letting it slam.
Across the street, Abby and her new Korean brothers, Shawn and Jimmy, packed clumps of snow into balls.
Stacy Henry hid behind her snowman. She laughed as the snowballs flew at her.
Dee Dee Winters was halfway down the cul-de-sac, skipping through piles of snow. She strapped on her red backpack. It was probably filled with Christmas cookies for her teacher. Dee Dee was the best first grade cookie-maker ever.
Carly Hunter, Abbyâs little sister, followedDee Dee. They were best friends. They giggled and kicked the snow in the street.
Dunkum and Jason Birchall raced and slid. They zoomed up and down Dunkumâs driveway. After school they would go sledding down Blossom Hillâmean and steepâthree blocks away. Eric, too.
Eric hurried to catch up. His pants stuck to his knees. It was from kneeling in the snow, spying on the new neighbor. âWait up!â he called to Dunkum and Jason.
Abby ran up to him. âWhat took you so long today?â
Eric pointed to the house with the moving van. âI wanted to see who was moving in.â
Stacy tossed a snowball to Abby. Abby caught it and threw it back.
âWere you spying, Eric?â Stacy asked, grinning.
âJust welcoming the new neighbors,â Eric said, grinning.
âThereâs only one,â said Stacy.
Eric pulled at his wet jeans. âWho says?â
âAbby does,â Stacy insisted.
âYou sure there are no kids?â Eric said.
Stacy nodded. âRight now, Shawn and Jimmy are the newest kids on the block.â She chased Abbyâs brothers. They were too fast for her.
Eric tramped through the deepest snow he could find. He grumbled under his breath. âI hope theyâre wrong,â he whispered. âWho wants to live all alone?â
Eric felt sorry for the old man. He remembered when he and his mother were alone. It was after his father died in Germany. Then his mother invited Grandpa to live with them. Thatâs when they came to America.
That was two years agoâwhen Eric was in first grade.
Eric turned around and looked down the cul-de-sac. Just as he did, the man with the pointy chin stood in the window of his house. He was leaning on his cane. He seemed to be looking right at Eric.
Eric froze in place.
The man was looking at him!
Eric shivered. His stomach flip-flopped.
Then the curtains closed.
Eric turned around. He ran to catch up with his friends. But all he could think of was the man at the end of the cul-de-sac. Why is he alone? Is he as creepy as he looks?
The bell rang as Eric started across the schoolyard. âWait for me!â he called.
âHurry up,â shouted Dunkum. âWell be late!â
The school bell rang.
Eric slid down the sidewalk and hurried into the school.
THREE
Eric pounded down the hall toward the third grade. He pushed the door open. Miss Hershey was writing on the board.
Eric pulled his boots off and hung up his jacket. Then he slid into his seat behind Dunkum. He tapped his friend on the shoulder.
Dunkum turned around. âWhat?â
âThereâs an old man at the end of the block. And heâs uh, real scary,â Eric whispered.
Dunkum frowned. âThere is?â
Eric described the old manâs long dark coat, the cane, his face and . . .
âEric Hagel,â Miss Hershey said.
Eric looked up. âIâm here.â
Miss Hershey was calling roll. Eric would have to tell Dunkum the rest of the story at recess.
Abby was passing back the spelling tests from last week. Eric made a 100. Yes!
He leaned up to look at Dunkumâs. But Dunkum put his hand over the grade at the top of his paper.
Too late, Eric saw it.
âDonât worry,â Eric said. âIâll help you drill for the next test.â
Dunkum picked at the eraser on his pencil. âOK,â he muttered.
Eric looked at the new spelling list. The words were: Yule, candlelight, carols, wreath, tinsel, holly,
Sarah Hall
Linda Bailey
Diana Richardson
John Schulian
Jennifer Hillier
Schaffner Anna
T. E. Ridener
Lynda Curnyn
Damien Lake
Wendi Zwaduk