Mrs. Simmons was sitting on her porch, looking sadly out onto her front lawn. Sarah was still looking under the porch and calling out Cody’s name. Cody could hear it from a half block away and began to bark. Sarah instantly looked up, while Mrs. Simmons climbed up the steps to get a better view.
She saw all of them clearly, a long line of bicycles riding two by two along the sidewalk. The Nelson twins were hooting and yelling at the rear. In the front was Cassidy, riding with one arm on the handlebars and the other holding onto the littlest member of the Simmons family. He was yelping now, and trying desperately to jump away.
They all streamed into the driveway of the Simmons house. Mrs. Simmons had already run out and started to cry. She reached out her arms and carefully took Cody from Cassidy.
“I can’t believe it! I really can’t!” she said as she hugged Cody while Sarah kissed the top of his head. “Where was he?” she asked Cassidy.
“Well,” Cass replied, “he was maybe five blocks away, ya know, across a few and down a couple. Far enough I guess. The little guy sure was scared.”
“Well, Cass, I can’t thank you enough,” Mrs. Simmons said solemnly, still wiping the tears away.
“Don’t just thank me. It was everyone who helped. And Suzie’s the one!” Cass said, pointing out her friend who was pulling up towards the rear. “Suzie got everyone together and planned the whole thing out.”
“Oh, well, um,” Suzie said, looking around at the others, “really everyone worked together. We all made for a very good team.”
This was when good fortune presented itself, as it often does to the doers of good deeds. The Mister Softee ice cream truck had turned the corner and was heading down the block. The truck turned on its distinctive music, with the chimes that can summon any kid from three blocks away.
“Let’s celebrate!” Mrs. Simmons said loudly out to everyone. “Who wants ice cream?” She knew that was a silly question, especially in the summer heat.
Everyone crowded together as the truck spotted them and pulled right up next to all of the bikes. Mrs. Simmons stepped forward, still holding Cody. “They get whatever they want,” she said to the man who popped his head out of the small window on the side of the blue and white truck. He was middle aged and wore a crunched up Mets hat. He smiled widely as he looked at all of the kids.
“You got it, lady,” he said.
They all lined up and most ordered chocolate and vanilla swirled soft ice cream in double scoop cones, all with sprinkles on top, usually rainbow flavored. Suzie ordered chocolate ice cream with chocolate sprinkles. Dwayne ordered a Bomb Pop, with its red, white, and blue ice that started to drip as soon as he unwrapped it. Everyone thanked Mrs. Simmons profusely as they began to devour the ice cream before it dripped all over themselves.
A small green car was driving by slowly and a man with sunglasses leaned out the window. He seemed very interested in the group gathered around the ice cream truck. He pulled over in front. He got out without much notice from them as they were busy angling their cones to catch every melting drip.
Mrs. Simmons couldn’t help but look at the man curiously as he looked and laughed at the whole gang. He was young, mid-twenties, had a short beard and large gold-rimmed sunglasses with green lenses. A khaki bucket hat covered his long hair. He had a denim shirt casually draped over blue jeans. Slung over his shoulder were two cameras on long straps and some other camera equipment. He kept his wide smile as he approached Mrs. Simmons.
“Wow, that’s a lot of ice cream. Great idea for a hot day,” he said to her.
“Well, they all deserve it,” she said, and held up Cody a little as he tried to sniff at the man. “They rescued my dog and I had to give some them some kind of a reward.”
“Really? A rescue? You don’t say,” the man said as his thick eyebrows raised over the rims of his sunglasses. He reached into his jeans back pocket and presented Mrs. Simmons with a little white card.
“Greg Flynn, I’m with the Post,” he said. “I’m a photographer slash reporter, slash everything really,” he laughed a little as Mrs. Simmons inspected his card. “Photojournalist, I guess that’s my official title nowadays. I’m out looking for summer photos. Good natured filler really, and your kids here would make for some great shots for the paper. Is it alright if I take a few photos, before it all melts?”
“Well, sure,” Mrs. Simmons answered, “I guess so. Is that okay with you guys?” she asked the group, as only a couple were paying any attention to the conversation. One of them was Dwayne.
“Yeah! Cool! Can you get me on my bike? And get my new wheel in the picture?” he asked very excitedly.
“Sure thing, what’s your name?” the man replied.
“Dwayne Sampson Wiggins”, he said proudly, folding his arms with his Bomb Pop and sitting high up on his bike.
“Why don’t you all come close together, let’s get a nice group shot,” said Mr. Flynn as he directed everyone to close in around Dwayne.
Suzie hung back a bit as she had finally received her ice cream and wanted to enjoy it for a minute, so she was in the rear of the pack.
“So tell me about the rescue. Where did it happen?” asked the man as he took a couple of pictures while kneeling in front of everyone and looking through his camera.
“Ah yeah- ya know, that’s just in a day’s work around here. I mean, that is what I’m all about,” Dwayne said as he motioned and punctuated everything with the bomb pop. “Ya know, I rescue stuff all the time.”
“Really?” the man asked, now pulling out a little yellow notebook and a little pencil as he started to jot things down.
“Hey-” Cassidy spoke up, “wait a minute now. It was Suzie’s idea.” She then stepped in front of Dwayne’s bike which prompted a very harsh look from Dwayne. “Yeah,” she continued, shooting a harsh look right back at Dwayne, “she’s the one. She organized the whole thing. She got everyone together. Came up with the plan. She did it!”
The man turned around towards Mrs. Simmons. “Sounds like you have a fan,” he said to her.
“Oh,” she answered him, “I’m not Suzie. Suzie, come out front and take some credit.”
Suzie took a step forward while she licked the other side of her double cone to catch some melting sprinkles. She did a quick wave with her free hand.
“Hiya,” she said with her mouth still half full.
The man snatched up his camera and took a few quick shots of Suzie with her cone still in hand.
“So what’s your full name?” asked the man.
“Suzie Snaggletooth!” replied the Nelson twins in unison.
“It’s, um, Singleton, Suzie Singleton,” Suzie answered the man, then smiled back to the twins. “That’s just a nickname.”
“Well, Ms. Singleton, why don’t we start this story from the beginning?” the man asked as he got his little notebook ready and began to write down most of what Suzie said, while Cassidy filled in any of the details she left out.
Before too long they were done, but not before Dwayne emphasized his role in the roadblock. Peter immediately spoke up, saying it was his idea, but he had to admit Dwayne played an important role. Then the man packed up his things and started to head back to his little green car.
“Hey mister,” Cassidy yelled out to the man as he sat down. “When is this in the paper?”
“Oh, I don’t know. It depends if it’s a busy news day. Could even be in a couple weeks. Sometime before summer is over, maybe. Keep an eye out, and keep buyin’ papers!” And with that he started his car and drove off, leaving them all a little bewildered as to when they might see their picture.
“Keep buying papers? What kind of answer is that? Goober!” Cassidy blurted out.
“Cassidy Dibella!” Mrs. Simmons said sternly.
“Sorry, but it was a simple question, “said Cass. “I mean, zeesh!”
The ice cream truck left and everyone drifted away one by one. Roberto and Dwayne seemed to hang on for another minute, but Suzie sto
od and stared at little Cody and remained quiet so they headed home as well. Suzie snapped out of it long enough to thank them for helping, then she returned and watched Cody as he ran around his front yard, regaining his courage.
“What are you all quiet about?” Cass finally asked her.
“I dunno, am I?” Suzie answered.
“Wanna play something?” asked Cass.
“Sure,” Suzie said, and they headed inside Cassidy’s house.
Cassidy brought out a few board games, but Suzie seemed a little distant the entire time. It wasn’t until Sarah came over that Suzie really put her heart into it.
Suzie made up a whole story about a kidnapped princess taken to a deserted island, which turned out to be Cassidy on a chair in her room. Suzie led a rescue team of herself and the ninja warrior, Sarah.
They were on a flying raft (that happened to be Cassidy’s bed). They had to leap over sharks and step on crocodiles (that remarkably resembled pillows on the floor), to get to the island and free Cassidy. It made for an afternoon of great fun. Still, Suzie was more excited about the rescue of Cody and what it could mean for her mission to save summer.
Chapter 5