Buckskin Bandit (13 page)

“Winnie? What time is it?” Lizzy sounded like she was underwater.

“Really late,” I whispered. “Or really early, depending on how you look at it. Happy birthday, Lizzy.”

Lizzy rolled over and leaned on one elbow. “Sweet! We're the same age.”

“Want your presents?” I asked, feeling like we were two instead of 12.

Lizzy grinned. She reminded me of our mom so much it hurt. “Presents? As in plural? I like the sound of that! Bring 'em on.”

I handed the books to her one by one, and she squealed like a little kid as she ripped off the paper.

“I can't believe you found
Lizards I Have Known
!” she screamed. “I
love
that book!” She stretched out her arms, and I came closer so she could hug me. “Thanks, Winnie.”

“Lizzy, I'm sorry . . . about birthdays, I mean.”

“We're past that. Right? Sal and Hawk are putting together quite a party for you, you know. And I'm going over to Geri's tomorrow night to celebrate my birthday—I mean, tonight.”

“That's great, Lizzy.” I was glad she'd have something special to do on her birthday. Maybe next year I'd have a huge birthday party for my sister.

We lay in bed for a while, talking and remembering birthdays when we were little kids. Finally, we both dropped off to sleep.

“Rise and shine, young inventors!” Dad shouted.

I felt as if I'd just gotten to sleep. It wasn't even light outside.

“Winnie, we have to get to school early and set up the Magnificent Multishower. After today, America will be a cleaner place to live!”

I rolled over to tell Lizzy happy birthday again, but she was already up.

“Lizzy loved her gecko home,” Dad said. “Made it myself, according to all the specifications. Built the lighting myself too. Madeline gave Lizzy a gift certificate to Pat's Pets for one gecko.”

“Great gift, Dad,” I said, wondering why Dad couldn't have gotten Lizzy the gecko gift certificate himself. We're not that poor.

“We should have made a birthday cake,” he said.

“I know.”

“Well, hurry up! And don't forget to wear something nice.”

I was just glad Dad didn't expect me to wear a one-piece work suit like he wears when he's inventing. I groped around for a clean pair of jeans and a shirt that wasn't too wrinkled.

Before leaving to meet Geri at school, Lizzy had made bacon and scrambled eggs with olives and cheese. But I barely had time to take a bite before Dad was honking the horn.

Dad and I were the first people in the gym except for Mr. Jay, our school janitor. We rolled the shower stall close to the exit, then ran the hose outside to the spigot. All I'd have to do was turn on the faucet, and we'd be in business. We tried it out, and it worked just like it had at home.

Other parents and kids filed in and set up their booths all around the gym. I practiced my speech in my head, while Dad polished the showerheads.

“Dad, I hope I don't mess up.”

Dad stopped polishing and frowned over at me. “What do you mean, Winnie?”

“I'm not the greatest talker in the world, Dad, in case you haven't noticed. No matter how great the invention is, if I can't tell the judges about it, they won't choose me.”

“Nonsense. You'll do just fine.” Dad went back to the showerhead. Then he reached over and squeezed my shoulder. “I'll . . . I'll be praying for you, Winnie.”

I felt like I'd swallowed something too big for my throat. Dad had never said anything like that to me. When we'd lived in Wyoming, Mom was the one who made all four of us go to church every Sunday. But when Mom died, Dad stopped going to church. Lizzy still went with friends, but I'd stayed home with Dad.

Even when we moved to Ashland, for a long time Lizzy was the only one who went to church. Then I started going. And then Dad. He'd been going with us since last fall, but he still didn't talk about God much.

“Thanks, Dad.” It's all I was able to squeeze past whatever was stuck in my throat.

Dad seemed to be looking at my feet. He reminded me of Kaylee, right before Bandit joined up with her. I reached over and gave my dad a short, awkward hug.

“Think I'll check out the competition,” he said. And he strolled off.

I read over my notes, stopping to wave at the Barkers. M's parents, both dressed totally in black like M, came by to wish me luck. So did Mr. and Mrs. Coolidge. Mrs. Coolidge was carrying Churchill, Catman's biggest cat, a gray shorthair, with a face as flat as a silver dollar. Mr. Coolidge had the squirmy Bumby, a small black cat with huge white paws and six toes in front, seven in back. I figured the cats would be demonstrating Catman's cat bunks.

“Winnie!”

I looked up to see Lizzy and Geri trekking through the crowd. Lizzy had her sleeping bag slung over her shoulder. “You guys better get set up!” I called.

Lizzy looked so cute. She'd french-braided her hair and was wearing khakis with a red, flowered shirt I hadn't seen before. Geri, of course, was dressed in frog green.

“Do you think this smells like frog?” Geri asked, shoving a bottle of slime-green liquid under my nose.

I tried not to gag. It smelled like pond scum. “Sure reminds me of frogs, Geri.”

“Sweet!” Geri exclaimed.

Lizzy had to run and say hi to some kids in her class. Geri hung back with me. “Winnie, where's your dad? I've been planning a surprise party for Lizzy after the science fair.”

“That's great, Geri!” And I meant it.

“But both of my parents pulled the night shift. So I can't have it at our house. Can I have it at yours, do you think?”

Dad was strolling back to the booth. I waved to him to hurry up. “I'll bet it's okay. Let's ask Dad.”

Dad was so distracted he'd have agreed to having a horse show in his workshop. “It won't be any work for you guys,” Geri promised. “My mom made a cake. And Nathan is bringing pop. And . . .” Geri ran through all the refreshments and games and a list of kids coming. Then she raced off to find Lizzy. My sister was really lucky to have so many friends.

Dad walked off to ask Mr. Jay about water pressure. I was going over my speech when Hawk walked in with Peter Lory, her chattering lory. Every kid seemed to turn and look at her. And the guys weren't looking at Peter, either.

We waved and hollered hi, but her booth was at the other end of the gym.

Kaylee came over to my booth. “All set, Winnie?”

“I guess. How about you?”

She shrugged. “I've seen four other kids with my exact same exhibit. Guess what! I got up early this morning and biked out to see Bandit. He's doing great, Winnie. Can we do another training session later? I can't get away until eight. Would that work?”

“Sure. Come to my house first. We'll go together.” I knew, with all the friends Lizzy would be having over, they'd never miss me.

The PA system screeched. “Will the parents please move to the south end of the gym? We ask that you remain behind the yellow line while our students have their exhibits judged.”

I got in position and saw that directly across from me was M's booth. We exchanged wordless hellos. All he had on his table was a shiny black ball bigger than a softball.

I raised my eyebrows at him. He twitched his nose. Then he picked up the ball and turned it upside down. I dashed across the aisle for a better look. The ball looked like Magic 8 fortune balls I'd seen when I was a kid back in Wyoming. Only instead of dumb “predictions,” like “It is decidedly so,” M's ball carried on a conversation: “What's your favorite kind of art?” “Which person had the biggest influence on your life?” “What's the most important thing in your life?” “How important is God in your life?” “If you died tonight, where would go?” “How would you change the world?”

“M!” I exclaimed. “This is awesome! How did you make the ball?”

“Pottery wheel,” he answered.

“What's the green stuff the questions are floating in?” I asked.

“Jell-O.”

I grinned approval at M and ran back to my booth.

Aisles grew quiet as the judges moved up and down. I could hear kids explaining their inventions to the team of three judges. Summer almost sang her speech, running her finger-combs through her hair. Catman was too far away for me to hear him, but I spotted Churchill chasing Bumby under the tables.

When the judges came to M, the tall, sharp-nosed, redheaded woman judge eyed him up and down. The second judge, a big man with kind eyes, shook M's ball and laughed hard. The third judge, with fair skin and hair that may have been blond once but looked white now, was quiet. In my mind, the judges became American Saddle Horse Woman, Clydesdale Man, and Palomino.

The closer they got to me, the more I wanted to bolt from the gym. One more booth, and they'd be right in front of me.

American Saddle Horse Woman walked up first. “And you must be—” she checked her clipboard, then flipped a page—“Winifred Willis.”

“Winnie?” I said, like I was asking her.

The other two judges flanked in behind her, but Saddle Horse was definitely in charge. “Please tell us about this interesting-looking invention,” she said, moving closer to inspect the shower.

“It's a . . . a Multiple Shower,” I said, trying to remember our official name for the thing.

Clydesdale Man cleared his throat. “Excuse me?”

I cleared my throat too. But of course it didn't do me any good. “Multiple Shower?”

“Ah,” said Palomino. “What does it do?”

“It . . .” Every thought flew out of my head. What
did
it do? I tried to picture my note card, my introduction. But my stupid brain camera hadn't bothered to take a picture of that. “Like, g-gets you really clean?” I stammered.

“And how did you come up with this idea?” Saddle Horse asked.

I'd planned to say something about the guy who cried “Eureka!” But I couldn't remember the whole story. “That guy in the bathtub,” I said. “I mean, when the water splashed and he ran down the street screaming.”

They stared at me as if I had multiple heads.

I shot up a prayer that God would calm down my brain. Then I tried again, telling them about the junkyard and Dad being an inventor and cutting holes in the stall and everything.

They listened. Saddle Horse Woman jotted notes on her clipboard. Then they thanked me and walked on.

“Wait!” I shouted. “I forgot to turn it on!”

Saddle Horse fake-smiled over her shoulder. “That's all right, dear.”

And I knew. In those few horrible seconds I'd wrecked the entire future of Willis and Willis Inventors.