Horrible Harry and the Dragon War (3 page)

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Authors: Suzy Kline

BOOK: Horrible Harry and the Dragon War
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Just
you
wait for recess.”
Harry grumbled something as Mary stormed off.
Oh boy, I thought. Recess is going to be deadly. I tried to change the subject. “Hey, Harry,” I said. “You know what this green goopy stuff looks like?”
Harry didn't respond.
I told him anyway.
“Snot.”
I let the gooey paste drip slowly from my long paper strip so he could see what I meant.
“Yeah,” Harry replied. He looked over for a second. He didn't laugh like he usually did at gross things. Or fall off his chair. He didn't even flash his white teeth.
Ever since Harry and Song Lee had their big fight, life in Room 3B just wasn't fun anymore.
Outdoor Battle
A
t noon recess, Mary shouted, “To the kickball diamond!” Everybody ran to the far field. There was only one puddle on the playground, and it was way over by the fence.
As we gathered together, Mary announced, “Today's kickball game is a big one. It's a battle between the dragons! You can either be on Song Lee's side, or on Harry's side.”
Harry immediately sprang into action. “Anyone on my team is a Fire-Breathing Dragon with Green Poisonous Breath. Our fierce dragons are going to win!” he bragged.
I knew I'd be on Harry's side. Sidney did, too. He gargled like he was swishing mouthwash. Sid didn't look like a very mean dragon, but he tried.
As people chose sides, Song Lee whispered something into Mary's ear. Mary nodded, then said, “Our team is the G.L.D.'s. The Good-Luck Dragons! And we're up first. Play ball!”
Song Lee waited behind the plate, because in Room 3B, captains kick first. Usually Harry runs out to play centerfield. He likes catching fly balls. Today he stomped.
I moseyed over to shortstop.
No one made small talk or cheered on the team.
Dexter tried to lighten things up. He did a rock-and-roll dance at the mound first, and sang “Bee bop de boo” a few times. Song Lee just waited at the plate.
“Play ball!”
Mary shouted.
Dexter sang one more “Bee bop de boo,” then rolled a fast ball over the plate.
Song Lee leaped forward to meet it. She kicked the ball hard with her red and white sneakers.
Pow!
Up ... up ... up ... it went! Harry chased it. The ball hit the fence, then bounced back into the puddle.
Splash!
Harry was there for the water-works. He got sprayed right in the face! Song Lee had enough time to race around the bases for a home run while Harry waded into the puddle and fished out the floating ball.
The G.L.D.'s scored their first point. Mary made a slash mark on the cement in white chalk.
“We're ahead!”
she bragged.
Three outs later, the G.L.D.'s were ahead seven to nothing. Song Lee pitched a bouncy fast ball over the plate. Harry ran up to meet it. His sneakers squeaked with water.
Suddenly, an ambulance rounded the corner. Harry turned to look and missed the ball!
When Sid laughed, Harry shot him a look.
Mary yelled, “Strike one!”
“There are no strikeouts in kickball,” Harry groaned.
“It counts as a foul!” Mary replied. “Remember? We added that rule last month.”
Harry grumbled something while Song Lee pitched the next ball. This time she put an extra twist on it. I could tell she was angry. That ball whizzed to the plate!
Harry didn't notice. He was too busy pretending he was a fire-breathing dragon. He exhaled loudly and roared as he ran toward the spinning ball.
Bloop!
Harry's kick went up over his head and backward into foul territory.
“Two fouls!”
Mary screamed, holding up two fingers. “One more and you're out.”
Harry's eyes looked like red-hot coals.
Song Lee pitched another wicked spinner.
Harry flapped his arms like they were huge bat wings and went charging after the ball.
Wham!
The ball went up, up, up, then down, down, down by the left side of the fence.
“Three fouls! You're out!”
Mary yelled.
Harry stomped to the end of the line and faced the oak tree on the other side of the fence. All you could see was his back. That's what Harry does when he thinks he might cry. He doesn't want anyone to know.
When the bell rang, we were behind six to seven. The Fire-Breathing Dragons with Green Poisonous Breath had run out of time. Harry kicked the fence three times. Boy, was he mad!
Sidney was, too. He walked up to Harry and pointed to his chest. “If it weren't for
you,
and your
stupid
kicking, we could have won!”
That did it! Harry jumped on Sid's back and rode him around like a wild bronco. His wet shoes made marks on Sid's pants.
“Get off! Get off me!” Sidney shouted.
Mary rushed over to Harry. “So ...” she scolded. “How do
you
like it when someone calls
you
stupid?”
Harry didn't answer.
He just slid off Sid's back and looked over at Song Lee. She had her head down. Winning the game didn't change anything. Song Lee's mood was either mad or sad. She didn't feel like slapping her team five.
“Gee,” Ida complained, “even kickball isn't fun anymore.”
“I know,” Mary groaned. “Nothing is.”
“Yeah,” I agreed. “I hate war.”
Harry didn't say a word to anyone. He just walked to the cafeteria alone.
The White Package
E
veryone knows when you surrender, you hold up a white flag. That's what happens in real wars. And that's what finally happened in Room 3B.
Sort of.
The white part anyway.
It just wasn't a flag.
Room 3B was sitting in the cafeteria. It was hot-dog day and most of us were eating hot dogs. Sidney sat at the end of the table, far away from Harry. I think both of them regretted using the “s” word.
“Rats! I didn't get any mustard,” Harry said. “Come with me, Doug.”
I jumped out of my seat. I was happy Harry was talking again.
I got a little worried, though, as I followed him. We didn't join the student line. We walked farther down, to the teachers' side of the cafeteria.
“Hey, Harry,” I asked. “What are you doing?”
“Getting something white,” he whispered.
White? I took one quick look at the glass shelf. There was yogurt and cream cheese that was white, but Harry didn't take anything from that shelf. He took something that was next to the coffee urn. As soon as he stuffed it into his pants pocket, we took off!

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