Free Making the Save by Matt Christopher Page A

money. Then Bucky snapped his fingers. “I’ve got it!” he cried. “How about a car wash?”

    “A car wash?” Dewey looked doubtful. “How would we do that?”
    “Easy!” replied Bucky. “We’ll get buckets and sponges and towels. We fill the buckets with warm, soapy water. A car drives up, we wash it with the soapy water, and we collect the money!”
    “Where does the car drive up? And how do we get the car rinsed off?” Bundy asked.
    But by now Bucky had it all figured out. “We’ll have it at my house since I live on a dead-end street and cars can park without blocking traffic. We’ve got a long hose we can use to spray off the soap. We can even towel dry the cars after they’re clean.” He grinned. “So, what do you think?”
    “I think a lemonade stand would be easier,” Dewey said. “Tastier, too.”
    Bucky laughed. “Then we’ll also set up a lemonade stand and make twice as much money!”
    Bundy stood up. “Let’s call a team meeting and see what everyone else thinks.” Suddenly, he blinked. “Hey, I can feel my tongue and lips again!”
    Bucky grabbed the phone. “Just in the nick of time,” he said. “Start making those calls!”
    Within an hour, the whole team had gathered in Bundy’s backyard. Once more, Bucky explained his idea about getting the coach a gift. He outlined the plan for the car wash, too. When he was through, everyone began talking at once.
    “I’ll make some signs to put up around town,” Amanda Caler offered.
    “My dad’s got this stuff that makes hub-caps shine like new,” said Brant Davis. “I’ll see if I can bring it.”
    “I don’t like lemonade,” muttered Stookie Norris, not bothering to look up from the handheld computer game he was playing. The game was Stookie’s prize possession. He never went anywhere without it.
    “More for the rest of us, then!” Jason Shearer said.
    “But only if you pay for it,” Bundy reminded them.
    “That’s right,” agreed Bucky. “We need to make a lot of money to cover the cost of the present I found!”

Chapter 3
    S tookie looked up and frowned. “Hold on. You already bought the present?” he asked.
    “No, no,” Bucky reassured him.
    “Good,” said Stookie, “because I think we should get him—”
    Bucky interrupted. “I’m sure your idea is good, Stookie, but let me tell you about mine!” He turned to the others. “I saw this wool-and-leather jacket in the window of Rocko’s Sporting Goods. It looked like the team jackets some professional athletes wear— you know, the kind that snap up the front?” A few of the kids nodded. “It comes in different colors, including yellow like our team T-shirt.”
    “You want to get him a yellow jacket?” Jason grinned. “Heck, why not go all out and get him a whole bees’ nest instead?”
    Bucky laughed with the others, then continued. “The jacket was pretty cool-looking, but the best part is, we can get words and stuff stitched on it. For
free.
”
    “What would we put on it?” Edith “Eddie” Sweeny wanted to know.
    “I was thinking something like ‘World’s Best Coach’ and our team logo.”
    “How much does it cost?” Amanda asked. Bucky told his teammates the price he’d seen on the tag. The twins, Ted and Lisa Gaddy, whistled at the same time.
    “That’s a lot!” Lisa said.
    “A real lot!” Ted echoed.
    “Well, I think Coach Bradley is worth it.” Bundy’s words stopped anyone else from commenting. “I say we try to earn the money for the jacket. If we raise enough, great! If not”— he shrugged—“I bet we can find something else just as good.”
    “Don’t we get to vote on it?” Stookie said. “Or is it whatever Bucky says goes?”
    “Sure, we can vote,” Bundy said. “All in favor?” Everyone but Stookie raised a hand. “Sorry, Stookie, looks like you’re the odd man out.” Stookie didn’t say a word. He just picked up his computer game and started playing again.
    Bundy said, “Today’s Monday. We