must be Penny,” she says, smiling. “I’m Poppy. Tally’s aunt.” She twists a blue ring on her left hand as she talks. “They’re in the living room,” she says, pointing the way. Then she steps outside. “Tell Tally I’ll be in my studio if you guys need anything.”
“Thanks,” I say. Then it registers. She said they. I keep telling myself I’m from Manhattan and this is Hicksville and I should be able to handle meeting new people, but my stomach keeps flipping over. I pass four cats sunning themselves on the windowsill. Each is fatter than the last.
“Yay,” Tally says, standing up and walking over to me. “Right on time.” She pulls me toward a boy with brown spikes of hair sticking up everywhere. He’s bent over two pieces of paper on the floor. “We need someone to break the tie,” she says. Okay, when Tally told me “some people” took Rock, Paper, Scissors very seriously, I didn’t know she meant she does. Or rather they do. On the floor are two drawings. One simply says CHOOSE WISELY above a sketch of three hands, one making the sign for a rock, one a pair of scissors, and the other a piece of paper. The other drawing says: PAPER IS THE NEW ROCK.
“They’re for our fund-raiser,” the guy says. When he talks, the spikes move a little, making him look like a palm tree in the wind.
“Fund-raiser?” I ask.
“For the ARK.”
“The ARK?” I’m starting to feel like a parrot.
“Yeah, R-P-S for the A-R-K, ” Tally says, saying each letter separately.
“ASAP,” Blake says.
“H-U-S-H,” Tally says. She turns to me. “The ARK is the animal shelter on the other side of town. We’re selling T-shirts to raise some money.” I nod, feeling D-U-M-B.
“So which one do you like, Penny?” Both of them are looking at me. Talk about high pressure. I look from one drawing to the other, then at the two of them waiting.
I get down on my knees and look closer. “Can I have a piece of that?” I ask, pointing to the pad of paper. “And a pencil.” I hunch over the pad and sketch quickly. I pause when a cat comes over and bats at the end of the pencil. I’m pretty sure this is a different one—cat number five. When I’m finished, I’ve combined the two shirts into one. On the front it simply says PAPER IS THE NEW ROCK. On the back are the graphics and the warning to choose wisely. Below that in big letters I’ve written SAVE THE ARK. I sit back on my heels to let them see.
“Cool,” Tally says. “See, I told you.” She elbows the guy in the ribs, making his spikes wobble more.
“I’m Blake,” he says finally. “Welcome to the Save the ARK Society.”
“There are usually more of us—” Tally stops when she sees my questioning face. “Really,” she says. “It’s the rain. Or maybe it’s because school just started.”
“Tal,” Blake says, leaning back over the pad of paper for a closer look, “it’s not the weather. Or school starting.” Tally frowns. Blake turns to me. “Tally is in denial.”
“I am not,” Tally says, folding her arms.
“You’re denying you’re in denial?” he asks. She squinches up her nose at him. “Everyone is over at the library for the Hog’s Hollow Days meeting,” Blake says.
Tally is still frowning. “Not everyone,” she says.
“Okay,” Blake says, smiling at Tally. “ Most everyone.” He turns to me. “It’s a very big deal around here.” Tally shrugs. “You didn’t tell her?” Blake asks, turning to Tally.
She shakes her head. “I do have other things to talk about,” she says. She keeps her arms folded and continues to frown, but I can see she’s having a hard time keeping up the mad thing.
“Tally was banned from Hog’s Hollow Days.” He smiles as he says it. I notice Tally lost her battle and is smiling, too.
“How does one get banned?” I ask.
“Tally and the events coordinator had creative differences.”
I lift my eyebrows at her. She shrugs again. “Long story. Let’s just say I could
“Thanks,” I say. Then it registers. She said they. I keep telling myself I’m from Manhattan and this is Hicksville and I should be able to handle meeting new people, but my stomach keeps flipping over. I pass four cats sunning themselves on the windowsill. Each is fatter than the last.
“Yay,” Tally says, standing up and walking over to me. “Right on time.” She pulls me toward a boy with brown spikes of hair sticking up everywhere. He’s bent over two pieces of paper on the floor. “We need someone to break the tie,” she says. Okay, when Tally told me “some people” took Rock, Paper, Scissors very seriously, I didn’t know she meant she does. Or rather they do. On the floor are two drawings. One simply says CHOOSE WISELY above a sketch of three hands, one making the sign for a rock, one a pair of scissors, and the other a piece of paper. The other drawing says: PAPER IS THE NEW ROCK.
“They’re for our fund-raiser,” the guy says. When he talks, the spikes move a little, making him look like a palm tree in the wind.
“Fund-raiser?” I ask.
“For the ARK.”
“The ARK?” I’m starting to feel like a parrot.
“Yeah, R-P-S for the A-R-K, ” Tally says, saying each letter separately.
“ASAP,” Blake says.
“H-U-S-H,” Tally says. She turns to me. “The ARK is the animal shelter on the other side of town. We’re selling T-shirts to raise some money.” I nod, feeling D-U-M-B.
“So which one do you like, Penny?” Both of them are looking at me. Talk about high pressure. I look from one drawing to the other, then at the two of them waiting.
I get down on my knees and look closer. “Can I have a piece of that?” I ask, pointing to the pad of paper. “And a pencil.” I hunch over the pad and sketch quickly. I pause when a cat comes over and bats at the end of the pencil. I’m pretty sure this is a different one—cat number five. When I’m finished, I’ve combined the two shirts into one. On the front it simply says PAPER IS THE NEW ROCK. On the back are the graphics and the warning to choose wisely. Below that in big letters I’ve written SAVE THE ARK. I sit back on my heels to let them see.
“Cool,” Tally says. “See, I told you.” She elbows the guy in the ribs, making his spikes wobble more.
“I’m Blake,” he says finally. “Welcome to the Save the ARK Society.”
“There are usually more of us—” Tally stops when she sees my questioning face. “Really,” she says. “It’s the rain. Or maybe it’s because school just started.”
“Tal,” Blake says, leaning back over the pad of paper for a closer look, “it’s not the weather. Or school starting.” Tally frowns. Blake turns to me. “Tally is in denial.”
“I am not,” Tally says, folding her arms.
“You’re denying you’re in denial?” he asks. She squinches up her nose at him. “Everyone is over at the library for the Hog’s Hollow Days meeting,” Blake says.
Tally is still frowning. “Not everyone,” she says.
“Okay,” Blake says, smiling at Tally. “ Most everyone.” He turns to me. “It’s a very big deal around here.” Tally shrugs. “You didn’t tell her?” Blake asks, turning to Tally.
She shakes her head. “I do have other things to talk about,” she says. She keeps her arms folded and continues to frown, but I can see she’s having a hard time keeping up the mad thing.
“Tally was banned from Hog’s Hollow Days.” He smiles as he says it. I notice Tally lost her battle and is smiling, too.
“How does one get banned?” I ask.
“Tally and the events coordinator had creative differences.”
I lift my eyebrows at her. She shrugs again. “Long story. Let’s just say I could
Similar Books
