Princess Posey and the First Grade Parade (3 page)

“I
never saw any snakes,” said Posey.

“They don't come out for kindergarteners,” said Nick. “They only come out for first-graders.”

“First-graders without their mothers,” added Tyler.

Posey let out a little squeak. The boys fell against each other and laughed. They thought they were the smartest boys in the whole world.

It made Posey mad.

“How come the monster didn't get you?” she asked.

“It did,” said Nick. “Didn't it, Tyler?”

Tyler nodded. “We don't have blood inside,” he said.

“Everyone has blood,” said Posey.

“Not Tyler and me,” said Nick. “We have ink. Look.”

The boys held out their wrists. Posey stared at their blue veins.

“Blood is red,” Nick said in a spooky voice. “Ink is blue.”

Posey knew Nick was trying to scare her. But what if what he said was true?

There was only one way to find out.

Posey picked up a stick and jabbed him.

G
ramps came over to take Posey for a ride after dinner.

She was quiet when he pulled out of the driveway.

She was quiet when he tooted his horn two times to say good-bye to Danny.

“Cat got your tongue?” Gramps said. “You're mighty quiet tonight.”

Posey shook her head. She didn't say a word.

“Your mom told me about Nick,” Gramps said. “I guess you got him pretty good.”

Posey stared out the window.

“Want to tell me about it?” Gramps asked.

Posey told him all about the Monster of the Blue Hall.

And the snakes.

And the first-graders without their mothers.

The tight feeling in her chest got looser as she talked. Gramps reached over and patted her knee when she was finished.

“They were pulling your leg, Posey,” he said. “Blood looks blue until it hits the air. Then it's red. They were trying to scare you, that's all.”

Posey looked at her arm. Her veins were blue, too. “There's no monster, is there, Gramps?” she said.

“Nope. No snakes, either. That school has been around since your mom was a little girl. No one has seen a monster yet.”

It made Posey feel better to hear Gramps say it. But thinking about school still gave her a funny feeling in her stomach.

“What do you say we stop at Hank's and get an ice cream?” said Gramps.

He swung his truck into the dusty parking lot in front of a small store. He and Posey went inside.

“You go pick your flavor,” said Gramps. “I want to pick up some milk.”

Posey ran to the back of the store. She slid open the lid of the ice cream freezer. When she was too small to reach it, Gramps had to pull a wooden box over for her to stand on.

Now she stood on tiptoe and looked in. There were cherry, orange, and grape Popsicles. Posey picked cherry and slid the lid closed.

She started back to find Gramps.

Halfway down the aisle, Posey froze.

Miss Lee, her very own first-grade teacher, was standing at the front of the store. Posey saw her when she visited Miss Lee's class last year.

Seeing her in Hank's made Posey feel shy.

P
osey wished she was a mouse so she could hide.

What if Miss Lee saw her? What if she talked to Posey and asked her questions?

“Posey,” called a loud voice. “Over here!”

It was Gramps. He was in the line next to Miss Lee.

Posey ran and hid her face against his shirt. She felt his strong arm wrap around her.

“What's all this about?” said Gramps.

Before Posey could answer, she heard another voice.

“Hello, Posey.”

Posey looked up.

Miss Lee was smiling at her.

“I'm Linda Lee,” she told Gramps. “Posey's first-grade teacher.”

“What do you know about that, Posey?” said Gramps. “Your teacher shops at Hank's, too.”

All Posey could do was nod.

“
Y
ou'll like having Posey in your class,” Gramps said. “She's a good girl and a hard worker.”

“I'm sure she is,” said Miss Lee. “I love your tutu, Posey. I love pink, too.”

Miss Lee held out her foot. She was wearing pink sneakers. They looked like they had been washed a million times.

Her pinkie toe poked out through a hole in the end.