Woe is the life of a six year old. I mean, who knew kids could be so… fickle? Snags has decided to start a club. But only kids who are nice to him can join. This leaves Trevor and Zane out, that’s for sure. Because they aren’t nice. In fact, they aren’t even Snags’ friends anymore. Especially Trevor, he’s downright mean.
Alarming, isn’t it? Just wait, there’s more.
What, I inquired, did Trevor do that was so mean?
“I don’t remember,” Snags said.
Okaaaay then, I thought. “Well, if you can’t remember what he did that was so mean, how do you know he was actually being mean?” I asked.
“Well, everyone knows you can’t break a pinky swear, but Trevor did. There’s a fiddle diddle that you can break a promise but you can’t break a pinky swear. Or maybe it’s you can break a swear but you can’t break a pinky swear… Or maybe it’s you can break a pinky promise but not a pinky swear. I can’t remember, but I think it’s you can break a promise but definitely not a pinky swear.”
Yes. Right. Of course. Clearly! I thought. “But wait!” I nearly shouted, as I held up my hand in the classic “Stop! Talk to the hand!” position. “A fiddle diddle?” I asked.
He rolled his eyes. “It’s like a rhyme, mom. Geez.” And in his mind I could hear him thinking, My mom is so uncool. She doesn’t even know what a fiddle diddle is and, God, what were you thinking? Why did you give me HER as a mom? She doesn’t even like Star Wars!
It took a little while, but three hours later I had managed to drag part of the story out of Snags. He and Trevor had made a pinky swear to not be mean to each other ever again. But now Trevor has gone and broken the pinky swear (which everyone knows you CAN’T DO!). And this all has something to do with Zane who won’t stay in his spot and gets up and tickles Nicholas under his chin at rest time, but he shouldn’t do that and even though Snags might have done that before it’s okay because Snags sits right beside Nicholas, but now Trevor and Zane and Snags can’t sit together and Zane has to sit in the red row but he doesn’t stay where he is supposed to and by God I don’t know what any of this has to do with a broken pinky swear except to say that six hours after the story began I learned that Trevor and Zane were covering their ears at lunch so they didn’t have to listen to Snags (talking about Star Wars again?) and everyone knows THAT’S not good. Because if you want to be part of the club and you cover your ears then you can’t hear what anyone in the club is saying!
Snags asked me to write this all down so as he gets more clues he can try to solve this mystery and figure out why Trevor and Zane aren’t his friends anymore and also this one: Why does Bryne change her mind?
“What does she change her mind about?” I asked.
“I love you, I don’t love you, I love you, I don’t love you…” he said, sounding exasperated.
See? Fair weather friends. And girlfriends. Or not.
Running With Books 