Snow Day Dare

  To Lumia,

  One of Freddy’s biggest fans.

  Happy Snow Day!

  Love,

  A.K.

  TITLE PAGE

  DEDICATION

  CHAPTER 1: Missing Mittens

  CHAPTER 2: Snow, Snow, Snow!

  CHAPTER 3: The Challenge

  CHAPTER 4: Are You Crazy?

  CHAPTER 5: New Attitude

  CHAPTER 6: Snow Day!

  CHAPTER 7: Ready, Freddy?

  CHAPTER 8: Ready, Set, Race!

  Freddy’s Fun Pages

  SNOW DOUGH

  MAKE A SNOW SCENE

  WINTER SCIENCE EXPERIMENT

  ABOUT THE AUTHORS

  OTHER STORIES BY ABBY KLEIN

  ALSO AVAILABLE

  COPYRIGHT

  I have a problem. A really, really big problem. When we have a snow day, everyone goes sledding on Cherry Hill. I love to sled, but that hill is so steep, I’m always afraid to go.

  Let me tell you about it.

  “Freddy! Freddy!” my mom yelled from downstairs. “You are late. Let’s go!”

  I ran down to the kitchen.

  “Finally,” said my mom as she flipped sizzling bacon on the stove. “I’ve been calling you for the last ten minutes.”

  “Sorry, Mom,” I said. “I can’t find my mittens.”

  “Looks like you can’t find your pants, either,” said my sister, Suzie, laughing.

  My mom turned around. “Freddy! What are you doing? Are you planning on going to school in your underwear?”

  “I will give you five dollars if you go to school in your underwear,” said Suzie. “I would definitely pay money to see that!”

  “Ha-ha, very funny,” I said. “I’m not going to school in my underwear.”

  “But you look so cute in your tighty-whities.” Suzie chuckled.

  “Freddy,” said my dad, “you need to hurry up. I’m not driving you to school today if you miss your bus.”

  “But I need my mittens.”

  “Freddy, sit down and eat,” said my mom.

  “I can’t eat right now.”

  “Why not? I’m making eggs. Do you want sunny-side up or scrambled?”

  “I can’t go to school without my blue shark mittens,” I explained.

  “Just wear the red ones,” said my mom. “You had them yesterday.”

  “I bet you lost them,” said Suzie. “Did you lose them? I think you lose a pair of mittens almost every week.”

  “I do not!”

  “Do, too!”

  “Do not!”

  “Do, too!”

  “All right, that’s enough, you two,” my dad interrupted. “Arguing is not helping Freddy get ready.”

  “Why don’t you go back upstairs and finish getting dressed,” said my mom.

  “Yeah,” said Suzie. “I think I’ll lose my breakfast if I have to look at you eating in your underwear.”

  “After you put on some pants, check your closet for the mittens,” said my mom. “Maybe they’re in there.”

  “Good thinking, Mom!” I called over my shoulder as I dashed out of the kitchen and up the stairs to my room.

  I quickly put on a pair of pants and started rummaging around in my closet. It was such a mess that it was hard to find anything in there. I picked up stuff and threw it out into my room: my baseball glove, a blow-up shark from the aquarium, foam swords, a bug catcher, and my baseball bat.

  “Uggghhhh! Where are those mittens?” I yelled.

  Just then Suzie walked into my room. “Hey, watch where you’re throwing that bat!”

  “Watch where you’re walking,” I said.

  “Oh, you are going to be in so much trouble,” she said, looking around.

  “No, I’m not.”

  “Yes, you are. You know how much Mom hates messes. She is a total neat freak.”

  “So?”

  “So this is one giant mess!” said Suzie. “You are going to be late for school, and your room looks like a tornado hit it. You are in big T-R-O-U-B-L-E.”

  “Why are you even in here?” I hollered. “Get out!”

  “Mom sent me up here to help you.”

  “Well, I don’t need your help.”

  “It looks like you do if you want to find those mittens and not miss the bus.”

  She did have a point.

  “Anyway, why do you need those mittens?” asked Suzie.

  “Because it’s supposed to snow today, so I need those mittens for recess.”

  “Why?”

  “They don’t get soaking wet when I play in the snow.”

  “What do you plan on doing?” asked Suzie.

  “Making snowmen, building snow forts. You know. All that cool stuff.”

  “So do you want my help or not?” asked Suzie.

  “Freddy!” my mom called. “The bus will be here in ten minutes.”

  “Looks like I don’t have much choice,” I mumbled.

  “What’s it worth to you?” said Suzie.

  “I don’t know.”

  “How about you make my bed for a week.”

  “A week! That is so unfair!”

  “Take it or leave it,” Suzie said, holding up her pinkie for a pinkie swear.

  “Fine,” I said as we locked pinkies. “But only if you find my mittens. Otherwise the deal is off.”

  “Excuse me,” said Suzie, pushing me out of the way.

  “Hey, watch it! You almost stepped on my toe.”

  “I said ‘excuse me,’ ” said Suzie as she moved toward the closet.

  “It’s a waste of time looking in there,” I said. “The mittens aren’t there.”

  Suzie pushed some stuff around in my closet.

  “Like I said. It’s a waste of time.”

  Just then Suzie grabbed a coat out of the closet and stuffed her hands in the pockets. “Well, lookee here,” she said, grinning as she pulled the shark mittens out of the coat pockets.

  “Where did you find those?”

  “In this coat.”

  “Oh yeah,” I said, slapping my forehead. “I forgot I took them to school earlier this year for show-and-tell.”

  “You’re welcome,” said Suzie.

  “Yeah, thanks,” I said. “You’re the best sister in the whole world.”

  “I know,” Suzie said.

  “You want to help me get this stuff back in my closet?”

  “Nope,” said Suzie. “My job is done here. I’m going back down to finish my breakfast. But you’d better hurry, Freddy. You have to clean up this mess and make two beds. And you don’t want to miss the bus.”

  “I think we are going to get some snow today,” said our teacher, Miss Clark. “Does anyone know where snow comes from?” she asked.

  “I do! I do!” Max yelled, jumping up out of his seat. “The sky!”

  “Max,” said Miss Clark, “you need to raise your hand quietly and stay in your seat if you want to be called on.”

  I raised my hand.

  “Yes, Freddy. You have a quiet hand,” said Miss Clark. “Do you know where snow comes from?”

  “Yes, I do,” I said.

  “You do?” Jessie whispered.

  “Yeah,” I whispered back. “Robbie taught me.” My best friend, Robbie, is a science genius. He knows everything about everything.

  I turned to Miss Clark and said, “When the temperature drops below thirty-two degrees Fahrenheit, water freezes. The water droplets in the clouds then fall from the sky as snowflakes instead of raindrops.”

  “That is correct,” said Miss Clark.

  “Wow,” Jessie whispered, “Robbie would be impressed.”

  “Thanks,” I said and smiled.

  “I love the snow,” Max blurted out. “Snow is awesome!” He pumped his fist in
the air.

  “Max, please stop interrupting,” said Miss Clark.

  Chloe raised her hand.

  “Yes, Chloe.”

  “I love the snow because then I get to wear my pink fluffy hat, and my pink fluffy mittens, and my pink fluffy coat!”

  “Nobody cares, Pink Fluffy Girl!” barked Max.

  Chloe stood up out of her seat and turned toward Max. “You take that back, you big meanie!”

  “No way!” yelled Max.

  Chloe stamped her foot. “Take it back right now!”

  “Make me,” said Max, making his hand into a fist.

  “Chloe and Max,” said Miss Clark, “we do not speak to each other that way. You both need to be more respectful. Please sit down in your seats.”

  “But —” Chloe started to say.

  Miss Clark interrupted her. “I don’t want to hear another word. Sit down now.”

  Chloe and Max glared at each other and sat back down.

  “Now let’s see … where was I?” said Miss Clark.

  Jessie raised her hand. “We were talking about snow,” said Jessie.

  “Right, thank you, Jessie,” said Miss Clark, “and Freddy just gave us a wonderful explanation about where snow comes from.”

  “I know something else interesting about snow,” I said.

  “Really?” said Miss Clark, smiling. “I would love to hear it.”

  “My friend Robbie told me that no two snowflakes are alike.”

  “No way! You just made that up,” said Max.

  “Actually, Freddy is right,” said Miss Clark. “Every snowflake that falls from the sky is different from the last. You will never see two snowflakes that look exactly the same. Each snowflake is unique.”

  “That’s what my nana says about me,” said Chloe. “She says I’m unique.”

  “Of course she does,” Jessie whispered to me.

  “She says that there is no one else in the world like me.”

  “That’s for sure,” I whispered back.

  “Do you all know what a big snowstorm is called?” asked Miss Clark.

  “A blizzard!” said Max. “My dad told me that when he was little, there was a huge blizzard. The snow piled up so high that he couldn’t even open the front door!”

  “Whoa!” I said. “That’s crazy!”

  “I can’t even imagine that,” said Jessie.

  “Josh,” said Miss Clark. “You are being so quiet. Do you have anything you would like to share with us about snow?”

  “I don’t really know anything about snow.”

  “What do you mean?” asked Miss Clark. “I’m sure you know lots of things.”

  “Well, I’ve never even seen snow,” said Josh.

  “What?” said Max. “Everybody’s seen snow.”

  “Not me,” said Josh. “Where I was living in California, there was no snow.”

  “No snow?” said Max.

  “Yep,” Josh said, nodding his head. “No snow.”

  “How do you have Christmas without snow?” said Chloe. “Haven’t you ever heard of the song ‘White Christmas’?”

  “I’ve never had a white Christmas,” said Josh. “Last year on Christmas it was eighty degrees.”

  “Eighty degrees!” said Jessie. “That’s like summer.”

  “I think I even went surfing last Christmas.” Josh laughed.

  “That’s so cool that you were at the beach in December,” I said. “I don’t think I’ve ever worn a bathing suit on Christmas.”

  Josh laughed again. “While you guys were making snowmen, I was making sandcastles.”

  “Well, you’re in for a real treat,” said Miss Clark. “It is really quite beautiful when it snows.”

  “Yeah,” I said. “Snow is awesome!”

  “Recess is so much fun when it snows,” said Jessie.

  “Really?” said Josh.

  “Oh yeah!” I said. “You can make snowmen, and build snow forts, and …”

  “Make snow angels,” said Jessie.

  “Brrrr,” Chloe said, pretending to shiver. “I don’t like making snow angels. Sometimes the snow goes down your back, and it’s so chilly.”

  “You are such a little fancypants,” said Max. “Snow angels are the best!”

  “Wow! That really does sound like fun,” said Josh. “I can’t wait!”

  “Well, it looks like you won’t have to wait too much longer,” said Miss Clark.

  I looked out the window. “Hey, guys, look!” I shouted. “It’s started snowing!”

  “Yes!” Max said, pumping his fist in the air.

  “Woo-hoo!” Jessie said, doing a little dance and singing, “It’s snowing. It’s snowing.”

  “Get all of your gear on,” said Miss Clark. “It’s time for recess.”

  “Hurry up!” I said to Josh. “This is going to be the best recess ever!”

  “You were right, Freddy. This really is awesome,” Josh shouted as he raced through the fresh snow.

  “Wait for me!” I called after him.

  Josh stopped, picked up some snow, and threw it in the air. “It’s so light and fluffy.”

  I finally caught up with him. “Isn’t it great? I knew you would love it.”

  Just then Robbie came running up. “Hey, guys, what’s up?”

  “Guess what?” I said.

  “What?” said Robbie.

  “Josh has never seen snow before.”

  “No way!” said Robbie.

  “Yep. It’s true,” said Josh. “It never snowed where I lived in California.”

  “So what do you think?” asked Robbie.

  “I think it’s really sweet,” said Josh.

  “Sweet?” I repeated. “What do you mean? You’re not eating it, are you?”

  Josh laughed. “Oh, in California that means the same as awesome.”

  “Then I agree,” I said. “The snow is sweet.” We high-fived each other.

  “Let’s teach Josh how to make snow angels,” said Robbie.

  “Great idea!” I said. “Come here, Josh. Watch me.”

  I lay down in the snow and started sweeping my arms and legs up and down. “You just have to move your arms and legs like this.”

  Josh lay down in the snow next to me and did exactly what I was doing. He laughed. “This is fun!” he said.

  “Now stick your tongue out and try to catch some snowflakes on it,” I said.

  “Okay,” said Josh. He stuck his tongue out into the frozen air.

  “Did you catch any?” I asked.

  Just as I said that, I heard the voice. “Hey, what are you babies doing?”

  I would know that voice anywhere. It was Max. Why did he always have to spoil our fun?

  “I said, what are you babies doing?” he asked again.

  “Go away,” I mumbled into my scarf.

  “What did you say, wimp?” Max asked as he pulled me up off the snow by my jacket.

  “Nothing,” I whispered.

  “What? I can’t hear you,” Max said, tightening his grip on my collar.

  Josh jumped up and came over to Max. “I’ll tell you what he said. He said, go away.”

  I gulped. I couldn’t believe Josh was taking on the biggest bully in the whole second grade.

  “Oh really?” said Max, shaking a fist. “Is that what he said?”

  Josh grabbed Max’s hand.

  “What are you doing?” Robbie whispered.

  “I know what I’m doing,” said Josh. “Max, let go of Freddy’s jacket.”

  “Why should I?”

  “Because I said so,” said Josh. “You might scare other kids, but you don’t scare me. Now let go of Freddy’s jacket.”

  My heart was beating so fast I thought it was going to pop right out of my chest.

  Max looked at me. Then he looked at Josh. Then back at me. Finally, he let go of my jacket.

  “Whatever,” he said.

  I let out a big sigh. “Thank you,” I mouthed to Josh.

  “Max, no
one is afraid of you,” said Josh.

  “That’s not true,” said Max. “Freddy’s afraid of me.”

  “No, he’s not.”

  “Oh yes, he is,” said Max. “Freddy is just a little baby who is afraid of everything.”

  “Really?” said Josh. “I don’t think Freddy is afraid of anything.”

  “Well, why don’t you ask him about Cherry Hill?” said Max.

  “Cherry Hill?” said Josh. “What’s Cherry Hill?”

  “It’s the best sledding hill ever,” said Max.

  Josh laughed. “I don’t think Freddy is afraid of a little hill.”

  “It’s not a little hill,” Max said, smiling. “It’s a really big hill … the biggest hill around. And every year when we have a snow day, everyone goes sledding on Cherry Hill except for Freddy. The little baby is too afraid to go.”

  Josh looked at me. “I’m sure Freddy has gone down Cherry Hill a bunch of times.”

  I shook my head.

  “See,” said Max, flapping his elbows like a chicken. “Freddy’s a chicken. Cluck, cluck, cluck. A big, fat chicken.”

  “Not this year,” said Josh.

  Max stopped clucking. “What do you mean?”

  Yeah, I thought to myself. What do you mean?

  “This year Freddy is going to go down Cherry Hill,” said Josh.

  “Is he crazy?” Robbie whispered to me.

  “Uh-huh,” I whispered back.

  “Yeah, right,” Max said, snickering. “I’ll believe it when I see it.”

  “Well you’d better believe it, because you’re going to see it,” said Josh. “Right, Freddy?”

  I stood there, frozen.

  “Right, Freddy?” Josh said again.

  “Right,” I squeaked.

  Max turned to me and smiled. “Freddy, I dare you to race me down Cherry Hill. What do you say?”

  I opened my mouth, but no words came out.

  “He’ll be there. When’s the race?” asked Josh.

  “Tomorrow,” said Max. “I heard it’s supposed to be a snow day.”

  “Then we’ll see you on Cherry Hill tomorrow,” said Josh.

  “Be prepared to lose,” Max said, and started to walk away.

  “Oh, Freddy won’t lose,” Josh called after Max. “You’ll be the big loser. Just wait and see!”