Judy Moody Around the World in 8 1_2 Days - Megan Mcdonald [6]
“We could make a Leaning Tower of Pizza!” said Frank.
“Out of what?” asked Judy.
“Pizza tables! You collect them,” said Frank.
“Yeah, we could glue them all together into a tower,” said Rocky.
“No way!” said Judy. “I’m not letting you go all glue-crazy on my whole collection. Stick to eating paste.”
“Nobody’s eating paste,” said Rocky. “Just pizza.”
“You guys have pizza on the brain,” said Judy.
“Then let’s hear your un-pizza brainy ideas,” said Rocky.
Judy pointed to a picture in the book of people dancing in a circle. “We could do this. Dance the tar-an-tell-a.”
“I don’t know how to dance,” said Rocky.
“Especially the tarantula,” said Frank.
Mr. Todd passed by their table and saw the picture. “A dance from Italy is a very good idea,” said Mr. Todd. “Bella Tarantella.”
“See?” Judy grinned. “It’s a very good idea.”
“It’ll take some practice,” said Mr. Todd. “But you’ll get the hang of it.”
“My grandma has an old record of that dance,” said Rocky.
“Let’s all go to Rocky’s to practice,” said Judy. “How about Saturday?”
“Can’t!” said Rocky. “Frank and I will be at Fur & Fangs. Not like some people.” He gave Judy the hairy eyeball.
“I meant Saturday afternoon,” said Judy. “I’ll be back from Amy Namey’s by then.”
“I’d love to go to Rocky’s on Saturday,” said Jessica. “Sounds fun.”
“I don’t know,” said Frank. “The only time I tried to dance was around the Maypole in first grade. I tripped and got all tangled up in streamers and ended up looking like a human candy cane.”
“No human candy canes. We promise,” said Judy.
“Okay, then, everybody. How about we meet at my house on Saturday at two o’clock?” Rocky said.
“C’mon, it’ll be fun!” Judy elbowed Frank.
“Yeah, maybe if you’re an eight-legged spider,” said Frank.
On Saturday morning, Dad agreed to take Judy to Amy Namey’s house. Judy checked to make sure she had on BOTH of her watches. Her purple watch was set to regular time in Virginia. Her red striped watch was set to Italy time. And she wore her mood ring on her thumb so she could have a lucky thumb ring just like Nellie Bly, Daredevil Reporter. “Ciao, Mamma! Ciao, Stink!”
“Why do you keep saying chow?” asked Stink. “Like it’s time to eat or something.”
“Or something! Don’t have a cow, Stink. It’s Italian,” said Judy. “I’m learning words from Italy for our Around-the-World-in-Eight-Days project at school.”
“You mean your Drive-Your-Family-Crazy-in-Eight-Days project, don’t you?” asked Stink. Mom and Dad laughed.
“N-O!” said Judy.
“Does chow mean ‘hello’ or ‘goodbye’?” asked Stink.
“BOTH!” said Judy.
“Weird,” said Stink. “‘Hello’ means ‘goodbye’ in Italy? What a country!”
“Ciao, bambino,” Judy said to Stink.
“Bambino? Isn’t that a baby?” asked Stink. “I am not a baby!”
“Okay, then, ciao, fratellino.”
“What’s that?”
“‘Little brother.’ Wait, no. I’m wrong. Oh, yeah, I remember now. It’s BRATellino!”
“Is not.”
“Ya-huh! I mean, sì,” said Judy.
“How come you have on two watches?” asked Stink.
“You know how two heads are better than one?”
“Yeah. And two cuckoo clocks make you twice as cuckoo?”
“No,” said Judy. “Two watches are better than one, too.”
“Oh,” said Stink. “Where are you going, anyway?”
“To Amy Namey’s house.”
“But what about the Toad Pee Club? This morning we race Toady at Fur & Fangs. I might win a tarantula.”
“Buona fortuna,” Judy said.
“What’s tuna fish got to do with anything?” asked Stink.
“Nothing. It means ‘good luck,’” said Judy. “I don’t know how to say ‘bug off’ in Italian.”
“But you’re the one who always says Toady belongs to the whole Toad Pee Club, not just me. So we should all go. Together. That’s what makes it a club.”
“Stink, don’t you get it? I’m in a new club now. And today I’m going to get my own way-official, real-and-true membership card. For sure and absolute positive.”
“What club? Can I be in it? I want a way-official membership card.”
“It’s the My-Name-Is-a-Poem Club, Stink. Sorry. It’s only for people who have a name that rhymes. So unless you changed your name to Stink McFink —”
“I don’t care. I’ll be Stink McFink,