Ollie Oxley and the Ghost: The Search for Lost Gold

Ollie Oxley and the Ghost: The Search for Lost Gold — page 3
capital D small E-E Whatever drama queen For the record that’s so dumb Spelled capital D-U-M-B Stop Mom held out her arm to block Ollie’s way You know the rules No one crosses the threshold until I roll out the red carpet Oh brother He rolled his eyes This isn’t a Broadway premiere Don’t be silly Mom said racing ahead to roll out the red Welcome Home mat Every day is a premiere More like a bad movie he muttered unloading his suitcase from the car Snapping the handle in place he dragged the bag over the buckling sidewalk and up the stairs to the front door Can’t we just be a normal family for once We are normal Mom shook out the mat A cloud of dust billowed into the air We’re just a different kind of normal Normal people don’t move all the time He blinked furiously his hazel eyes watering from the dust Mom draped a reassuring arm around his sagging shoulders Sweetie I’m tired of moving too Uh-huh Ollie raked his fingers through his straw-colored hair and zoned out on a black beetle as it scuttled across the porch He watched until it disappeared beneath a stack of yellowing newspapers This time it’ll be different I promise Mom laid the Welcome Home mat at his feet The Bingham Theater has been here since I was a kid It’s not going anywhere and neither are we Can you just try and be happy she asked digging through her purse for the house key Ollie nodded but stayed silent He wanted to be happy Really