Stanley Yelnats answered the door, just after the doorbell rung. Standing
in the door way were three of his best friends. Squid, Zigzag, and X-Ray.
On the couch, in Stanleys' living room, Zero, Magnet, and Armpit were all
playing on Stanleys' PlayStation 2. Armpit was currently in last place on
the new racing game Zero had brought over. Stanley shook hands with each
one of his friends, and gave them all a welcoming smile. One by one they
entered the familiar hall, going into the huge white living room. They each
plopped onto the wide couch, cheering for Zero, who was winning the race.
Stanleys' mother came in with seven cans of soda. She gently placed the
tray on the glass coffee table.
"How nice to see all you boys again, is it already your fourth year of knowing each other?" she asked, placing her hands on her round belly, rubbing it. X-Ray squinted at Mrs. Yelnats.
"If I didn't know any better, Mrs. Yelnats, I'd say your having a baby!" he said, popping open his can of soda. She smiled warmly at him. Before she could say another thing, Squid answered her question.
"Yessum ma'am. This is D Tents fourth year of demolishing Camp Green Lake." A few of the guys laughed, while the other concentrated hard on the current game. Once more, the doorbell rung. Stanley jumped up. He seemed to soar through the air; he had lost so much weight. X-Ray nudged ZigZag.
"Who do you think that is?" he asked. ZigZag looked toward the door, and shrugged.
"Twitch? Maybe he contacted Stanley or something.who knows?" Fortunately for X-Ray, he didn't have to wonder very long. Stanley and a girl with long blonde hair entered the room. She whispered something to Stanley and he smiled and nodded. Zero paused the game and looked up. He already knew who the girl was a waved to her; she waved back with a smile. Stanley cleared his throat and everyone looked up.
"Guys, I'd like you all to meet Kelley. Kelley goes to mine and Hector, uh, Zeros' school." The girl smiled warmly at each one of the guys.
"Nice to meet you all," she said, looking at each one.
"I'm X-Ray, um Rex."
"I'm Ricky, but the fellows call me ZigZag." Kelley laughed at Zigzag's wild blonde hair. She gave the same reaction everyone else gave, so ZigZag just nodded his head and smiled along.
"The name is Jose, otherwise know as Magnet."
"I would be A-r-m, p-I to the T, Armpit.or Theodore," he said, almost whispering the 'Theodore' part "I guess I'm last. The name is Squid, I don't got no other name." He said, stubbornly chewing on his toothpick. Zero nudged him and he sighed.
"My real name is Alan." Kelley nodded and smiled.
"Stanley has told me all about all of you! You all seem so great." X-Ray gave a little nod.
"That's us! The great bunch!" he said raising his hand in the air. Everyone laughed, and Stanley sat himself and Kelley on the Yelnats love seat. They all stared at one another. They had never been sat down with a girl before, well at least a girl as proper as her. Stanley put his arm around Kelley, and she seemed to sense to uneasiness in the air.
"Sooo, any of you have girlfriends?" she asked.
"Nope," X-Ray said. Squid shook his head. Armpit let out a laugh, as in, no way. Magnet looked down and shook his.
"You already know my girlfriend, Maria." Zero said. ZigZag looked into space smiling. They all turned their gazes towards him.
"What about you, um, ZigZag? Ever have a girlfriend?" ZigZag still smiled, he made eye contact with Kelley.
"Once," he said "Once."
"How nice to see all you boys again, is it already your fourth year of knowing each other?" she asked, placing her hands on her round belly, rubbing it. X-Ray squinted at Mrs. Yelnats.
"If I didn't know any better, Mrs. Yelnats, I'd say your having a baby!" he said, popping open his can of soda. She smiled warmly at him. Before she could say another thing, Squid answered her question.
"Yessum ma'am. This is D Tents fourth year of demolishing Camp Green Lake." A few of the guys laughed, while the other concentrated hard on the current game. Once more, the doorbell rung. Stanley jumped up. He seemed to soar through the air; he had lost so much weight. X-Ray nudged ZigZag.
"Who do you think that is?" he asked. ZigZag looked toward the door, and shrugged.
"Twitch? Maybe he contacted Stanley or something.who knows?" Fortunately for X-Ray, he didn't have to wonder very long. Stanley and a girl with long blonde hair entered the room. She whispered something to Stanley and he smiled and nodded. Zero paused the game and looked up. He already knew who the girl was a waved to her; she waved back with a smile. Stanley cleared his throat and everyone looked up.
"Guys, I'd like you all to meet Kelley. Kelley goes to mine and Hector, uh, Zeros' school." The girl smiled warmly at each one of the guys.
"Nice to meet you all," she said, looking at each one.
"I'm X-Ray, um Rex."
"I'm Ricky, but the fellows call me ZigZag." Kelley laughed at Zigzag's wild blonde hair. She gave the same reaction everyone else gave, so ZigZag just nodded his head and smiled along.
"The name is Jose, otherwise know as Magnet."
"I would be A-r-m, p-I to the T, Armpit.or Theodore," he said, almost whispering the 'Theodore' part "I guess I'm last. The name is Squid, I don't got no other name." He said, stubbornly chewing on his toothpick. Zero nudged him and he sighed.
"My real name is Alan." Kelley nodded and smiled.
"Stanley has told me all about all of you! You all seem so great." X-Ray gave a little nod.
"That's us! The great bunch!" he said raising his hand in the air. Everyone laughed, and Stanley sat himself and Kelley on the Yelnats love seat. They all stared at one another. They had never been sat down with a girl before, well at least a girl as proper as her. Stanley put his arm around Kelley, and she seemed to sense to uneasiness in the air.
"Sooo, any of you have girlfriends?" she asked.
"Nope," X-Ray said. Squid shook his head. Armpit let out a laugh, as in, no way. Magnet looked down and shook his.
"You already know my girlfriend, Maria." Zero said. ZigZag looked into space smiling. They all turned their gazes towards him.
"What about you, um, ZigZag? Ever have a girlfriend?" ZigZag still smiled, he made eye contact with Kelley.
"Once," he said "Once."