Free The McGillicuddy Book of Personal Records by Colleen Sydor

toast that had buttered her up), “I’ve always believed in honoring your promises.” He looked at her. “And I suppose I’m grateful that he helped you home last night.”
    Lee smiled.
    â€œBut don’t think I’m going soft, young man,” she said. “Pull another stunt like that and you’re grounded for life.” Lee hugged his mother, who pretended not to like it. Lee loved her when she put on an act.
    On his way to school, Lee knocked on Agnes’s front door. He heard her shuffling to the door in her big crazy-cat slippers before he actually saw her. “Just wanted to say, ‘Have a good day,’” he said, when she opened the door. “And hey, Aggie—”
    â€œAggie?!”
    â€œâ€”how about making some of your delicious banana bread soon? I’ve been dreaming about it lately!” Of course, he’d pay for this later when she put a piece of banana brick in front of him and expected him to eat it, but right now it seemed worth the look of surprised pleasure on her face. It took so little to cheer Agnes. He wondered why he didn’t make a point of doing it more often. Note to self …
    After that, he stopped at Rhonda’s.
    â€œBeanpole!” said Mr. Ronaldson at the front door. Oh no, thought Lee. “Good to see you, kid,” he said, wrestling Lee to the ground, then popping him up so fast Lee felt like a yo-yo.
    Rhonda rolled her eyes and pushed her dad back to the kitchen, but not before Lee had a chance to see the words written on his apron: WORLD’S NUMBER ONE MOM.
    â€œWhat do you want?” said Rhonda suspiciously, when she returned. “Got some more dirty work you need me to do? It’s gonna cost you more than a Mars Bar this time.”
    Lee laughed. “Okay,” he said, palms raised in the air, “I just came to see if you wanted to walk to school together, but …” he started down her front steps, “hey, if you’re not in the mood, that’s cool.”
    He got halfway across her yard before Rhonda believed her ears. She jumped into her high-tops, grabbed her backpack, and ran to catch up. “Wait up, ya idiot!” she called.That was about as useless as saying, “Wait up,” to a helium balloon without a string. Lee had his own momentum today, and Rhonda could see that she’d just have to keep up. “What’s your hurry, pea-brain?” Lee slowed down so she could catch up (another miracle!), then playfully bum-checked her onto the boulevard. “Hey! You combed your hair, for a change,” he said. “Looks good.”
    Rhonda narrowed her eyes. “I had my annual bath ,” she said, mussing her hair with her fingers until it looked like a rat’s nest again. “What’s up with you, anyway?” she said. “You’re acting weird.”
    â€œMe? Weird?”
    â€œYeah, and I don’t like it. I prefer you when you’re a jerk.”
    Good old Rhonda, thought Lee, taking a swig from his water bottle. He handed it to her. “Here, take a huge mouthful and don’t swallow.”
    â€œWhat?!”
    â€œWe’ll see who can hold it in the longest. Come on.”
    â€œ Me ? Take a swig from something that just touched your lips? You got some kind of brain-eating virus, or what ?”
    â€œJust wipe it off, Turkey Gizzard. I’ll bet you won’t last more than twenty seconds.”
    Rhonda grabbed the bottle and wiped it a couple of hundred times on her T-shirt. Even then, she refused to let the bottle touch her lips. She put her head back and poured in a big mouthful. Lee took the bottle back and took his own huge swig. He already knew from experience that it doesn’t take long to feel like a bozo-brain when your mouth is bulging with water, and what’s left then but to laugh? Rhonda was the first to explode, spraying water everywhere, and choking with laughter. Lee lost it soon after