charlotte asked Dillon.
“I think Nick and Sammy went home already. I was on my way out when I heard a familiar shriek.”
“Okay, okay, don’t let us keep you from your mission.” Maeve turned around and headed for the warm clothing section as if seeing Dillon at the outdoor store was no big deal at all.
But Charlotte could guess how fast Maeve’s heart was beating as she walked away. Dillon caught up and acted as if he was going to stay with them until they finished shopping.
“Look,” he whispered to Maeve and the rest of the BSG who had caught up. “I think that’s a bear right up there in the coat department.”
“Dillon, that’s so mean,” Maeve scolded Dillon.
The “bear” Dillon had pointed out was Chelsea Briggs, trying to fit into a brown fleece coat in the juniors’ department of the sporting goods store.
Charlotte caught Chelsea’s eye. It was an uncomfortable moment. Charlotte felt terrible for her classmate’s predicament. Because the word “embarrassed” was her middle name, Charlotte wouldn’t wish public humiliation on her worst enemy. She began to quickly walk away hoping everyone would follow her. Isabel caught on, pulling Maeve in a different direction. Dillon followed, but not without looking back.
“No, I was wrong, that’s Chelsea Bigg.”
“That’s really mean, Dillon,” Maeve said, in a firm voice. “Let’s go, girls. We have shopping to do.” Dillon’s smile faded and he looked as if he’d been given the big brush-off, which, of course, he had. Fortunately, he took the hint.
Charlotte looked around and, to her dismay, found that her friends had turned into the children’s coats section.
“These are little kids’ coats,” Kelley said, not understanding why they had made the detour. “We are not little children, Charlotte Ramsey,” she said firmly. “We want to go over there.” She pointed toward where Chelsea and her mother were talking.
“It’s okay, Kelley,” Charlotte said, putting her arm around Kelley. “I went the wrong way. We’ll go the right way in just a minute. Do you think Mr. Bear needs a new coat?”
“No, his coat is warm.” Kelley laughed at her own joke.
“Mother, come on. I told you this wouldn’t work.” Chelsea’s voice, full of frustration, floated over the rackstoward where the BSG were trying to hide. “Nothing here is ever going to fit me. This is extra large. I’ll wear my old coat.”
“But it’s too small, too, Chelsea, and not nearly warm enough for a night outside near a lake. What if it rains? We could even have an early snow. I wanted to get you a new coat this fall anyway.”
“Okay, what do you suggest we do?”
Charlotte could hear the frustration in Chelsea’s voice. She sounded close to tears.
“We’ll go over to the boys’ section. They’ll have all the same styles, maybe just not the colors. Put that one back. Come on, it’s no big deal. You have to have a coat.”
There was no way the BSG could hide, no way for Chelsea not to see them, since the way to the boys’ and men’s coats was past the aisle of children’s coats right in front of where they were standing. All they could do was pretend they didn’t see
Mr. Ramsey, Maeve, and Charlotte walked over to where Isabel and Katani were mesmerized by a book with lots of colored pictures…of snakes. Maeve looked over their shoulders. “Where are the New Hampshire snakes?”
Avery walked up behind them. “Most snakes are as afraid of you as you are of them. They get out of the way fast if they have time.” Avery spoke authoritatively. She knew a lot about snakes because she kept one, Walter, as a pet.
“That’s very true, Avery,” Mr. Ramsey concurred.
“I think you wear a bell,” Kelley said, hugging Mr. Bear tighter.
“No, that’s for bears,” Dillon Johnson interjected out of nowhere. “Did you get your bear bell, Maeve?”
“No, I plan to send you ahead on the trail.”
“Are you here alone?” Charlotte asked Dillon.
“I think Nick and Sammy went home already. I was on my way out when I heard a familiar shriek.”
“Okay, okay, don’t let us keep you from your mission.” Maeve turned around and headed for the warm clothing section as if seeing Dillon at the outdoor store was no big deal at all.
But Charlotte could guess how fast Maeve’s heart was beating as she walked away. Dillon caught up and acted as if he was going to stay with them until they finished shopping.
“Look,” he whispered to Maeve and the rest of the BSG who had caught up. “I think that’s a bear right up there in the coat department.”
“Dillon, that’s so mean,” Maeve scolded Dillon.
The “bear” Dillon had pointed out was Chelsea Briggs, trying to fit into a brown fleece coat in the juniors’ department of the sporting goods store.
Charlotte caught Chelsea’s eye. It was an uncomfortable moment. Charlotte felt terrible for her classmate’s predicament. Because the word “embarrassed” was her middle name, Charlotte wouldn’t wish public humiliation on her worst enemy. She began to quickly walk away hoping everyone would follow her. Isabel caught on, pulling Maeve in a different direction. Dillon followed, but not without looking back.
“No, I was wrong, that’s Chelsea Bigg.”
“That’s really mean, Dillon,” Maeve said, in a firm voice. “Let’s go, girls. We have shopping to do.” Dillon’s smile faded and he looked as if he’d been given the big brush-off, which, of course, he had. Fortunately, he took the hint.
Charlotte looked around and, to her dismay, found that her friends had turned into the children’s coats section.
“These are little kids’ coats,” Kelley said, not understanding why they had made the detour. “We are not little children, Charlotte Ramsey,” she said firmly. “We want to go over there.” She pointed toward where Chelsea and her mother were talking.
“It’s okay, Kelley,” Charlotte said, putting her arm around Kelley. “I went the wrong way. We’ll go the right way in just a minute. Do you think Mr. Bear needs a new coat?”
“No, his coat is warm.” Kelley laughed at her own joke.
“Mother, come on. I told you this wouldn’t work.” Chelsea’s voice, full of frustration, floated over the rackstoward where the BSG were trying to hide. “Nothing here is ever going to fit me. This is extra large. I’ll wear my old coat.”
“But it’s too small, too, Chelsea, and not nearly warm enough for a night outside near a lake. What if it rains? We could even have an early snow. I wanted to get you a new coat this fall anyway.”
“Okay, what do you suggest we do?”
Charlotte could hear the frustration in Chelsea’s voice. She sounded close to tears.
“We’ll go over to the boys’ section. They’ll have all the same styles, maybe just not the colors. Put that one back. Come on, it’s no big deal. You have to have a coat.”
There was no way the BSG could hide, no way for Chelsea not to see them, since the way to the boys’ and men’s coats was past the aisle of children’s coats right in front of where they were standing. All they could do was pretend they didn’t see
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