The Squirting Donuts Read Free Page B

the house is a row of those bushes that are always green and they’re trimmed into perfect rectangles. On one side is a long gravel driveway.
    There’s no sign on the front lawn, but I tell Calvin I think he’s right.
    â€œWhat do we do now?” I ask.
    â€œWe make sure it’s her house.”
    We slowly walk down the block until we’re right across from it.
    â€œThere’s no car in the driveway and the windows are all closed,” Calvin whispers. “Whoever lives in that house is probably not home.”
    Calvin crosses the street and I follow him. He starts up the walk of the blue house toward the front door.
    â€œHey! What are you doing?”
    â€œSh!” Calvin says and holds his pointing finger to his lips.
    I follow him, but I’m not happy about walking on someone else’s property, especially if it’s Mrs. Cakel’s.
    There’s a small painted basket attached to the wall by the front door and it’s loaded with mail.
    â€œWe’re in luck,” Calvin says and takes the mail from the basket.
    â€œPut that back,” I tell him. “Taking someone else’s mail is against the law. You might get us arrested.”
    â€œHer name is on the mail. This is where she lives,” he tells me, “and her first name is Beatrice. She’s Beatrice Cakel.”
    Calvin looks at the name on each of the letters.
    â€œEvery letter is addressed to Beatrice Cakel, so I think she lives alone.”
    â€œPut that back and let’s get out of here,” I tell him.
    Calvin looks at me and says, “You would make a lousy spy.”
    He looks at the mail again.

    â€œThere’s a news magazine, an electric bill, an advertisement for a new car, and a letter from some place called ‘Protect the Animals.’ She doesn’t like children but I guess she likes animals.”
    â€œPut it back.”
    Calvin puts the mail back in the basket.
    â€œLet’s just get out of here.”
    Calvin leaves the front door and walks around the side of the house. I should leave but I don’t. I follow him.
    Her backyard is neat too. There’s a tall white fence around it. The grass is dark green and short, like you’d see on a golf course. In one corner is a large patch of dirt with sticks and on each stick is a sign: Carrots; Cucumbers; Cantaloupe; Casaba Cauliflower.
    â€œLook at that,” Calvin says. “She only planted vegetables and melons that begin with the letter C . Cakel begins with C . My name begins with a C . Maybe that’s why she likes me so much.”
    I think he’s joking about her liking him.
    I wait by the back door as Calvin walks toward the back fence. He walks all along the fence and then returns to me.
    â€œI didn’t find anything,” he says. “I guess we can go.”
    Crunch! Crunch! Crunch!
    What’s making that noise?
    I look around the side of the house and see an old blue car coming up the driveway. I’m too scared to try and see who’s driving it but I’m sure it’s Mrs. Cakel.

    â€œWe have to get out of here,” I tell Calvin.
    The fence has us trapped. The only way out of the backyard is the way we came in. We have to walk around the side of the house to the front.
    â€œWe can’t leave now. She’ll see us,” Calvin whispers. “We have to hide back here until she goes in.”
    I look around. There’s just grass, the fence, and the vegetable and melon garden that right now is just dirt. There’s absolutely no place to hide.
    â€œWhere?” I ask.
    â€œCome with me.”
    He lies down on the grass under one of the windows.
    â€œEven if she looks out, she won’t see us.” He smiles and says, “You’re lucky I’m here.”
    No, I’m not. If Calvin wasn’t here, I wouldn’t be lying on the grass and hiding. I would never have even walked up to Mrs. Cakel’s front door. I’d be on my