one blink, I was behind her, pushing a button on my wristband.
My super zapatos do more than run. They can jump—right over the girl on the green bike. As I sailed in the air, I looked down to see something very lucky.
The bike had a basket, and the pink wallet was sitting inside, ready for a Zapato Power rescue.
I landed and ran back toward the girl on the green bike. She only saw me for half a second. I grabbed the wallet and zipped off in a puff of smoke.
3. A Not-So-Easy Hero Job
At the entrance to Starwood Park, I stopped to look inside the wallet.
Whew! The two twenty-dollar bills were still safely inside. Returning a wallet with missing money wouldn’t have made me look much like a superhero.
But who did the wallet belong to? A library card gave me the answer: ADRIANA SOTO.
I knew Adriana. She was a counselor at my summer camp. She also lived at Starwood Park. This was going to be an easy hero job. I pressed the button on my wristband.
I raced down the sidewalk, looking for a tall girl with a long ponytail. She wasn’t hard to find. Adriana was on her way home to Starwood Park, walking sideways, staring at the ground. She didn’t see the fire hydrant she was about to run into. My hero job just got a little harder.
I reached Adriana just in time to bump into her.
We both fell over. The pink wallet flew out of my hand.
“Freddie!” Adriana shouted. “What are you doing?”
“Saving you from the fire hydrant.”
Adriana rubbed her elbow.
“Thanks. I guess.”
“Are you all right?” a deep voice said.
I looked up at Mr. Vaslov. This was the second time in one afternoon he’d found me on the ground. Superheroes should fly, not fall on their bottoms. They should also do a better job of catching people.
“We’re fine,” Adriana said. “But I lost my wallet. Did you see it?”
Mr. Vaslov pointed at something behind us. “Is it pink?”
“Yes!” Adriana leaned over and grabbed it. “Thanks! My wallet must have fallen out of my pocket. I’m glad to have it back.”
I was glad Adriana had her wallet back, too. I just wanted to be the one to give it to her. Sometimes hero jobs turn out to be duds.
“How’s summer camp going?” Mr. Vaslov asked.
“Freddie is one of my Tadpoles,” Adriana said, “in swimming lessons.”
The Tadpoles were the beginners. After that came the Frogs, the Dolphins, and the Sharks. One day, I wanted to be a Shark. But so far, all I’d learned how to do was cling to the side of the pool and kick my legs.
“Not enough kids at Starwood Park know how to swim,” Mr. Vaslov said. “I’m glad you’re teaching Freddie how to be safe in the water.”
“Mrs. Barlow, the swim coach, wants to do more than that,” Adriana said. “She wants to teach Freddie and lots of other kids to be lifeguards one day.”
Lifeguards save people! That was for me. If I could learn to put my face in the water, I could be a lifeguard!
Adriana put her hand on my shoulder. “Tomorrow, Mrs. Barlow plans to spend extra time with Freddie while I help the other campers.”
Extra time? Mrs. Barlow liked the way I kicked the water. She said if I’d just let go of the side of the pool, I’d do great.
“Good!” Mr. Vaslov said, just as his cell phone rang. “Leaking bathtub in 15C? I’ll be right there.”
Since Mr. Vaslov hurried off to fix the bathtub, Adriana and I walked home together. We said good-bye at her apartment, and I went on alone to 29G, where I live.
That’s when two things happened at once. I stepped in another wad of grape bubble gum, and the girl on the green bike rode up.
4. POP!
The girl on the green bike parked in front of me, blocking my way.
“How’d you get that wallet out of my basket?”
Her voice sounded like a growl. I wanted to back away—nice and slow—the way I’ve seen people do on TV when they meet bears in the woods. But my shoe was sticky with bubble gum. I needed to clean it off first. Who was throwing gum on the
My super zapatos do more than run. They can jump—right over the girl on the green bike. As I sailed in the air, I looked down to see something very lucky.
The bike had a basket, and the pink wallet was sitting inside, ready for a Zapato Power rescue.
I landed and ran back toward the girl on the green bike. She only saw me for half a second. I grabbed the wallet and zipped off in a puff of smoke.
3. A Not-So-Easy Hero Job
At the entrance to Starwood Park, I stopped to look inside the wallet.
Whew! The two twenty-dollar bills were still safely inside. Returning a wallet with missing money wouldn’t have made me look much like a superhero.
But who did the wallet belong to? A library card gave me the answer: ADRIANA SOTO.
I knew Adriana. She was a counselor at my summer camp. She also lived at Starwood Park. This was going to be an easy hero job. I pressed the button on my wristband.
I raced down the sidewalk, looking for a tall girl with a long ponytail. She wasn’t hard to find. Adriana was on her way home to Starwood Park, walking sideways, staring at the ground. She didn’t see the fire hydrant she was about to run into. My hero job just got a little harder.
I reached Adriana just in time to bump into her.
We both fell over. The pink wallet flew out of my hand.
“Freddie!” Adriana shouted. “What are you doing?”
“Saving you from the fire hydrant.”
Adriana rubbed her elbow.
“Thanks. I guess.”
“Are you all right?” a deep voice said.
I looked up at Mr. Vaslov. This was the second time in one afternoon he’d found me on the ground. Superheroes should fly, not fall on their bottoms. They should also do a better job of catching people.
“We’re fine,” Adriana said. “But I lost my wallet. Did you see it?”
Mr. Vaslov pointed at something behind us. “Is it pink?”
“Yes!” Adriana leaned over and grabbed it. “Thanks! My wallet must have fallen out of my pocket. I’m glad to have it back.”
I was glad Adriana had her wallet back, too. I just wanted to be the one to give it to her. Sometimes hero jobs turn out to be duds.
“How’s summer camp going?” Mr. Vaslov asked.
“Freddie is one of my Tadpoles,” Adriana said, “in swimming lessons.”
The Tadpoles were the beginners. After that came the Frogs, the Dolphins, and the Sharks. One day, I wanted to be a Shark. But so far, all I’d learned how to do was cling to the side of the pool and kick my legs.
“Not enough kids at Starwood Park know how to swim,” Mr. Vaslov said. “I’m glad you’re teaching Freddie how to be safe in the water.”
“Mrs. Barlow, the swim coach, wants to do more than that,” Adriana said. “She wants to teach Freddie and lots of other kids to be lifeguards one day.”
Lifeguards save people! That was for me. If I could learn to put my face in the water, I could be a lifeguard!
Adriana put her hand on my shoulder. “Tomorrow, Mrs. Barlow plans to spend extra time with Freddie while I help the other campers.”
Extra time? Mrs. Barlow liked the way I kicked the water. She said if I’d just let go of the side of the pool, I’d do great.
“Good!” Mr. Vaslov said, just as his cell phone rang. “Leaking bathtub in 15C? I’ll be right there.”
Since Mr. Vaslov hurried off to fix the bathtub, Adriana and I walked home together. We said good-bye at her apartment, and I went on alone to 29G, where I live.
That’s when two things happened at once. I stepped in another wad of grape bubble gum, and the girl on the green bike rode up.
4. POP!
The girl on the green bike parked in front of me, blocking my way.
“How’d you get that wallet out of my basket?”
Her voice sounded like a growl. I wanted to back away—nice and slow—the way I’ve seen people do on TV when they meet bears in the woods. But my shoe was sticky with bubble gum. I needed to clean it off first. Who was throwing gum on the
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