Any Way You Slice It

Table of Contents

 

 

 

For Maya and Rachel, Katie’s fans
from the start!—NK

 

 

For the girls on Spring Street—J&W

Text copyright © 2003 by Nancy Krulik. Illustrations copyright © 2003

by John & Wendy. All rights reserved. Published by Grosset & Dunlap,
a division of Penguin Young Readers Group, 345 Hudson Street,
New York, NY, 10014. GROSSET & DUNLAP is a trademark of
Penguin Group (USA) Inc. Published simultaneously in Canada.
S.A.

 

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available.

 

eISBN : 978-1-101-09864-6

A B C D E F G H I J

“Watch out, Suzanne!” Katie Carew warned her best friend Suzanne Lock as the girls walked through the Cherrydale Mall. “You’re about to bump into the jewelry stand!” The girls were allowed to walk around the mall alone, as long as they stayed close to the bookstore where Katie’s mother worked. It was one of the best parts of having a mom who worked at the mall.

Suzanne moved to her left. “Thanks, Katie,” she answered. “That was a close one.”

“I don’t know about this walking-backward thing,” Katie said. “It’s pretty dangerous. You could get hurt.”

“Well, I can’t stop now,” Suzanne told her. “I’ve already been walking backward for forty-five minutes.”

“How much longer until you break the record?”

Suzanne looked at her watch. “Only seventy-two hours and twenty-three minutes.”

Just then, Jeremy Fox, Katie’s other best friend, ran up to the girls. “Hurry up, Katie,” he said. “We’ve got to get to Louie’s Pizza Shop. He’s about to make another pizza!”

Katie’s face lit up. She loved watching Louie throw the dough in the air. He made a real show of it, twirling around and singing Italian songs. “Suzanne, can you run backward?” Katie asked.

“I can try,” Suzanne replied.

Jeremy rolled his eyes. “Why don’t you give it up?” he asked Suzanne. “You’ll never break the record.”

“How do you know?” Suzanne demanded.

“Well, you didn’t break the seesawing record, or the holding-your-breath record, or the hopping-on-one-foot record, did you?” he asked. “You’ve been trying to break a record all week!”

Suzanne frowned. “This is different!” she insisted. “Isn’t it, Katie?”

Katie didn’t answer. She hated it when her two best friends put her in the middle of one of their arguments. Besides, she didn’t really know what to say. Suzanne had been trying all week to get into the book of world records. So far, she hadn’t even come close.

Still, Katie knew Suzanne wasn’t going to give up—at least not until she became interested in something else.

“Come on,” Jeremy urged again. “I want to get a good seat, right near the pizza oven. Louie’s is going to be mobbed. You know what it’s like there on Saturdays.”

Katie looked at Suzanne.

“You go ahead,” Suzanne told Katie.

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah. Just save me a seat.”

Katie smiled. “Thanks, Suzanne, you’re the best!” she shouted as she ran off with Jeremy.

Katie and Jeremy didn’t get very far before they heard a loud crash. The kids turned around and saw Suzanne sitting on the floor, covered in a mountain of women’s hats.

“Suzanne banged into the Hat Rack!” Jeremy began to laugh.

But Katie didn’t think it was funny. Neither did the manager of the Hat Rack clothing stall.

“Watch where you’re going!” the manager shouted at Suzanne.

“I’m sorry,” Suzanne said, blushing. “I was trying to break a record.”

“Well, you almost broke my stall,” the manager scolded. “Now get out of here, before I call security.”

Suzanne jumped to her feet and ran . . . frontward.

“So much for the book of world records,” Jeremy said to her.

“Don’t you worry.” Suzanne shook her head. “I’ll find another record to break.”

Louie’s Pizza Shop was very crowded by the time Katie, Jeremy, and Suzanne arrived. Lots of people liked to watch Louie make his pizzas.

Katie loved everything about Louie’s Pizza Shop. She loved the jukebox in the corner. She loved the Italian ice and spumoni counter. She loved the smell of warm pizza coming out of the oven. But most of all she loved Louie. He looked just like a pizza chef should, with his big white shirt, long apron, and dark, twirly moustache.

“Hey, Katie Kazoo, over here!” somebody called out.

There was only one person in the world who called her Katie Kazoo—her friend George Brennan. Katie quickly spotted George and his best pal, Kevin Camilleri. The boys were sitting at a big table with Kevin’s older brother, Ian.

“Where have you been?” George asked as Katie, Suzanne, and Jeremy sat down. “You were supposed to be here ten minutes ago.”

“Shhh. Louie’s just about to do a double twist,” Ian interrupted excitedly.

Katie turned to look at Louie. The pizza chef tossed the big circle of dough in the air. Then he spun around twice, reached his hands out, and caught the pizza just before it hit the counter.

“All right!” Jeremy cheered.

“Louie, you rock!” Ian shouted.

“That pie’s going to be pepperoni,” George told the others. “And I’m getting a slice!”

Katie was a vegetarian. She’d been hoping that Louie’s next pie would be a spinach pizza.
Oh well.
She could wait. Katie couldn’t go home from the mall until her mother got off work.

Louie ladled the sauce onto the pizza. His arm moved swiftly, leaving red sauce all over the dough. Next, he tossed some cheese into the air. The white mozzarella bits fell like snow from the sky. Then Louie took a few steps back and started flinging pepperoni slices at the pizza.

The pepperoni looked like little Frisbees as they flew through the air and landed on top of the cheese. Then, as he sang loudly, he added a pinch of his secret herbs. Finally, he slid the finished pizza into the oven.

The crowd cheered.

Louie took a bow and picked up another ball of dough. “Now for a Louie’s veggie special!” he announced, smiling at Katie.

Just then, Becky Stern came running into Louie’s Pizza Shop.

“Where have you been?” Suzanne asked her. “Louie already made a pepperoni pie.”

“I’m sorry I’m late,” Becky apologized in her soft Southern accent. “My mother wanted to stop and get a slice of pizza.” She grabbed a chair and sat down next to Jeremy.

“Why didn’t she get the pizza here?” Katie asked her.

“Yeah,” Jeremy agreed. “Louie makes the greatest pizza in the whole world.”

Becky smiled at him. “I believe you, Jeremy. After all, you do have the best taste!”

Jeremy blushed.

“But my mother had a coupon for a free slice at Olives and Oregano,” Becky continued.

“Olives and Oregano is on the other side of town,” Katie said, raising her eyebrows. “Why did you go all the way over there?”

Becky shook her head. “There’s a new Olives and Oregano right here in the Cherrydale Mall. It’s next to the Flower Power flower shop. Today is the Grand Opening. They’re giving out all sorts of free food.”