The Games of Callie Baum: Chapter One

7/29/2019 The Games of Callie Baum: Chapter One

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The Games of

Callie BaumChapter One

Welcome To Callies

WorldMiss Baum, get your butt out

here! My mom said in her

special Angry Voice. She uses

that voice only when shes super

duper mad. I wonder whats up. I

havent gotten into trouble

lately. My puppy dog, Latty,

followed me around the house.

My favorite shoes, light orange

conversesI was wearing them


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right nowthudded against the

hard wood floor. Around the wall,

here we go, almost at the door! I

swing it open and freeze as our

neighbor, Ms. Shockman, stood

at the door. She looked so

professional compared to mymom. But they looked equally

angry. My moms foot tapped

like crazy. Latty sat down at my

feet and gave a friendly woofat Ms. Shockman. She pretended

not to notice. Well? She spoke

expectantly. Well what? I said.

My mom glared at me so fiercelyI stepped back. Well what? Ms.

Shockman snorted. I know it


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was you who stole the oranges

from my orange tree, Callen.

She spat indignantly. Callie, I

said, correcting her. And I didnt

steal your oranges. I made an

x over my heart. The Count

Callie honor! I proclaimed. Lattywoofed, as if she was agreeing

with me. I winked at her. No, it

was you alright! Ms. Shockman

said, pointing an accusing indexfinger at me. And I have proof!

She said. Let me see your

shoes, little girl. She always

calls me little girl. I dont likeit. I guess thats why she calls

me it all the time. But I take


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another step back. Even my

mother agrees with me. Huh. I

had forgotten she was there

momentarily, of course. Now,

now, Ms. Shockman But my

mom was cut off short. I said,

let me see her shoes, Ms.Shockman said, glaring at me. I

just shrugged and shook my

head, slipping off my orange

sneakers and revealing my neongreen socks. Mom just shook her

head like me. Latty whimpered.

One Ms. Shockman took my

right shoe two there goesmy left one three Goodness

GRACIOUS! Ms. Shockman


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threw my stinkbomb shoes

across the patio. They went up,

up, flying across the yard,

airborne, the loose laces flying

this way and thatploosh! They

landed in Moms bird bath,

scaring off a resting jay. Thoseshoes, Ms. Shockman spat out

the word shoes as if she was

talking about venomous snakes.

Cant say we didnt warn you, Isaid, giggling. Oh, no you

dont! Ms. Shockman stomped

across the yard, Mom trailing

after her. I knew she was bitingback a laugh. I followed them,

my neon green socks smashing


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and dominating the darker green

blades of grass. The grass

seemed to be in shock, coming

to realize the fact that my socks

were in the same color family as

them. But doesnt everything

need a little spunk every once ina while? Meanwhile, Ms.

Shockman was speechless. She

had no evidence. Maybe she was

hoping some orange pulp wasleft on my shoes. Who knows

until my other next-door

neighbor, Hannah Green, tripped

over her own feet, and the bigbulge in her striped tanktop

came tumbling out for all


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Woodway Drive to seeMs.

Shockmans missing oranges.

What a surprise. And when

Hannah stood there, bawling her

eyes out, Ms. Shockman scolding

her, and Mom frantically

searching for some sort of dogtag with a phone number on

Hannahs body she could call.

Just then, my best friend Michael

Pay, also known as the PaperBoy due to his newspaper-

throwing job, rode around the

bend and saw the scene. Me and

my ridiculous neon green socks,standing on my lawn, with Latty

sprawled out on the old rocking


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chair Granny gave to us (Lattys

strictly forbidden to go on it, but

she deals with the trouble and

goes on there in secret anyway),

Ms. Shockman yelling her head

off, and my mom turning

Hannah this way and thatsearching for that stupid

nonexistent dog tag. I just gave

him my I-have-no-clue face and

a shrug. He shook his head, andI blinked in exhaustion.

Welcome to my world, I

mouthed, and suddenly Moms

screech rang all over WoodwayDrive and rattled just about

every patio chair, WHERE IS


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THE STUPID TAG ON THIS

CHILD? and I slapped my

forehead. Ohh, Mom ohhhh.

The Games of Callie Baum: Chapter One

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