Moving to Naomi Avenue - Frank Murphy (ereader iphone txt) 📗

Chapter 1

Frank stood at the end of the driveway. He looked out across the street. Lemon Avenue. He turned back and looked at the property he lived on. The fence that his dogs always jumped over to escape. His grandparents’ house. The kumquat tree. The cement driveway with so many skid marks from his bike tire on it. And his house. Frank had one month left living at his house on Lemon Avenue. At the beginning of summer vacation his family was moving to a new house. A house on Naomi Avenue.
He saw his sister Kathleen walking toward him. It was morning and they were heading to school. He looked over and noticed Leon running in his yard. He wondered if Leon was chasing a flying bug.
“Hey Frankie. Did you run down the driveway again?” Kathleen asked.
Frank looked away from Leon. “Yes,” he said.
“You used to run to practice zooming across Lemon Avenue, before Mom taught us,” Kathleen said.
“I know,” Frank said.
Frank and Kathleen looked both ways, up and down Lemon Avenue. Then they did it again. No cars. No speeding trucks. They crossed the street. Frank thought that this would be one of the last days they would ever cross Lemon Avenue.
“Well, what are you practicing for now?” she asked.
“Field day,” Frank said. “I wanna win a silver medal.”
“Silver? That’s second place. Gold is better - it’s first place,” Kathleen said.
“I know. But I don’t like gold. Silver looks shinier. And I just like it better,” Frank explained.
“That’s ridiculous. Don’t you wanna win?”
“Yes. No. Sort of,” Frank said. “I sorta feel bad beating everyone. So I don’t mind letting somebody win. That way I don’t feel as bad.”
“So…you wanna be second because first: you like silver better than gold and second: you don’t wanna make people feel bad about losing to you?” Kathleen asked.
“Yes,” Frank said.
They walked down Lemon Avenue closer to Baldwin Avenue. Their school was on Baldwin Avenue. It was called Baldwin-Stocker Elementary.
“You’re the weirdest kid ever!” Kathleen said.
“Weirder than Leon?” he asked.
“Hmmmm. Not sure. Weird in different ways. But probably equally weird,” she said.
“Well, I know someone weirder than me or Leon,” Frank said.
“Who?”
“His name is Jimmy Choo,” Frank said.
“Who the heck is that?” Kathleen asked.
“It’s Leon’s best friend,”
“What? That kid has a best friend?” Kathleen asked. “How do you know him?”
“I don’t,” Frank said.
“You just said you did,” Kathleen said.
“Well…I don’t know him. I just. Ummm. Leon told me about him,” Frank said.
“Then why is he so weird?” Kathleen asked. “I mean…I can’t believe someone could be weirder than you and Leon combined.”
“Well, ya’ know how Leon eats bugs?” Frank said.
“Duh!!! Yes!!!” Kathleen said.
“Well this kid eats something worse,” Frank said.
“What?”
“He eats boogers,” Frank said.
“Ew. That’s gross. But I’ve seen kids in my class eat boogers when no one is looking,” Kathleen said.
“Then how did you see them if no one was looking?”
Kathleen sighed. “I was looking, silly!” Kathleen said.
“Oh. Well, it’s not just that he eats boogers. He eats them inside of raw hot dogs,” Frank explained.
“What?! Are you kidding me?” Kathleen said. “That IS disgusting. And it is weirder than Leon and you combined.”
“And guess what else?” Frank said.
“What?” Kathleen asked as they walked up to Baldwin Stocker Elementary.
Frank looked up at the flag pole. He loved looking up at the California state flag. He thought the bear on it looked really cool.
Kathleen bumped Frank to make him pay attention. “WHAT?” she asked.
“Oh. He lives on Nay-Oh-Me Avenue,” Frank said.
“WHAT?” Kathleen said. “Great. We finally get away from Bugboy and now we are gonna have to deal with Boogerboy,” Kathleen said.
“You mean Raw-Hot-Dog-Boogerboy!” Frank said, giggling.
Kathleen giggled too. “You’re right Frankie! See ya’ later bro.”
Frank liked that Kathleen called him “bro”. He never heard her say that before.

Chapter 2
Kathleen Gets in Trouble

Kathleen walked into her first grade classroom. It was decorated with bright bulletin boards. They were filled with words like: the, at, said, to, and going. Kathleen’s teacher called them “sight words”. Kathleen thought they were “boring sight words”. She knew all of them by heart already.
Kathleen was super smart. And she loved reading books that were for older kids. So Kathleen was bored by some of the stuff Mrs. Thompson, her first grade teacher, taught. But she always acted interested, because she was serious about school. (Frank’s and Kathleen’s mom taught them to act interested even if someone or something was boring.)
Kathleen sat down in her regular seat. But the person next to her was different. It used to be a girl named Sue. But now it was a boy named Alec. He had a crew cut and his hair was really blonde. But his eyebrows were dark brown. Alec got in trouble a lot. He was usually picking on someone by poking or pinching. Sometimes he started fights between kids and then ran away.
The first hour of the day Alec started whispering mean things to Kathleen.
“Pssst. You love Johnny!” he whispered.
Kathleen just ignored him.
Then he whispered, “Mrs. Thompson hates you.”
Kathleen just ignored him.
Then he whispered, “Pssst. The Easter Bunny is going to eat you next year.”
Kathleen looked at him and turned away.
The second hour Alec started poking. Then he started pinching. When Mrs. Thompson wasn’t looking, he reached over every now and then. He poked her shoulder. He pinched her arm. It didn’t really hurt Kathleen. It was just weird and annoying.
Kathleen thought about telling Mrs. Thompson, but she thought being a tattletale was like being weak. But by after lunch Alec wouldn’t stop. And it got worse. During math time Alec kicked Kathleen’s shin under her desk. Then he quickly did it again.
Kathleen thought about whacking him across the head. She imagined Alec’s dark brown eyebrows rising up and his eyes widening. And then he would burst into tears. He would wail like a baby seal. Then he would start flapping his arms around in his desk throwing a super-supreme crybaby fit. She imagined that all the kids would cheer. But Kathleen just stared at him. She remembered that her mom always said to never hit unless someone is hitting you. She wasn’t sure if Alec’s kicking counted. Then she thought about her mom always saying, “Don’t hit - try to use your words first.” So Kathleen waited.
Mrs. Thompson told the class it was time for snack break. That meant all the kids could eat and walk around and talk. Kathleen made sure she talked to Alec.
“Listen Freak,” she said.
“What?” Alec said.
“You heard me. You’re going to keep the stupid things you say, your hands and your feet to yourself,” Kathleen said.
“No I’m not. I’m not scared of you.”
“Yes you are! And you will be after I tell you something,” she said.
“What?”
“My uncle lives in Ireland. He’s only three feet tall. But he has fangs for teeth. He’s sort of an angry leprechaun,” she said.
“So?” Alec said.
“He’s friends with the Tooth Fairy. I see your front tooth is really loose. You believe in the Tooth Fairy, right?” she asked.
“Yes. Duh! Everyone does. Who do you think gives us money under our pillows for our teeth?” he asked.
Kathleen thought: this kid is a sucker.
“Well…if you don’t stop NOW, I’ll just tell my uncle in Ireland. And he’ll talk to the Tooth Fairy. And when she comes to your house at night looking for that tooth under your pillow…you’ll be sorry.” Kathleen explained.
“Oh yeah…why?”
“Because not only will she not leave you any money she’ll do two things,” she said.
“You’re lying,” Alec said.
“Ok. Keep it up then, Alec,” Kathleen said. Then she turned to walk away.
“Okay. Okay. Tell me,” Alec begged.
Kathleen turned around. Then she whispered (just like Alec had to her), “Pssst. The Tooth Fairy will simply eat your tooth. But she won’t stop there. When she gets angry her tiny little teeth turn into tiny little fangs. But they’re really sharp – like needles. You’ll be sleeping. She’ll start at your feet, because that’s what you kicked me with. Then she’ll eventually make it to your hands, because that’s what you pinched and poked me with. Then she’ll end up at your face – ”
Before Kathleen could say another word Alec was doing exactly what Kathleen had imagined: flapping his arms around in the air and he was throwing a super-supreme crybaby fit.
“Wahhh! WAHHHH! Stop it!” Alec screamed. “STOP IT!!!”
“Kathleen Murphy! Please come here right now,” Mrs. Thompson said. Kathleen turned around and walked up the aisle of desks. Every kid was staring at Kathleen with open eyes and open mouths. Most of the mouths had little smiles built in. Every kid was sick of Alec picking on them. Alec finally had met his match - someone who wouldn’t take his bullying. But Kathleen never pinched, poked or kicked back. She just used her words like her mom taught her.

Chapter 3
No Kathleen

The last half hour of school was recess time for kindergarteners. First graders got dismissed ten minutes earlier. Frank loved the last ten minutes because Kathleen was always right outside the playground fence. She was always there waiting for him. Sometimes they stood and talked. Sometimes she just watched Frank play. On this day Frank didn’t see Kathleen. He got a little worried. First, he was worried that something happened to her. Second, he was worried about walking home by himself. He wasn’t sure what to do or who to tell.
Frank stared up at the flagpole again. He watched the California State flag whip back and forth in the wind. It looked like the waves at the beach. Then he thought about how he couldn’t wait to make sand castles and ride the waves at Huntington Beach. That was the beach his mom always took him and Kathleen to.
BEEP! BEEP! He looked down from the flag and saw his mom waving from her car.
“Hi Honey!” she shouted. “Kathleen’s in the car with me. Just come out and get in when you’re all done.”
Frank wondered why he was getting picked up. Maybe Kathleen was sick. Maybe it was someone’s birthday and he forgot. It was Friday, so maybe mom was taking them to the beach!
Frank hurried