Chapter 1

This is the first chapter in Spud's story

Chapter 1

Brrnnnggg! The school bell sounded. Mrs. Thompson, a plump, gray-haired woman in an odd-fitting green dress, called to her class, “See you in the fall, suckers!” Graded papers fluttered to the floor behind her as she disappeared through the classroom door. Joyful laughter and excited screams filled the air as all of her students followed and charged towards their summer vacations. All of her students, except for one wavy-haired little girl with two dark brown pigtails with red raccoon stripes. Stooping low she shuffled through the papers, searching for the one with her name on it.

“Aha!” she exclaimed as her eyes landed on the swooping letters of the name Spud Black scrawled neatly across the top of one of the sheets. “C minus? Ugh! I swear no one around here understands me!” Spud scanned the comments written in red ink by her teacher. “WHAT! No basis in reality? Unfounded accusations? No proof?” There was no one around to hear Spud’s protests to the comments but she kept going anyway, letting her frustrations out. “The evidence is clear! The lunch ladies are space aliens.” Even if Mrs. Thompson disagreed, Spud knew the truth. She knew the aliens were using the cafeteria as the first step towards a full-scale invasion. She crumpled the paper and threw it. “Jordan!” she said as it sailed across the room and landed in the recycling bin. “I guess I’ll just have to save the school from the alien threat by myself.” She slung her bag over her shoulders and stomped off towards the pickup line.

“Mommy! Daddy! Why are both of you here?” Spud asked as she climbed into her booster seat in the back of the minivan.

“We love you too, tater,” Dad said as he looked at his daughter in the rearview mirror.

“It’s the last day of school, Scarlet. We wanted to be here to support you and start your summer the right way,” said Mom.

“Adventure awaits. You just have to find it,” said Dad.

“I’ve found it! There are aliens in the cafeteria!” Spud excitedly exclaimed.

Mom calmly asked, “What proof do you have?”

Spud waved her arms enthusiastically and said, “Item One: they are using the school to change the atmosphere. They are increasing the amount of methane in the air to raise the Earth’s temperature! Lizard people love the heat!”

“You mean they served beans and kids farted?” asked Dad.

“Precisely! Item two: mind control! Kids will do anything the lunch ladies tell them to do if it gets ‘em an extra chocolate milk or two.”

“To be fair, elementary school cafeteria chocolate milk in its little cardboard containers is delicious. I miss the taste of it myself some days, and I’m not under the control of aliens,” said Mom.

Spud looked at Mom suspiciously. “That’s just what they want you to think!”

Dad laughed, “Indeed.”

“Item three-”

Mom cut off Spud before she could continue. “Scarlet, we love how creative and imaginative you are, but Myrtle, Ethel, and the other lunch ladies aren’t aliens. They’ve been working hard to feed kids every day since I was a little girl. I don’t want you to start any rumors about them. Do you understand me?”

“Yeah, but-”

“No buts! Do you understand?” said Mom.

“Yes, Mommy. I understand,” said Spud. She thought I’ll humor Mom for now and search for proof of the alien invasion later.

“Good. Now that that’s settled, your father and I have something for you.” Mom handed Spud a neatly wrapped package.

Spud gasped with excitement. “Oh my gosh!” She quickly composed herself and carefully unwrapped the gift to show her parents she was maturing. Mom and Dad exchanged a knowing glance. “A book.” The intoxicating smell of the leather cover reminded her of the books on the top shelf in Mom’s office. She opened it up and flipped through several pages. “With nothing in it. And look! Some other, uh, things?” Spud did not mean to sound ungrateful, but she found it difficult to hide her disappointment.

“It’s an adventurer’s pack! Your brothers and sister each got one when they were your age. Now it’s your turn!” Mom smiled proudly, “The book is a journal. It’s about time you think about following in my footsteps as a writer. A journal is a great way to practice. Or you can write some of those creative ideas about the lunch ladies and make it into a story.”

“But I’m not making it up about the lunch ladies.” Before her mother could respond, Spud exhaled deeply and changed the subject. “What’s a journal for?”

“Listen, little potato, journaling is a good way to keep track of what you’ve done, where you’ve been, and your thoughts,” said Dad.

“Okay. And?” asked Spud.

“And unfortunately you inherited some of my scatterbrain tendencies. Writing things down will help you keep track of and organize your thoughts,” said Dad.

“Hmm… that checks out,” laughed Spud. “But what about the compass, Mom? You always say we are ‘free spirits that go wherever the winds take us.’”

“That’s still true. But no matter what course the winds set for you, the compass will help you find true North and your way home,” said Mom.

“That’s an excellent point, love. If you ever get lost, the journal will show you where you’ve been, and the compass will help you find your way. Get it?” Dad confirmed Spud understood.

Spud squinted her eyes and shifted them back and forth between her parents before responding, “Yeah, I get it. But what’s the pocketknife for?”

“Adam!” Mom sounded annoyed and slightly angry.

Dad smiled, “That is a Swiss Army Knife. It’s a handy tool for any adventurer. It’s got a nail file, a bottle opener, a can opener, a tiny saw, scissors, a screwdriver, a corkscrew, some fishing line, a toothpick, and several knife blades. It’s just like the one I got when I was your age. Unfortunately, I got stitches and this scar on my forehead an hour after grandpa gave me mine. So I will need that back until you’re a little older. Sorry, tater. I promise I’ll keep it safe for you.”

Spud looked at the scar across Dad’s right eyebrow. She bet it hurt when it happened, “Okay, Dad. Thank you both. I love all the presents.”

“You’re welcome. Use them well. We don’t want your brain going to mush behind a screen this summer,” Mom said with a wink.