The Summer Vacation from the Black Lagoon (Black Lagoon Adventures series Book 17) Read online

THAT’S CALL, FOLKS

  I sharpen my pencil and stack

  my paper in a neat pile.

  Let’s see—how do I start? Where

  do I start? Starting is always hard.

  I check my eraser—it works.

  I sharpen my pencil again.

  I straighten my paper again—I’m

  ready to start writing. Suddenly

  the phone rings. Oh joy, saved by

  the bell.

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  “Hello?”

  “Hello. Who’s this?”

  “Hubie.”

  “Hubie who?”

  “Hubie cool. Who’s this?”

  “Gladys.”

  “Gladys who?”

  “Gladys Pinbottom. Any

  messages?”

  Click!

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  CHAPTER 16

  WAITING ON A LINE

  Life is strange.

  Back to the drawing board—or

  the writing desk, to finish my

  masterpiece. Well, actually, to

  start it. Let’s see . . . where was

  I, where am I, where do I want to

  go?

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  “It was the best of summers, it

  was the worst of summers. . . .”

  I read that beginning line some-

  where. I think it was A Tale

  of Two Cities—Cleveland and

  Cincinnati.

  I could borrow the line. Sort of

  like recycling . . . but more like

  stealing. Well, my eraser works.

  I’m back to square one again.

  I guess my ethics didn’t go to

  camp.

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  CHAPTER 17

  A-MUSING

  I’m getting pretty familiar with

  square one. I just may spend my

  whole summer in it. Wait! I have

  an idea.

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  “Once upon a time . . .” That’s a

  good beginning. All the fairy tales

  begin that way. I guess they don’t

  mind recycling. It’s not stealing,

  but it’s not original, either. I want

  my story to be original, ’cause

  I’m an original kind of guy.

  Besides, my story is not a fairy

  tale—it’s more like a nightmare.

  CHAPTER 18

  ON MY WAY!

  I sharpen my pencil again. The

  point wore down a little. Now it is

  nice and sharp. I clean my eraser.

  I straighten my paper . . . I’m

  ready to roll. I can see it now: I

  write a hit story, a classic. I sell the

  movie rights, I go to Hollywood

  openings, I meet lots of stars,

  I win awards, I get an A in

  English. All I have to do is start

  it. Let’s see . . . “Well, it’s summer

  vacation . . .”

  That’s good—straightforward,

  honest—I like it.

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  It’s a good beginning. Then the

  phone rings. I answer.

  “Gladys isn’t here—you’ve got

  the wrong number!”

  “Hubie?”

  “Yes, who’s this?”

  “Eric!”

  “Eric who?”

  “Eric, your best friend.”

  “I thought you were at camp.”

  “It doesn’t start till next week.

  What are you doing?”

  “I’m writing a story about

  summer vacation.”

  “Are you busy?”

  “Nope.”

  “Do you want to ride our bikes

  to the park and play, then go to

  the movies, then sleep over at my

  house . . . Hubie, are you there?”

  “No! I’m on my way to your

  house!”

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  EPILOGUE

  Well, I had a great summer.

  When the library opened, I joined

  the summer reading program. I

  read lots of great books.

  Eric’s camp was only two weeks

  long and when he came back he

  showed me a lot of cool baseball

  stuff.

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  Then, the rest of the kids got

  back and we put on a magic show

  and a play.

  Mom took us all to the museum

  and the water park.

  It turned out to be the best

  summer I ever had, and I even

  found time to write this story.

  I hope you like it.

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