Leslie looked around Mrs. Jewls’s room for a rope or an extension cord or something for Paul to grab, but she couldn’t find anything.
She returned to the window, sighed, then leaned out backward. Her hands tightly held the edge of the counter as she looked up at the sky. “Grab my pigtails,” she said, then winced.
A big smile came across Paul’s face. “Really?” he asked.
“Just do it!” said Leslie.
The pigtails hung about a foot above Paul’s head. He let go of the brick with his right hand and grabbed her right pigtail.
“Yaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh!” Leslie yelped.
He grabbed her left pigtail with his left hand.
“Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh!” she screamed.
“Okay, pull me in,” said Paul. His legs dangled beneath him.
Leslie’s eyes watered in pain as she tried to step away from the window. “I can’t!” she groaned. “You’re too heavy.”
Paul swung his legs up against the side of the building. “Try now.”
Leslie groaned, then took a small step away from the window as Paul took a small step up the wall. Then they each took another small step. At last Paul managed to get one foot on top of the brick that jutted out.
Leslie pulled her head inside the window. As she took another step, Paul let go of one pigtail and grabbed the windowsill. Leslie took another step, pulling Paul the rest of the way through.
They both collapsed on the floor, tired and sore.
“Ooh, my head hurts,” said Leslie.
“Wow, you saved my life,” said Paul. “Well, don’t worry, someday I’ll save yours.”
“You don’t have to,” said Leslie. “Just don’t pull my pigtails anymore.”
“I won’t,” said Paul. Suddenly he laughed.
“What’s so funny?” asked Leslie.
“This time your pigtails pulled me.”
g
Chapter 7
Freedom
Myron crumbled a cracker on the windowsill next to his desk, then looked away. He knew Oddly came only when nobody was looking.
A little while later a bird landed on the windowsill and ate the crumbs. Myron watched him out of the corner of his eye.
He was a black bird with a pink breast. Myron had named him “Oddly.” Myron had named him oddly.
“Is that your dumb bird again?” asked Kathy.
“No,” said Myron. “Oddly is not my bird. I don’t own him. He doesn’t live in a cage. Oddly is free!”
“You’re a birdbrain,” said Kathy.
Myron watched Oddly fly away. It made him sad and glad at the same time. He wished he could fly away across the sky with Oddly.