The Life of Ty: Penguin Problems Read Online Free PDF Page A

you!”
    She comes over to look, and she says, “Oh, sweetheart. My poor baby!”
    I’m not a baby, because Maggie’s the baby, and even so, I’m seven.
    But I don’t mind.
    Just this once.
    She hugs me, and in the middle of it, she sniffs my head. “Ty. You have got to take a bath.”
    â€œI think I’ll pass, but thanks for the offer,” I say politely. I’m not a fan of baths.
    â€œWrong answer, bug,” Mom says. “You don’t want to be the kid who everyone says, ‘ Ooo , he smells’ about.”
    â€œYes, I do.” Except I think about Price, and I know she’s right.
    â€œBath. Tonight. Especially since you have a field trip tomorrow.”
    â€œThe field trip isn’t tomorrow. It’s the day after tomorrow. Did you buy my Lunchable?”
    â€œNot yet. I will. Now back to Taylor. Did you tell a teacher he hit you?”
    I shrug.
    â€œMaybe you should hang out with someone else during recess,” she suggests.
    Maybe, but who? Lexie was doing rubber-band guns. And it was fun being Big Fat Babies until Taylor whacked me.
    I remember something, and my brain lights up.
    â€œHey, Mom? Can you get down my old pacifiers?”
    â€œYour old . . . ? No, Ty. Why in the world do you want your old pacifiers?”
    I eye the cabinet above the fridge. “Please?”
    Teensy Baby Maggie pluhs . Mom groans. There’s a dribbly bit of yuck on her shirt.
    â€œTy, I’m trying to fix dinner and take care of Maggie,” she says. “I can’t do everything.”
    â€œI just want to see them.”
    â€œNot now.”
    â€œWhen?”
    â€œI don’t know, Ty. When you can get them down for yourself. Why don’t you go play on your Wii, okay?”
    Because I don’t want to play on my Wii. I want to see my old pacifiers . And since Mom said “when you can get them down for yourself,” then I will.
    Because I can.
    I drag a stool over to the fridge.
    â€œTy, don’t you climb on that,” Mom warns, even though she’s facing the sink. She thinks stools are only for sitting on, because they’re high and the seat part is just a round circle. But I have very good balance. I might be a circus person one day.
    But, fine. I’ll climb on the counter. Mom doesn’t think counters are for climbing on, either, but I know they are. Otherwise why would they be there?
    I hear Dad pull into the driveway, which isn’t the best news. Dad also doesn’t think counters are for climbing on. But the good news is that the garage-door-opening noise will cover up my climbing sounds.
    Vrrrrmmmmmm . The garage door rattles, and I backward bottom-hop onto the counter by the fridge. I twist around, get to my knees, and rise to my feet . So far, so good, even in my socks.
    Clunk clunk clunk . That means the garage door is almost open, because that sound isn’t supposed to happen. Dad keeps saying he needs to get it fixed.
    With my left hand, I hold on to the cabinet closest to me. With my right hand, I reach for the cabinet above the fridge. My arm isn’t long enough, so I stand on my tiptoes and use finger nudgings to coax it open. Come on, cabinet door, I tell it . That’s right. Just a little farther.
    It opens! On the shelf is a glass bottle filled with brown stuff, and next to that is the hot glue gun. Behind the hot glue gun is a six-pack of Perrier. Behind the Perrier is . . . yes ! A plastic kids cup from the Olive Garden with pacifiers sticking out of it!

    The garage door thunks to a stop. I hear Dad’s car door open, I hear Dad’s door shut. I hear the garage door start to go down. All of this means hurry .
    I pretend I do have an extendable arm, and I grope for the Olive Garden cup. I’m touching it . . . I’ve almost got it . . . come on, come on —
    The back door opens, and one second later— half a second