Otis Spofford by Beverly Cleary

after them, but I wasn’t chasing them.” Otis did not suppose his mother would see the difference.
    “Now, Otis,” said Mrs. Spofford. Then she saw his skates. “Otis Spofford, is that any way to treat a perfectly good pair of skates?”
    “No, but…” Otis saw Ellen and Austine walking rapidly down the street. Now how was he going to explain to his mother? “No, but…” he started again.
    His mother interrupted. “Otis, I don’t know what gets into you. Now run along home while I pick up some groceries for lunch.” Valerie Todd Spofford turned up the collar of her coat against the cold and hurried down the street.
    Girls! thought Otis grimly, as he limped along on his aching legs. And now his mother said he was chasing them. Well, they could keep his old shoes. He didn’t care. He probably had so many blisters on his toes he couldn’t get them on anyway. Maybe he would have to stay home from school. Then they would be sorry.
    Otis felt more and more sorry for himself. The more he thought about himself, the sadder he became. Half frozen. No shoes. Blisters on his feet. Picked on by girls. Misunderstood by his mother. And hungry besides.
    When at last Otis limped up the street to his apartment house, the only person in sight was Bucky, who was sitting on the front steps eating a cupcake. There was a lopsided snowman near the steps.
    Wearily, Otis threw himself down beside Bucky. “Hi,” he said, looking hungrily at the cupcake. Just his luck to run into Bucky. Now he would have a lot of explaining to do about his skates. Little kids always asked so many questions.
    “Hi,” said Bucky, digging into the pocket of his snowsuit. “Want a cupcake? I saved one for you.”
    “Sure.” Otis took the crumbled cupcake. He took a big bite. Mmm, chocolate with nuts. He felt better almost at once, but, boy, how he ached! And his feet!
    “How come you’re wearing skates?” Bucky wanted to know.
    “Because.” Otis’s answer was muffled by a mouthful of cupcake. What would the kids at school say when they heard about the good joke Ellen played on him? And it was a good joke, he grudgingly admitted. She sure did get even with him for cutting her hair. He just hoped she brought his shoes back before Monday. Otis started to lick the frosting off his fingers so he could unlace his skates.
    Suddenly Ellen and Austine popped around the corner of the apartment house. “Why, there’s Otis Spofford.” Austine pretended to be surprised.

    “Fancy meeting you here,” said Ellen sweetly.
    Now what? thought Otis, as he glared at the girls.
    “We found a pair of shoes and a pair of boots at the lake and we wondered if they were yours,” said Ellen. Both girls went off into a gale of giggles.
    “Otis,” said Bucky, “how could you forget your shoes?”
    This made the girls scream with laughter.
    “Aw, cut out the funny business.” Otis was too tired to think about washing the girls’ faces with snow. All he wanted to do was sit right where he was. “You give me my shoes.”
    “So long as you said you were sorry you cut my hair, you can have them if you promise to stop teasing me,” said Ellen.
    “And cross your heart and hope to die and stew and fry,” added Austine.
    Otis was silent. Girls!
    “Well, come on, Austine,” said Ellen. “I guess he doesn’t want his shoes back.”
    “I guess not,” agreed Austine, starting to walk away.
    “Hey, wait a minute,” begged Otis. “I’ve got to have them.” Then he thought of something. Quickly he thrust one hand behind his back.
    “Are you going to stop teasing me?” Ellen demanded.
    Otis didn’t want to say it. “Okay,” he muttered.
    “And cross your heart and hope to die and stew and fry,” repeated Austine firmly.
    “’S m’ heart, hope to die ’n’ stew ’n’ fry,” Otis mumbled.
    The girls handed him his shoes and boots. Then they burst into a fit of giggles and started down the street.
    “Are you really going to stop teasing Ellen?”