Small Steps (Holes 2)
Page 29
“So what do you want to drink?” Murdock asked X-Ray.
Next to the cash register was a large metal bucket filled with ice and soft drinks.
“Root beer,” said X-Ray.
Murdock looked at Armpit. “Let me guess. The same?”
Armpit shrugged.
“Does he tell you when to go to the bathroom, too?”
Armpit smiled and sheepishly shrugged.
And now that you got me . . .
in your arms,
Ooh, I feel so . . .
soft and warm.
There’s only one thing
I want to say . . .
Armpit bit into his sandwich. He’d eaten a lot of barbecue in his life, but this might have been the very best. Of course, that might have had something to do with the fact that he now had all his money back, and then some.
Just hold on!
a little longer.
Just hold on!
a little bit longer.
Hold on, baby,
just a little bit longer
And then I’ll be on my way.
12
X-Ray sold four more tickets to a couple of high school students from Westlake, and just like that, Armpit had another two hundred and seventy dollars. He was up three hundred dollars, and there were still two tickets left, which would mean another hundred and thirty-five for him.
The final two ruler-of-the-world campaign speeches were given Thursday morning. The second-to-last speech was given by Claire, Tatiana’s friend, who brought Dumbo the Elephant.
“. . . so all the other elephants made fun of him, but then he got drunk and ended up in a tree, and these birds sang to him. And then his mouse friend said he could fly because of a magic feather. . . .”
“Yeah, I’ve seen the movie,” a boy in back said, but Claire just continued.
“I used to love that movie!” Armpit heard Tatiana whisper. He wondered if she still planned to vote for Coo.
The last speech, given by Robbie Kinkaid, was for an armadillo name Joe. Robbie obviously made up the speech as he went along, including the name of his armadillo.
“This is an armadillo, I think. You can vote for him if you want. His name is . . . Joe. Joe the Armadillo. He’s brown, and has four legs, and this shell thingy. . . .”
Then came the vote.