"Are those boys bothering you?" Ms. Bartlett looked down to the end of the block with narrowed eyes.
"No. I’m okay," Arthur said.
"Really?" Ms. Bartlett didn’t look convinced. "Chad! Don’t you boys have somewhere to be?"
"Yes Ma’am," Chad said looking caught out. "Come on, let's go get some soda," he said to Wyatt and Stan.
"Finally," Stan muttered.
Arthur sighed with relief; Disaster averted for another day.
Arthur started the walk home. He only lived six blocks from school and most days once he passed Chad and his buddies the rest of the walk home was peaceful. Halfway home, he passed by Mrs. Saunders house. She was his old babysitter. Her trash can lay on its side overturned and trash lay scattered across her lawn. Nowadays, of course, he was too old for a babysitter, but he liked Mrs. Saunders and tried to help her out when he could. He picked up the trashcan and then spent ten minutes picking up the trash in her yard and putting it back in the uprighted trash can.
"Thanks, Arthur," Mrs. Saunders called from her front door. "Would you like some cookies?"
"No thanks! I'm running late," Arthur called out. He loved Mrs. Saunders, but she made terrible cookies.
On the next block, Chad and Wyatt were waiting. "Thought you could avoid me by snuggling up to Old Lady Bartlett?" Chad asked his tone little more than a sneer.
"What do you want?" Arthur asked.
"I think you owe me money," Chad said.
"What are you talking about? I don’t owe you any money."
"Well, haven't you heard? There is a new fee for being freakishly tall and ugly. It's five dollars a day."
"There is no fee like that," Arthur said. "Besides, I don't have any money."
"Use your allowance," Wyatt said.
"I don't get an allowance," Arthur said. "I can't give you any money."
"Well, you better find some money from somewhere. It's five dollars tomorrow, or else," Chad said ominously pushing Arthur so hard that he almost tripped.
Chapter Three
Arthur unlocked his front door with the key he wore around his neck. As always since his mom was at work, the house was quiet and empty. It was always quiet until he woke up Ragmop.
"Ragmop!" Arthur called.
Ragmop lumbered out of the back of the house yawning but seeing Arthur; her tail began to wag. She danced around him yipping softly. Arthur knew she wouldn't calm down until he leaned down for a hug, a pat, and a few wet kisses. Ragmop was a mix of something and Komodor. A Komodor is an enormous dog with curls that looks exactly like the head of a mop; thus Ragmop's name.
"Do you want to go outside?" he asked.
Ragmop gave another little yip as she followed Arthur outside. Arthur grabbed a basketball that he kept in a basket by the door, and while Ragmop investigated every blade of grass in the yard, Arthur practiced his jump shot and daydreamed about being on the school basketball team.
In his dream, his dad was still alive and sat with his mom and his grandparents in the stands cheering as Arthur made the winning basket. It was a silly daydream, but one Arthur liked and revisited often. Of course, in his dream, his face had no ugly birthmark, and he had on a new pair of basketball shoes.
Arthur shot one last basket before he and Ragmop went inside to eat. He grabbed two of the sandwiches that his mother had made for him as an afterschool snack and poured himself a big glass of milk. Ragmop whined softly. "Do you want some of this?" he asked pulling off a chunk of his sandwich and handing it over to Ragmop. Ragmop swallowed it whole and then whined for more.
"Nope, that’s all you get," Arthur said. "Try some dog food." Arthur put his empty glass of milk in the sink and grabbed Ragmop’s leash and along with his basketball he left the house. Walking his dog was the only chore Arthur did on school days, and it wasn’t a chore since he liked taking Ragmop to the park.
Stone Fairy Park was only two blocks from Arthur's house, and as Arthur walked each day, he noticed all the tiny changes in the neighborhood. For instance, it looked like Mr. Brown, the neighbor three doors down, got a new television because there was a large television box at the end of the curb. He'd have to check to see if it was better than the battered old set that he and his mom watched every night.
A lot of folks upgraded when there was nothing mechanically wrong with their old set. His mom wouldn't be happy to find that he was scavenging, but she probably wouldn't make him take the scavenged television back if he got Mr. Brown's permission. Mr. Brown was digging in his garden in his backyard, and when he saw Arthur, he waved to him. "Are you throwing away your old set?" he asked, "Does it still work?"
"Nope, I'm afraid it died," Mr. Brown said.
"Okay," Arthur said and was a little disappointed. "I was just checking."
"I don't blame you, son. Lot's of folks throw good stuff away. Waste not, want not, I always say," he quipped.
"Thanks anyway," Arthur said.
In no time at all, Arthur and Ragmop arrived at the basketball court located at the entrance to the park. The park itself was a combination of long and short walking trails that looped around making smaller and smaller circles until one reached the center of the park. Arthur’s normal routine was to walk Ragmop around one of the longer loops and then spend a half hour practicing free throws and jump shots on the regulation-sized court before he headed for home to start his homework. His mom would not get home after dark, and she expected him to be finished with his homework before they ate.
For once, no one was on the court, so Arthur was able to get in some shooting practice. Ragmop got bored quickly and found a spot under the shade of a nearby tree to take a nap.
"Hey, is that your dog?"
Arthur turned at the familiar voice. It was Jake Green from school. Jake laid his bike over on its side and asked. "May I pet her?"
"Sure," Arthur said. "She's pretty friendly."
Jake patted Ragmop who preened and soaked up the attention. "She’s beautiful," Jake said. "What kind of dog is she?"
"She’s part Komodor and a part I don't know what. Her name is Ragmop."
"Is that the big dog with curls that look like a mop?" Jake asked. "I've read about them."
"Yes, that's the one," Arthur said.
"Hello Ragmop," Jake said rubbing the back of the dog’s ears. "I always wanted a dog, but my mom is allergic," he said wistfully.
"Some dogs are non-allergic," Arthur said.
"I’ve been telling her that for years," Jake sighed. "Hey, those were some great shots you were making. Have you ever thought about trying out for the team?" Jake had been the captain of the fourth-grade basketball team and would probably be the captain of this year’s team as well.
"I don’t know how to play. I just know how to shoot baskets," Arthur confessed.
"Learning the game is not hard," Jake said. "I could teach you. Mind if I shoot some hoops with you?" Jake wanted to be a coach when he got older, and an idea popped into his head. He could coach Arthur!
Arthur passed Jake the ball, and the two boys took turns shooting the ball until they were both sweaty and out of breath.
"You know, we need another 'Big Man' and you are taller than I am. It wouldn't take much for you to catch up with the rest of the team." Seeing Arthur’s doubtful look, Jake said, "I could help you get ready for tryouts next month."
"I’d like that," Arthur said shyly amazed that Jack was offering to help him. Jake was one of the popular guys.
"You come out here every day?" Jake asked.