Free White House White-Out by Ron Roy Page A

with snow. They saw Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose looking through the fence.
    Their dog trotted over and stuck its snout between the rails.
    Dink noticed some words stitched in white on the dog’s red sweater. The words said first dog.
    “Is your dog friendly?” Dink asked the two kids.

    “Sure,” the girl said. “Natasha is a greyhound, and she loves everyone!”
    Dink noticed red hair sticking out from under the girl’s hat.
    Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose took off their gloves. They put their hands through the fence bars and patted the dog’s sleek head.
    “My name is KC,” the girl said. “This is my friend Marshall. We’re trying to teach Natasha a Christmas trick. But she doesn’t like the snow, so she’s trying to escape.”
    “I’m Dink Duncan, and these are my friends Josh and Ruth Rose,” Dink said. “We’re here with my dad. We live in Connecticut.”
    The five kids all shook hands through the fence. All the hands made it confusing, and they burst out laughing.
    “Are you the president’s daughter?” Josh asked KC.

    “Nope, I’m his stepdaughter,” KC said. “He and my mom got married last year.”
    “Sweet!” Josh said. “So what’s it like living in the White House? Do you get to do any cool stuff?”
    “She gets to do anything she wants!” Marshall piped up.
    KC poked Marshall. She looked through the fence at Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose. “Would you like to come in?”
    Dink gulped. “In there?” he asked. “In the White House?”
    KC grinned. “Sure. My folks aren’t home, but I know they wouldn’t mind,” she said. “I just have to get you clearance.”
    “Wicked!” Josh yelled.
    Ruth Rose laughed. “Just hide your food,” she told KC. “Josh will eat anything.”
    Dink glanced at his watch. “Um, wecan’t stay long,” he said. “My dad’s expecting us back at our hotel in a half hour.”
    “Which hotel?” KC asked.
    “It’s the Royal Grove on Sixteenth Street,” Ruth Rose said. “That’s not far, right?”
    “Nope, just a couple of blocks behind the White House,” KC said. “You’ll make it in plenty of time.”
    “So how do we get clearance?” Josh asked.
    “Go around to the next gate,” KC said, pointing to the right. “We’ll meet you there with one of the marine guards. He’ll give you special passes.”
    “That’ll be great,” Dink said. “Wait’ll I tell my dad!”
    Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose raced each other to the next gate. They stood there, peering inside as snowflakes covered their eyelashes.

    Finally they saw KC, Marshall, and Natasha coming toward them through the snow. With them was a tall marine. He wore shiny black boots and a dark green uniform under a long coat. His hat and shoulders were white with snow-flakes.
    The guard looked at the kids closely before he unlocked the gate. He handed them each a pass. “Please clip these onto your clothing,” he said. He asked their names and wrote them on a clipboard. He also took down Dink’s father’s name and the name of the hotel. Then he said, “Welcome to the White House,” and walked away toward a small guard hut.
    “Okay, follow me,” KC said. She led everyone to a rear door.
    At least ten small trucks and vans were parked near the entrance. Each one had about six inches of snow on top,as if they’d been parked there for hours. Men and women wearing clearance badges pulled boxes from the vans and lugged them into the White House. Three men were sliding a Christmas tree out of one of the trucks.
    “The White House is getting decorated today,” KC explained. “When they’re all done, the public gets to come in for tours.”
    “They have ten Christmas trees!” Marshall said. “And about a zillion wreaths. Wait’ll you see!”
    A woman carrying a green wreath stopped to pat Natasha on the head. Natasha licked her hand before KC led the kids into a hallway, where they hung their coats and hats. Dozens of people rushed around carrying wreaths, strings of lights, garlands