Big Bad Beans (2 page)

Jason was startled. Eric had heard him.

“Well, I'll see you later,” Jason said.

He crossed the street to Abby's house. Her father was outside shooting baskets. Mr. Hunter tossed the ball to Jason.

“Is Abby home?” Jason asked.

“She's shopping with her mother,” Mr. Hunter said.

Jason turned and shot. He made a basket first try.

Across the street, Eric hopped on his old bike. He flew past Abby's house and down the street.

Jason watched him go. “Where's
he
headed?” he whispered.

He aimed the ball and shot. It bounced off the rim.

Just then Mr. Hunter's pager beeped. With a smile, he waved to Jason and rushed inside.

Jason stood holding the basketball. He didn't like the idea of waiting around for
Abby. Why couldn't
he
think of a way to earn the extra money?

At supper, Jason poked at the salad on his plate. He played with his lettuce and sprouts. He glared at the garbanzo beans. “Why must we eat these big, bad beans?” he whined.

“They're good for you,” his mother said. “That's why.”

“But they stick in my throat,” he argued.

His father spoke up. “You might try chewing them, son.”

Jason tried, but it was no use. The beans tasted horrible. And they were too big to swallow whole, like a pill.

He waited till his parents weren't looking. Then he sneaked some beans to Muffle. His new puppy would eat them. She loved people food. Any kind!

Just then the doorbell rang.

Jason leaped from the table.

There stood Eric at the front door. “I've gotta tell you something,” Eric said. Then he flipped the kickstand down on the blue mountain bike.

“What's up?” Jason asked.

Eric scratched his head. He was acting strange. “Someone else wants to buy my bike. He'll give me five more bucks than you.”

Jason felt his neck grow warm. “Is that where you zoomed off today? To sell your bike to someone else?”

Eric's wide eyes blinked three times. “Yeah, guess so,” he said.

“But . . . we had a deal,” Jason urged. His breath was coming fast. “You can't change your mind now!”

Eric stared at Jason. “Well, can you match it?”

“You want more money?” Jason asked.

“Here's the deal.” Eric rubbed his fingers
together. “Whoever's first with the bucks.”

Jason stared at the bike. What a super-cool bike. “I'm already ten dollars short,” he muttered.

“Too bad, then.” Eric turned to go.

The lump in his throat made Jason cough. “There's just no way,” he said.

THREE

Jason marched over to Abby's the next day.

He told her his plan to buy Eric's mountain bike. And he told her about Eric's deal—the rotten one.

Abby shook her head. “Sounds like you need some quick money. I know just the thing—a recycling project.”

“A what?” Jason asked.

“You know, a recycling project. Care for the earth and pick up some extra cash at the same time. I'll call the Cul-de-sac Kids to help,” she said.

“Ya-hoo!” shouted Jason. “When do we start?”

Abby sat on the porch step. “Tomorrow's Saturday. Meet me in front of my house at eight.”

“Gotcha.” Jason raced home to count the money in his box. One more time.

Saturday morning, Jason met Abby in front of her house.

Dee Dee Winters and Abby's little sister, Carly, pulled wagons. Stacy Henry wore her mother's garden gloves.

Dunkum Mifflin showed up with armloads of trash bags. Abby and Carly's Korean brothers, Shawn and Jimmy, helped carry the bags.

Jason smiled. He felt good having so many friends. Cul-de-sac Kid friends!

Only Eric was missing.

But Jason didn't care. He'd show Eric all about good deals. He'd have the money
soon. Maybe even today!

“If you buy Eric's mountain bike, I'll race you,” Dee Dee teased.

“We sure will!” Carly piped up.

Jason pushed up his glasses. He had more important things on his mind than bike races. At least for now.

Dunkum whistled with his fingers. “We'll stop at every house in the cul-de-sac. Then all the houses up the street from the school. Abby, Stacy, and I will gather newspapers. Carly and Dee Dee can pull the glass bottles in the wagons. Jason, you, Shawn, and Jimmy can collect aluminum cans.” Dunkum gave Jason a handful of heavy-duty trash bags. “We'll split the money evenly,” he said.

“Super good,” Jason said.

Abby grinned. “Let's go to Eric's house first,” she suggested.

“Hoo-ray!” the kids agreed.

“This is a fun way to earn money,” Dee Dee said.

Carly hurried to catch up with Dee Dee.

Shawn and Jimmy Hunter chattered in Korean.

Abby, Stacy and Dunkum told jokes.

Jason jigged and jived.

By lunchtime, the kids had gathered a mountain of recyclable items. Enough to fill Abby's father's van.

Jason, Abby, and Dunkum rode along to the recycling center.

On the way back, Jason counted his share of the money. Fifteen dollars and forty-eight cents worth of work.

Yes!
He ran across the street to Eric's.

No one was home.

Phooey
, he thought.

Eager to buy the bike, Jason darted home. He went to his room and counted
all
his money. For the last time.

Jason wanted to dance. There was plenty of money to buy Eric's bike!

At lunch, he ate fish and salad without fussing. But he nearly choked on the garbanzo beans. He excused himself every few minutes to see if Eric was home yet.

His mom went to the kitchen for more herbal tea.

His dad reached for the TV remote and turned on The Weather Channel.

Quickly, Jason offered his last garbanzo bean to Muffle. The puppy chomped it right down.

Ya-hoo!

Jason didn't bother to excuse himself from the table. He hurried off to his room.

There he rooted through his junk drawer.
Gotta have some strawberry bubble gum,
he thought.
Gotta, gotta!

Just then he heard Eric's grandpa drive up.

“Yes!” He grabbed his money and slammed the drawer. The bubble gum would just have to wait. Again.

Eric's grandpa was pulling into the garage
when Jason arrived. Jason waited for Eric and his grandpa to get out of the car.

“I've got the money,” Jason shouted, waving it in Eric's face. “Even the extra five bucks!”

Eric made a smirky face. “Too late,” he said. “The bike's not for sale.”

Jason stared at Eric in the dimly lit garage. He was too stunned to speak.

Eric dug his hand into his pocket. He waved a bunch of dollar bills. “Sorry, someone beat you to it,” he said.

“No way!” Jason shouted. “That's not fair!”

“A deal's a deal,” Eric said. Then he turned and trudged into the house.

Jason wanted to holler and carry on.

But it was no use.

FOUR

Jason slipped in through the back door. He tiptoed down the hall to his room. The floor squeaked on the way.

“Jason, is that you?” his mother called from the living room.

Rats!
She'd want him to eat another healthy snack.

What
he
wanted was to chew up three packs of bubble gum. He wished he had two hundred packs of gum. The healthy diet bugged him.

“Jason?” came his mother's voice again.

He looked at the clock. “Time for the carrot and celery brigade,” he whispered.

Sure enough. Here came his mother with a full tray.

Jason picked out two skinny celery sticks and three short carrot sticks. He waited till his mother left the room. Then he lifted his mattress and stuffed the orange and green sticks underneath.

“That's where veggie sticks belong,” he muttered.

Then he headed for his junk drawer. He could almost taste his yummy strawberry bubble gum!

The next morning, Jason watched Abby Hunter's family climb into their van. Every Sunday they attended church. Always together.