Free Freddie Ramos Springs into Action by Jacqueline Jules

1. A Thump in the Morning

    THUMP-BUMP! THUMP-BUMP! THUMP-BUMP!
    I sat up in bed and rubbed my eyes.
    THUMP-BUMP! THUMP-BUMP! THUMP-BUMP!
    Who was making noise so early on a Sunday morning? And right outside my window?

    CRASH! WAAAAAAAAGH!
    It sounded like broken glass. And somebody crying!
    I grabbed my purple sneakers. There was no time to get dressed. Somebody at Starwood Park needed help—maybe even a hero’s help. And with my purple sneakers, I had Zapato Power! That’s super speed, the kind superheroes have.

    I ran outside in my red and blue pajamas. My purple sneakers were smoking. I was ready to help.
    â€œWAAAAAGH!”
    â€œRuff! Ruff!”
    Gio, my next-door neighbor, cried while his little dog, Puppy, barked at a big hole in Mrs. Tran’s window.

    â€œDid you break that window?” I asked Gio.
    â€œMy ball broke it when I bounced it on the wall.”
    Puppy agreed. “Ruff! Ruff!”
    Gio is five. He only goes to kindergarten in the morning. He hasn’t had time to learn a lot of things—like how neighbors don’t like basketballs crashing into their apartments.
    â€œWatch out!” I shouted.
    Mrs. Tran hollered something in a language we didn’t understand and threw Gio’s basketball out of the hole in her window.

    The ball bounced on the sidewalk and rolled down the hill to the street.
    â€œMy ball!” Gio cried.
    He chased after it, but the basketball was way too fast for him. And a red car was coming around the corner. If Gio wasn’t smart enough not to bounce a basketball off a window, he might not be smart enough to stay out of the street. It was time to use my super speed to save the day.

    In one blink, I was at the curb, scooping up the ball, just as the red car sped by.
    â€œYou saved my ball!” Gio said, as he rushed up to me. “You’re fast!”
    I sure was. With my purple zapatos, I could save a ball from going into the street. I could save a puppy from a speeding car. I could even outrun a train. But I couldn’t save Gio from Mrs. Tran, his mother, and his sister, Maria.
    â€œWhat were you thinking?” Gio’s mom came down the hill with Puppy at her heels. “Why were you throwing a ball against the building?”

    â€œWho’s going to fix my window?” Mrs. Tran asked.
    â€œYou’re in trouble now,” Maria said.
    â€œI’m sorry!” Gio cried. “Lo siento.”
    â€œRuff! Ruff!” Puppy said.
    Everybody was barking, crying, or asking questions. I used my Zapato Power to get out of there, fast.

    In half a blink, I was at Mr. Vaslov’s toolshed. He takes care of Starwood Park. If something’s broken, Mr. Vaslov is the guy to fix it.
    I knocked on the door.
    â€œFreddie!” Mr. Vaslov said, when he saw me. “What are you doing in your pajamas?”
    I looked down at my blue and red striped pajama pants. “Superheroes don’t always have time to get dressed,” I said.

    Mr. Vaslov smiled and waved me inside his toolshed with a screwdriver. I looked around at all the tools and cut-up computers. Mr. Vaslov does more than take care of Starwood Park. He invents things like special shoes that go ninety miles an hour. I have Zapato Power because of Mr. Vaslov.
    â€œSo what’s the problem?” Mr. Vaslov asked.
    I told him about Gio and Mrs. Tran’s window. He picked up a broom and started out the door.
    â€œTime for some clean-up,” he said.
    â€œDo you need help?” I asked.
    Mr. Vaslov pushed back his bushy gray hair. “Sounds like everybody is pretty upset. I’d stay out of the way for a while if I were you.”
    Just then, we heard the metro train rumble on its overhead track in the back of the building. My feet started to tingle in my sneakers. I waved at Mr. Vaslov. Then I took off…

2. A Softer Ball

    The metro train goes right by Starwood Park. I’ve been racing it since I moved here, just for