by Martha Hynson
Ice Cream
Mrs. Tucker said maybe it would be a good time for some refreshments. “We’ll sit on my porch swing and you can tell me all about what a good-choice ticket is.”
Refreshments turned out to be ice cream. Macy and Mrs. Tucker sat on the swing and ate out of pink bowls. Flappy ate on the floor next to them out of a yellow bowl. They all chose vanilla but only Macy chose a cherry on top.
“At school, we earn tickets for making good choices,” Macy told Mrs. Tucker. She pumped her legs so the swing would go higher. But not too high because Mrs. Tucker might fall off. “I’m trying to get all the way to 20 tickets. Then I can teach art.”
“How many do you have so far?”
“Well, I did have the one Milo wet on. It used to be in my lucky sock until it fell out. Plus, I had two in my library book except they got ruined by Flappy.”
“Sounds like Flappy and Milo need their own reminders to make good choices.” She winked at Macy. “Maybe you could make them some tickets to earn.”
Tap, tap, tap. Macy looked at Flappy. The yellow bowl was empty, but that silly chicken just kept on pecking.
Macy scooped up what was left in her pink bowl and held it out. “Here, girl.” Flappy hopped on the swing and pecked at the spoon with her sticky beak. Macy looked at that sight. She wiggled her tooth. Then she did a grin because she knew what would make that bird obey. “Flappy doesn’t care about getting tickets but there is one thing she does want to earn.”
Right then, Macy and Mrs. Tucker did a jinx. That was because at the very same time, they said the same genius words—“ice cream!”
Macy flopped back in the swing and did a big sigh. “Except too bad for me because even if I sweeten up Flappy with ice cream so she will make good choices, Smarty-Pants Samantha will still be around. She’s my real actual problem.”
“Smarty-Pants Samantha?”
“Yes,” Macy said. She licked some ice cream off her finger and scooted sideways to face Mrs. Tucker. “All the trouble started when I cracked eggs on my head. And that problem happened just because Miss Smarty-Pants said I was trying to trick Bella. So I had to crack the eggs. But some of the mess got on my good-choice ticket even though I had it stuck safe in my lucky sock. Except it fell out of the sock and I was too sad to look for it later. And also, when I was planning to get a ticket in the library, Mrs. Carver turned out to give one to Samantha and not to me and Samantha gave her my clicky pen and it got locked away in the library where I’ll never see it again.” Macy stopped talking and breathed a big breath.
“Goodness.” Mrs. Tucker gave Flappy a pat with her wrinkley hand. Macy wished her hand had some wrinkles. It would be fun to mash them and watch them pop back out.
“I have a feeling,” Mrs. Tucker said, “if you look hard enough, you can find something alike about you and Samantha. And once you do that, you’ll be on your way to having a new friend.”
Macy shook her head. “You don’t know Samantha, Mrs. Tucker. That girl does not want to be friends.”
Mrs. Tucker smiled. “Maybe she could use some sweetening up like Flappy.”
Macy’s shoulders did a shrug. “Miss Snow said no more sharing food.”
“Hmm…” Mrs. Tucker patted Macy’s knee, “Not everything sweet is something to eat.”
Macy thought about those words when she was back pulling weeds, but no sweet thing to give Samantha came into her brain.