I’m pumping gas in the summer sun but the only gallons I can think about are the gallons of sweat that I’m sweating although it doesn’t make a difference anyhow and there are no good movies out and the flock in the sky has wandered to float far away above the mountains so there’s nothing to stop anyone from frying an egg or themselves on the sidewalk. The dull lifeless hot air is not stimulated until a breeze awakens but the breeze is even hotter and the skating rink is closed for refurbishment and the darned pump isn’t working so I collapse into the driver’s seat and pull forward to try the next pump which I don’t think is encouraged but I’m too hot to think. The blue of the sky is a hazy blue because of the smog and I’d get an electric car because I don’t want to contribute to the pollution or keep dealing with this pump which isn’t working either but I can’t afford one and I can’t afford Disneyland but I couldn’t really send Anna there anyway in this heat plus there’s no one to send her there with either. My mom is outside cussing at the gas pump like it’s Dad and I’m in the car and can almost hear my skin sizzling because the car is like an opposite freezer in the summer when the sun is shining and the air conditioning is off and my life stinks. Ms. Hawthorne always pointed out that I write a lot of run-on sentences but my mom says that’s okay because most people think in run-on sentences and writing is supposed to express thoughts. I don’t know if she’s right but I do know she was right when she told Joel not to ride his bike in the street and I think she was wrong when she said some things I won’t repeat about Dad. Joel looked just like Mom and so do I but I wish I didn’t and she spends most of every summer trying to figure out how to get me out of the house because I’m always home then since I have no friends to hang out with but she doesn’t really care about that. Or me, for that matter. She fought hard for visitation rights and won them but I can’t help but think that it was only out of spite because she was so angry at Dad. I think she still is but she hardly ever talks about him and he doesn’t talk about her either when I come on weekends. I don’t think either of them really, truly miss Joel, but I do because he understood me and we could share a look every time Mom made a lame joke. He had dark eyes like mine and Mom’s but that was before he got mowed over by a pickup truck which was before the divorce back when Mom made a lot of jokes and still loved Dad and me. The driver was texting. I don’t have a phone and I don’t want one now anyway. I saw what was left of Joel’s bike after the collision which was just a mess of twisted metal but I didn’t see Joel and I didn’t want to anyway. There were only a few people at the funeral because Joel and I have only one aunt and one uncle and one cousin and Joel has no friends which just goes to show how much we have in common. Had, I guess. He was nine. I was eleven, twelve now, lonely and very, very hot, baked by California sun like a few million other fools. I wonder when Mom will give up on kicking the pump. Sydney Burr, 13Chino, CA Leah Koutal, 12Wayne, PA

CHAPTER 1: WESTWAY PRIMARY SCHOOL MYSTERY Westway Primary School children were like bees because they were busy and they always had something to do. And at playtime they would all go out into the playground and squeal with delight as they ran to the swing to get there first. There would always be little fights here and there, about who told the teacher what or who would beat who to the front of the line or who would be the boss and tell their friends what to play. The playground had a seesaw, a slide, a roundabout, a football court, and a climbing frame. The teachers in Westway were kind and clever, especially Mr. Steve in class 16A. The head of the school, Mr. Jenkins, was strict, but only when he needed to be. The school nurse, Mrs. Claire, knew how to treat children who were hurt or sick in a jiffy. The deputy head, Ms. Matthew, was easy, controlled, and steady. The head teacher, Ms. Moorlands, was grumpy, annoying, and never in a good mood. Mike, an intelligent and kind child from class 3B, was the youngest in his class. His best friends were Tom, Harry, and Dick. His teacher was Mr. Andrew who loved him 100%. Being the youngest in his class might be tough, but he managed to get through it. Mike was very popular in his class; other children, especially Harry, would come to him and ask him millions of questions, such as: “Why does the Leaning Tower of Pisa lean?” “What is 40 x 100?” “Who was the meanest king in history?” But on one day, it didn’t seem right. Something bad had happened. Mike, sitting in the front row, was happily learning maths. But for the other children it seemed boring. After 30 long minutes, the maths lesson was over and the children gleefully ran out to the playground and Mike got pushed on the floor. But on that bright and scorching day, that was the last time the children saw Mike. Now he was missing! The news spread like wildfire, and the school was in a panic. Fortunately, Ms. Moorlands knew exactly what to do! CHAPTER 2: THE SEARCH PARTY AND THE HAUNTED PALACE There were police and 150 detectives looking for clues, the children were worried, and the teachers were trying to calm them down. Mike’s family was in tears, the head teacher was explaining the story to the chief detective, and everybody was panicking until 12 clever detectives spotted a trail of footprints that looked like Mike’s. Immediately, they followed the trail, which took them quite a while and led them here and there, but they wouldn’t give up. It took them 42 HOURS! Can you believe it?! Finally, the footprints took them to a haunted palace which looked millions of years old; they had no choice but to enter. As they entered, they could hear sudden noises and booms. Inside there were cobwebs which hung from the corners of the ceiling; mice and rats running here, there, and everywhere; and from the attic window they could see bats flying so fast and perched on the windows’ top edges. The walls were painted in a sort of spooky, light ghost-green shade, and the scary dead tree outside made it look creepier. CLANK CLANK CLANK went the staircase as they climbed down with only a feeble candle. Finally, they reached a door saying, WARNING: CAUTION, DO NOT ENTER FOR YOUR OWN SAFETY. Beneath, it said, HIGH VOLTAGE! CRREEAAKK went the door as they opened it—they thought the hinges needed oiling. In their amazement, they didn’t blink, didn’t move a muscle, and only stood there gawping! CHAPTER 3: THE SEARCH PARTY AND THE PAIR OF SHOES Before their very eyes they saw an ancient throne room which smelt like a mildewed cellar mixed with rotten apples that had been in a box for 50 years. On the queen’s throne there was an old-style crown, a pointy spear, and a small box. On the king’s throne it was exactly the same. They searched all over the spooky palace, but Mike was nowhere to be found. As they exited the palace, the chief detective spotted Mike’s handprints and footprints smeared all over the roof and said to the others, “How silly we are! Look over there on the roof: Mike’s handprints and footprints.” The detectives and police went to the other side and saw Mike’s footprints. The chief detective saw Mike’s fingerprint on the button which said “650,000,000 BC.” Uh-oh. That was the time the asteroid hit Earth. Just past the train station on the high street there was an old lady named Mrs. Blueberry who was walking her dog, Buttercup. As she passed the small pond, she spotted a pair of brown shoes. Now she wasn’t the kind of person who would just leave them there and walk away, so she looked carefully at them and looked at the poster saying MISSING, and beneath it a picture of Mike and realized that the shoes were Mike’s. She rang the detectives, who were just past the train station, and told them that she had found his shoes. They said they would come straight away. Time passed—10 minutes, 15, 20, 25— until 30 minutes later they arrived and saw the shoes. On the other side of the pond they saw bare footprints heading northeast, and they followed them. CHAPTER 4: THE SEARCH PARTY AND THE OLD TIME MACHINE As they followed the footprints, they saw a treehouse which looked very ancient and mystical. They couldn’t decide whether it was good luck or bad luck—whatever it was, they went in. It looked creepy, but they were brave. They looked around. A detective named Simon saw a sign hanging from the ceiling. They read it 10 times and noticed a note saying: ROOMEN 2: TIMEON MACHINEONTE. They followed the arrows and opened a door which said: IF YOU OPENTO THEIS DOORESTO YOU WILO GAZET ATE THEIS UNFORRGETEBLEO

Beatrix pushed Arthur again, and Arthur grew a new bruise on his head and a new scrape on his arm. Beatrix is the school bully and is always picking on other kids. Arthur is one of those kids. Arthur’s dad thinks that he should get a dog as a friend because Arthur has trouble making friends. Arthur’s mother hates dogs. Arthur would die to get a dog, but his mom, Jen (short for Jennifer) says no. At school, Beatrix puts on make-up in class and bullies everyone who doesn’t worship her. Every day, Beatrix wears a half-top and really short shorts. Beatrix is a cheerleader and has perfect teeth. She and her cheerleading squad push people, make fun of them, laugh at them, and spill their lunch out. Later that day, Arthur was throwing free throws on the basketball court when all the other boys were playing soccer. Arthur missed every single one and licked his braces every time he missed. As Arthur was playing, he saw Beatrix coming at him. She said a few mean things, but Arthur kept dribbling and missing. Arthur heard something about his horrible playing skills. Then Beatrix walked away with her two sidekicks. *          *          * At the end of the day, Arthur came home and his father called him to the kitchen. Arthur set his bag on a chair and said, “What?” “I have a surprise for you!” his father said proudly. “But first, how was your day?” “Well, Beatrix pushed me again,” Arthur mumbled. “Okay, but this will still be the best day of your life!” There was a large crate on the floor with small vents on the sides. Arthur hoped it was a dog, but he knew his mother would never allow it. His father opened the crate and a yellow Labrador retriever jumped out and started licking his face. The dog knocked him over, and Arthur was happier than at any other time in his life. “What’s his name?” Arthur asked his father. “Her name is Sunny,” his father answered. “No other person would take her from the shelter because of her behavior.” “She seems fine to me,” Arthur said with confidence. “That’s what I said!” he exclaimed. “The man told me to just wait, and she would be a monster.” “Except for the part where her body is all muddy and scarred,” Arthur said while he looked at her paws. The two gave her a nice bubble bath that she seemed to enjoy. Sunny had soap bubbles all over her, and his father made her a beard. They laughed and rinsed her with the hose. She shook her whole body and it felt like gallons of water came off her. They dried her with a nice big towel and she happily pranced over to the house. Her fur was now as soft as . . . something that is really soft. Arthur took Sunny outside and played fetch, or tried to play fetch. Arthur heard his mother’s car coming down the long driveway, and Arthur sprinted inside with Sunny. They both were tired from the warm sun and heard Jen coming. Arthur had asked his dad if Mom knew about the dog. His father exclaimed, “Heck no! If she knew about this, she would kill me.” “Well, she is coming in the house as we speak, so . . .” Arthur hesitated. His father was about to say something, but she walked in the door before he could. She stared at Sunny and dropped her purse. She blinked and brushed the golden-brown hair out of her face. I hate dogs, Jen thought as she walked far into the woods with Sunny, trying to avoid touching her. “Oh my god. You guys got a dog!” she yelled, and the chandelier in the dining room shook. Arthur imagined steam coming out of her ears. Sunny whimpered and gave Jen the puppy eyes. Jen did not talk to Arthur but was yelling at their father the whole time. At dinner, Jen locked Sunny outside on a leash. They had chicken and broccoli for dinner with a side of beans, and Arthur stayed silent, still thinking about Sunny. Arthur fed his leftovers to Sunny, and she greedily gobbled them down and started whimpering for more. Arthur patted her head and placed a blanket outside for her. Arthur went to bed and drifted off to sleep. *          *          * I hate dogs, Jen thought as she walked far into the woods with Sunny, trying to avoid touching her. They reached a river about half a mile into the middle of nowhere. Jen looked at Sunny, who was giving her the puppy eyes; they sparkled in the moonlight. Jen tied the leash on a tree loosely and ran back to the house. She came in the door panting, and she poured herself a glass of wine. She sat on the couch and fell asleep. *          *          * The next morning, Arthur came downstairs and looked for Sunny. She was sitting on the deck waiting for food. He fed her some beef with spinach, and he noticed that her leash was untied. Arthur’s mother came down the stairs and said to Arthur, “Good morning, honey. How is the dog?” Jen was expecting to hear “She is missing,” or “I don’t know,” but she heard: “Good.” Arthur smiled. “She seems hungry, though.” Jen frowned and looked outside the glass door. Sunny was sitting there and smiling at her, and Jen swore that she winked. Over the next half hour, Arthur was getting ready for school and covering his bruise with his mom’s make-up. She was downstairs getting ready for the drive to school by putting her coffee in a cup, brushing her hair, getting the keys, and getting her phone charger. Arthur put on his clothes, brushed his teeth and his