Billy Gavin was outside. His parents took him to a restaurant for dinner and he won't shut up about it. Big deal. He gets a quarter a week for an allowance. His parents are rich and he's spoiled. He got caught chewing Black Jack in school and had to go to the principal's office! If my sister or I ever got sent to the principal's office, Dad said we wouldn't be able to sit down for a week, but Billy's father just laughed! Miss Lake took his peashooter, though and won't give it back. Ha ha ha! The new kid pulled his chair out in science. That made me laugh but Billy didn't see me.

 

Hey, Rex, whatcha doing? All right, gimme the stick. I know a kid that has a pure bred dog. Can you believe it? We don't know what Rex is. We found him wandering around in back of Parson's market looking for food, so we brought him home. Mom had a conniption fit but dad told her we'd feed him. She said OK and now she feeds him.

 

My sister's inside putting lipstick on 'cause dad's going to the gas station, and she likes the kid that pumps it. They're going steady. He's kinda creepy looking if you ask me, but he's on the basketball team. She was crying the other day because he saw her in her gym uniform in school. I get to use the air hose to pump up my bike tire. Dad says the way things are going they're going to start charging for air and water. Mom says when they do, she'll just use her Green Stamps. Here comes my sister. Looks like Mom caught her using her lipstick.

 

Dad got me my favorite candy cigarettes when he got his Camels. Boy, its hot today. We're going to stop at Newberry's and get a fan if they have them. Mom says they do, Dad says Monkey Ward. Dad's right and Mom knows it, but she wants to buy a pair of nylons.

 

We got the fan. I want to get wet in the swimming hole and go stand in front of it. We get to stop at Willy's Diner to get sodas, but just from the machine outside. I like going in and sitting down in the booths. They have these little jukeboxes right on the tables! Dad doesn't put any money in them but sometimes someone else does and we get to listen to Elvis. Dad knows how to open the sodas on the car door.

 

We're on the way home now. Mom is worried about the milkman leaving the milk in the sun. There's Jackie Dunn. He's the biggest kid in the fourth grade 'cause he stayed back. He always gets picked first when we play baseball. My best friend Calvin usually gets picked last 'cause he's so skinny. He used to cry about it until we shoved him into the drain pipe one day to get the ball. He was a real hero that day! Still is.

 

We're almost home now. Boy that was fun! Maybe I can call Calvin and tell him what we did. I memorized his number, 553W, and he memorized mine, 495W. The operator, Mrs. Ladden knows the numbers anyway. Mom says she knows everybody's business 'cause she listens in. Hey, that's Cal riding to my house. His dad found a Schwinn at the dump and fixed it up. Wow, what a bike! Look at those skinny tires! He's got the baseball card I gave him clothes pinned on the spoke! Ha, ha, it's a girl's bike! Aw, who cares, it's a Schwinn!

 

Hey Cal! Oly Oly Oxen Free!