"TOMMY CAN YOU HEAR NOW?" Timmy Tibble screamed from behind his brother Tommy, who was reading a picture book about fire stations. Pal leaped in fear while Mrs. Tibble dropped her checkbook and ran to see what was going on. Tommy, however, didn't even look up and calmly turned the page.
"Timmy, what on earth are you doing?"
"I thought if I screamed loud enough Tommy might hear again," Timmy answered, "was I not loud enough?"
"I'm afraid, Timmy, that while loud noise can remove you hearing, it can not return it to you," Mrs. Tibble explained.
"Oh," Timmy muttered in disappointment.
"Now please don't disturb me. Someone stole my identity recently and I'm going over my purchases just to be safe."
Timmy was confused. "Stole your identity?"
"It means that somebody found out my credit card number and has been using it to buy things so I get left with the bill instead of them."
"Oh. That's really bad."
"Yes, it is."
"Do they know who did it?"
Mrs. Tibble sighed. "No, they don't. The worst thing about identity theft is often times they are never caught. Anyway, why don't you take Pal out to the backyard?"
"Okay."
Mrs. Tibble exited the living room while Timmy walked over to Pal. "Come on, Pal, let's play with the tennis ball outside."
Pal leaped up in excitement and followed Timmy outside. He was always up for a game of catch.
Timmy looked at the ball and frowned. The ball had been a birthday present for Tommy from Grandpa Tibble before he died. Tommy would probably want to play if he could but Timmy couldn't ask him. A lady was teaching Tommy sign language, and offered to help Timmy learn as well, but Timmy found it very hard to learn.
"I hate DW," he muttered angrily.
Pal froze at the name of his old owner and stared down sadly. How could DW have destroyed the Read family like that? Was she sorry now it was too late?
Pal thought back to the thick, dark smoke that surrounded him as he just barely managed to pull Kate from the flames engulfing the Read's house. He reached the backyard and saw Jane's expression turn from horror to relief as she went to grab Kate. "Oh, Pal, thank you so much," Jane cried as she grabbed Kate. The year-old girl was as horrified over what was unfolding as her mother. Jane said something calming to Kate Pal couldn't decipher.
Pal looked back and his heart sank. The other Reads needed to get out soon.
"Pal? Why aren't you getting the ball?"
Pal was jolted from his flashback and saw Timmy stare in disappointment. Pal turned and saw that Timmy had thrown the ball across the yard. Pal ran to it and brought it back to Timmy, who threw the ball again.
Five months earlier
Arthur looked toward the living room with disgust. DW was watching Mary Moo Cow. Jane had informed Arthur that DW was allowed to watch television all day so she could get over the pain of being expelled from school. Jane believed that the school had been to hard on DW, who was a victim as much as Tommy Tibble. Tommy had apparently been standing near a speaker when DW tripped and accidentally raised the volume to the maximum level.
David's reporting of events, however, was from different from what Jane had said. According to him, DW had deliberately walked up to a stereo machine and intentionally blared it to the maximum level after intensely arguing with a teacher. A girl in class named Lisa had been witnessed the event, but Jane felt she wasn't a credible witness after the birthday party incident last year.
Arthur tended to believe his father's version was probably the correct one. Coincidentally, Arthur felt sick just as DW got picked so he was brought home as well. David had made it clear in the car he was about to give her a talking down for perhaps the first time Arthur could remember when they got home. But when they reached the house Jane intervened, and argued DW was innocent. They fought until David roared in impatience that he gave up, then locked himself in the garage. He had yet to come out two hours later.
"Don't just stand around, Arthur, make me a peanut butter sandwich, I've been hungry forever" DW barked. Mary Moo Cow had gone to commercial and she was hungry.
"You could have eaten lunch if you hadn't been expelled from school," Arthur noted.
DW rolled her eyes. "Yesterday's news, Artie. Now go make me one or I'll tell Mom on you. And I want potato chips with it."
"Artie?" Arthur repeated the word with great distaste. Nonetheless, he decided it would be better to just appease her demands and then waltz to his room as quickly as possible.
Arthur walked into the kitchen and sighed. He had only one rule for a peanut butter sandwich - smooth peanut butter. DW, however, was ridiculously picky. First she always one piece of bread having smooth and the other having chunky. Arthur had pointed out once that they would mix together anyway but she said he was insane. She also insisted on no crust, triangular shapes, and only would eat a specific brand of white bread. She also demanded that the triangles be stacked on top of her chips for some strange reason. And, finally, DW demanded that her chips be slightly microwaved for about twenty seconds before they were served, claiming they were uneatable otherwise.
Arthur was relived that to see they still had her favorite bread. He grabbed a plate from the cabinet and put two pieces of break on it, then pulled out a knife for the peanut butter. He then walked over to the refrigerator to grab peanut butter when Jane walked in.
"Arthur? Are you eating right now? We're going to have dinner shortly," Jane looked with distaste, "really, Arthur, gluttony and obesity may be trendy these days, but it isn't something I'll stand for."
"No, this isn't mine," Arthur protested, "DW told me she was hungry and said I should make a sandwich."
Jane looked skeptical. "Did she?"
"Ask her yourself!"
"That's a great idea," Jane said appreciatively and marched with Arthur into the living room. "DW? Did you ask Arthur to make you a sandwich?"
"No, Mommy. I'm not hungry".
Jane turned to Arthur. "Arthur, I'm extremely disappointed in you. Didn't we already establish the importance of exercise and good diet back when you wanted to be in that play? No wonder you've been looking fat recently. And blaming your sister after she had a bad day is all the worse!"
"A bad day?" Arthur repeated, "she ruined Tommy Tibble's life!"
"Nonsense. Plenty of deaf people live successful lives. It seems not only do we need to talk about overeating but also about respect for the disabled."
Arthur head was exploding right now. He could say many things right now - that DW was lying, that he already was tolerant of the disabled, that he didn't like being called fat, that DW shouldn't be watching TV after being expelled - but he knew it was pointless. He tried to mask his anger.
"Why are you looking at me like that, Arthur? Your not grounded, just don't snack and be nicer to your sister. Now go put that bread away while I feed Kate."
Jane walked upstairs leaving a humiliated Arthur to stare at the ground.
DW rolled her eyes. "Thanks for not getting me my sandwich, Artie."