Cat was in a tight spot again that was for sure and I hated to leave her there but my best friend Bradley was peering over my shoulder Is she going to use her repulsor beam or her telescopic claws he asked I shrugged I didn’t really know yet Even though I was her creator Cat often kept me guessing as much as she did her readers which was fine with me Not knowing the end of each adventure was my favorite part about writing it Well you should probably stop drawing and eat now anyway Bradley pointed out reasonably I know you said you’re a naturally fast runner but it’s important to load up on carbs before the race For maximum energy He was right of course Bradley was always thinking ahead I unzipped my backpack hoping my dad had remembered that I’d asked for pasta but no such luck What is that Bradley asked I pulled a bubblegum-pink bottle out of my lunch bag and 12
set it down on the picnic table It was a recycled Pepto-Bismol container but it was nestled in one of those foam drink holders that are supposed to keep cans of soda cold when you go on a picnic except this bottle was steaming hot and there was a string coming out the top I held the thing turning it quickly to keep my fingers from overheating I have no clue I said It’s practically boiling though Do you think it might explode Bradley’s eyes went wide with hope A small explosion would have definitely been Normal Bradley face exciting but even though my dad’s packed lunches were sometimes unusual leftover ground beef wrapped in lettuce leaves macaroni and cheese stuffed into pita bread half a toasted bagel with an egg cooked inside the hole they’d never been dangerous before Excited-about-minor-explosions face Doubt it I said Still I twisted the 13
top off carefully just in case The bottle was filled with hot water and when I pulled on the string I discovered that it was tied to something long and beige and wet a hot dog Look Bradley dug a wad of tinfoil out of my lunch bag I think your dad gave you a bun too He was right No ketchup though he reported gravely But it turned out lack of ketchup was the least of our problems just then Because Bossy Becky McDougall captain of the R R Reginald Raccoons and my only real rival in the hundred meter dash was coming right toward us She pushed past our school mascot the Gledhill Gator without even saying Excuse me and came to a stop in front of us Clara What is that she asked catching sight of my Pepto-Bismol bottle Are you sick She asked the last part with a half-smirky half-hopeful look Wouldn’t it just make her day if a seriously upset stomach kept me from winning the blue ribbon in the hundred-meter dash It’s actually just a hot dog I held up the wiener on its string 14
Not that She stared at me like I was a doofus That she said The pink bottle We have it at home It’s for diarrhea She paused dramatically then looked around to make sure as many people as possible were listening Do you have diarrhea No I said quickly That’s even worse then You shouldn’t take medicine if you’re not sick It’s always like that talking to Becky You can’t say anything without getting lectured We were in the same Brownie pack for two years so I’d know She’d boss the other Brownies whenever an adult wasn’t looking but the second the leaders turned around she’d bat her long eyelashes pretend like she was being SOOOOO nice volunteer to make extra care packages for the children’s hospital and then get picked to lead the sharing circle Well whatever Enjoy your lunch Becky said wrinkling her nose at my medicine hot dog bottle She did a shoulder stretch then put one foot up on the picnic bench between me and Bradley and brushed a microscopic speck of dirt off her prized silver running shoes They were the same ones she’d made a huge deal about at the last track meet 15
