Playday

By Kathryn Owens

When the kids from Alex’s neighborhood get together it becomes one of the greatest adventures they’ve ever had! Castles, dinosaurs, giants, horses and more! There’s no limit to what they are able to do! Hold on tight and get ready to join them for the wildest time any child could possibly imagine!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jul 19, 2022
• ISBN: 9781669837329

Kathryn Owens

to be followed

Book preview

Copyright © 2022 by Kathryn Owens.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Rev. date: 07/12/2022

Xlibris

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CONTENTS

Playday

For Ellie

and Reggie and Al, Ray,

Samuel and Elijah-God’s gifts

PLAYDAY

Alex rolled over in her bed and opened her eyes. Filling her view was her little sister Maggie’s pug, Ugmo. Alex winced as she looked at the face the dog had been unfortunate enough to be born with. Its eyes were the largest feature on it, and they bugged out from both sides of its head. It looked like a fish that was about to explode. It had a nose the size of a fingernail, and it was pushed back into its face, making it a miracle the animal could breathe at all. And its little forehead was covered with a handful of wrinkles that made the ears appear to be nothing more than tiny triangles sticking straight into the air.

The dog panted heavily, breathing its awful doggie breath all over Alex. Alex sighed, covered her nose, and called out to her sister, Maggie!

The girl popped up from beside the bed and innocently said, What?

Alex couldn’t help but smile at the sight of her sister. She was an impish seven-year-old (going on twenty her friends always said), with the cutest set of ringlets for hair and the fattest cheeks humanly possible. Alex often thought of the hamster she’d had when she was younger. Maggie’s cheeks were twice the size of the little rodent’s—even after its cheeks were holding half a bowl of food! And that was when Maggie’s were empty! Alex laughed when she thought of how big Maggie’s head would look if she filled her mouth full like a hamster did.

But her smile faded when she thought of having to get rid of Duke when her parents bought Ugmo for Maggie. Every time Ugmo saw the hamster, the stupid dog would faint. Actually faint dead away. And since her parents had paid two hundred dollars for the purebred mutt, Ugmo got to stay, and the rat had to go. Although he only went across town to Grandma’s, Alex and her friends never forgave the little pug.

Maggie, what’re you doing? Alex demanded, brushing her long black hair out of her face.

Let’s go out and play, the child said happily.

Alex groaned. Every weekend it was the same thing. Maggie was there the second Alex opened her eyes, and she tortured Alex to go play. Alex wondered if the kid slept on the floor beside her bed just so she would have the first word of the day with her.

I can’t play with you today, Alex said. The gang’s going to meet me at the tree house.

She got out of bed and stretched, looking for a scrunchie to tie her hair back with. She looked at her sister and her beautiful long ringlets and fingered her own hair. It was dead straight. Not a wave or a ripple anywhere to be found. And although it was quite pretty, she’d always wanted it short. She wanted to dye it stark blonde and cut it all off in one of those gorgeous movie-star looks that were all the rage. But her mom wouldn’t let her. What does an eleven-year-old want with short old-lady hair? she’d always say.

Mom, Alex would answer, short hair doesn’t make you old! It makes you have short hair! Nothing more! And her mom would always say, But then you wouldn’t look like my little princess anymore. So Alex would throw up her hands and tie her hair into a knot, knowing there was no arguing with the boss. Not yet, but maybe in a few years.

Can’t I come? Maggie asked.

No, it’s only for kids eight and over! Don’t you have any friends that you can play with? Friends that like you?

Her little sister looked down sadly and picked the dog up. Alex suddenly felt bad. She grabbed her shirt and shorts from the edge of her bed and walked to the bathroom, Maggie and Ugmo close on her heels.

Sorry, Mags, she said. I didn’t mean it. She paused at the door of the bathroom. But could you go watch cartoons or something! I’d like to do this alone! She went inside and closed the door.

Maggie headed down the stairs. She stopped at the front door, paused for a moment, then pulled it open.

Brian was walking up the front steps, a pad of paper and box of crayons tucked under his arm. How do you do that? he asked. You’re so creepy! He walked in, scratching Ugmo’s head as he passed. The dog panted and howled. Brian looked at her and shook his head. Maggie, that thing’s a trip! What is it?

It’s my dog, Brian.

"I don’t know, I think it may be an alien! I saw Men in Black! He patted the dog on the head again then scratched Maggie’s. She swatted his hand away. Where’s Alex?"

In the terlet, the girl answered.

Well, everybody’s out back, so go tell her to hurry up, would ya?

Maggie yelled at the top of her lungs, Alex! Brian’s here! Hurry up!

Brian covered his ears. Gee thanks, Maggie! I don’t think I could have done that!

Alex came down the stairs. She rolled her eyes at Maggie. Hi, Brian. Is everybody here?

Yea, they’re already outside. Got the snacks?

Alex laughed. Always food with Brian! Yes, they’re in the kitchen, she replied.

The other kids always teased him because he had a bottomless pit of a stomach yet only weighed a slight fifty-five pounds. And what made it even worse was that he was almost eleven and was well over five feet tall! He constantly heard the names Beanpole, Bones, Skeletor, and Toothpick called after him. And those were the nice ones. But he didn’t mind. His close friends said he looked like a cartoon, but he knew they meant it in a nice way—well, if a comment like that could be nice . . .

They walked through the living room and into the kitchen. The girls’ mother was rooting around in the refrigerator.

Hello, Mrs. Williams, Brian said cheerfully, knowing exactly what the woman was doing.

Startled, she bumped her