Freddie Ramos Zooms to the Rescue (4 page)

I walked into my classroom just as the bell rang. Everyone, including Mrs. Lane, was crowded around the window. At first we all looked at the big tree on the gym roof.

Then Geraldo shouted. “Check out that squirrel!”

“He's purple!” Jason called.

“It can't be,” Maria said. “Squirrels aren't purple.”

But the one standing outside our window was. His fur looked like he had fallen into a bucket of grape soda.

“He looks hungry!” Geraldo said.

His paws were raised, like he was begging. He reminded me of the gray squirrel I'd chased out of the kindergarten room.

“Why is he purple?” Maria asked. “Did someone paint him?”

“Let's hope not,” Mrs. Lane answered. “That would be cruel.”

Who would hurt a squirrel? I thought about my guinea pig, Claude the Second. He was such a small, friendly, furry guy. I'd sure be upset if someone was mean to him.

When Mrs. Lane told us to put our backpacks away and get ready for math, I checked on my silver goggles. They were right where I left them, between my lunch and my library book. If someone was hurting little animals, I would need Zapato Power soon.

5. The Man in the Yellow Vest

I wore my goggles out to recess. Jason noticed right away.

“Hey! Is that you, Freddie! You look like a crime fighter!”

It was exactly what I wanted to look like. Was it okay for kids to see my costume? Mr. Vaslov didn't mind if I wore my super zapatos and my wristband to school. It was the best way to test if his inventions really worked.

But Mr. Vaslov didn't give me the goggles. That was still a mystery.

“Can I try them on?” Jason asked.

Jason cries a lot, so I let him have a turn with the goggles. It gave me a chance to see them on someone else's face. If I didn't know Jason was wearing a green shirt with blue jeans, the goggles would have been a good mask. That's what I needed. Superheroes can't do their jobs if everyone knows who they really are.

“Thanks, Freddie,” Jason said, handing back the goggles.

I put them in my pocket, deciding to be a little more careful around my friends. If they found out I had shoes with super speed, they'd be jealous. Mr. Vaslov has only been able to make one pair of special shoes and I have them.

“Look over there!” Jason shouted. “TV cameras.”

We went to the gym, where Mrs. Connor was talking to TV reporters and pointing at the tree on the roof.

“Are you worried about the safety of the children?” a lady with a microphone asked.

“Of course,” Mrs. Connor said. “That's all I ever worry about.”

Just then, the purple squirrel popped his head out of the hole in the gym roof and scampered down the tree trunk. He stood directly in front of the TV camera.

“A purple squirrel!” the camera man squealed. “We have another news story!”

Mrs. Connor didn't want a squirrel stealing her TV time. She stamped her foot and shouted. “GO AWAY!”

That's all the purple squirrel needed to take off. The reporters followed him with their microphone and camera. They couldn't keep up—not without Zapato Power. I pressed the first button on my wristband and pulled out my goggles.

The problem with chasing squirrels is that they don't run on the ground. They scamper up trees and fly off branches. Luckily, the purple squirrel made a lot of noise and his color was easy to spot.

I chased the purple squirrel behind the school, past Starwood Park, and through the woods. Once, I got stuck behind a big tree that had fallen in the storm.
No hay problema
. I pushed the second button on my wristband.

BOING!

I jumped right over the fallen tree. Mr. Vaslov accidentally gave me super bounce when he made me the wristband to control my sneakers. Jumping high in the air was almost like flying, except birds fly straight and I just bounce. It was faster to run.

The squirrel finally stopped just outside the gate of the metro station. He scurried up to a man in a yellow vest and raised his paws.

“You're late, little friend,” the man said as he dropped some peanuts on the ground. “You almost missed your snack.”

The purple squirrel grabbed a peanut and chomped away while the man leaned down for a closer look.

“Whoa!” he said. “What happened to you?”

That's exactly what I was trying to figure out.

Who would paint a squirrel purple?

6. A Trip to the Principal's Office

I left the purple squirrel with the man in the yellow vest. Recess was just about over, and I had to get back to Mrs. Lane. Teachers are like moms. They always want to know where you are.

When I got back to the playground, I found my whole class gathered around the TV reporters, answering questions about the purple squirrel.

“When did you first see him?”

“This morning,” Jason said.

“I saw him first!” Geraldo waved his arms, trying to be sure he got on TV.

“Does he live in the school?” The reporter put the microphone in front of Mrs. Lane.

“I hope not! Mrs. Connor wouldn't like that.”