Judy Moody Declares Independence (3 page)

“How exciting. This lass has come all the way from
across the pond,
as they say, just to see our ship!” The girl beamed.

“Glad to have you aboard, lassie!” Wig Guy shook her hand. “The Revolution was a long time ago. Let’s be mates!”

The girl with the freckles and the funny voice was from England! Where they drank tea and had a queen. Judy had never met a real-live person from a whole other country before. Rare!

“I’m going to talk to her,” Judy told Stink.

“You can’t! She’s a Redcoat! One of the Bad Guys!”

Judy looked around, but the Girl from Across the Pond was nowhere in sight. Just then, Mom called for Judy and Stink to go to the gift shop.

Judy wandered up and down the aisles. Boxes of tea, bags of tea, tins of tea. Teapots and teacups and teaspoons. Stink followed her.

“Look! A tricorn hat!” She tried it on. “Stink, can I borrow some money? I want to get this hat.”

“It’s my money,” said Stink. “From my allowance. Use your own.”

“But I already spent mine at the Old North Church gift shop. On a Declaration of Independence and a
Paul Revere’s Ride
flip book. I should get more allowance because I’m older than you. C’mon, Stink. You always have money.”

“No way,” said Stink.

“Redcoat!” Judy said.

“Yankee Doodle!” Stink said.

“Lobsterback!” said Judy.

“Chowder Head!” said Stink.

“Red Belly!” said Judy.

“Blue Belly!” said Stink.

“Kids! Keep it down,” said Dad.

“Stink, stop following me around and stop getting me in trouble. Don’t forget, I’m independent of you now.” Judy walked away, past the drums and pennywhistles.

There she was! The tea drinker girl from England was not even looking at tea. She was looking at snow globes. Of Boston. Judy liked snow globes, too!

“Are you really a Red — I mean, from England?”

“Of course,” said the girl. Her voice sounded snooty, as if the queen herself made the girl’s bed.

“Does the queen make your bed?” asked Judy.

“WHAT?”

“Never mind. I was just wondering. What’s your name?” Judy asked.

“Victoria. But you can call me Tori.”

Stink popped up from behind a spinner rack. “Tory! Tories were the Bad Guys in the Revolution!” he said.

“Stink, stop spying on us!” said Judy. She turned back to Tori. “Um . . . what’s that rabbit on your purse?” she blurted.

“It’s Bonjour Bunny. I’m freaky for Bonjour Bunny! I have the backpack, jimjams, and sleeping bag. I even have my own Bonjour Bunny alarm clock! I just got the phone for my birthday. And the flannel, I mean washcloth, for my bathroom in our flat.”

“Flat? You have a tire in your house?”

“No, it’s our apartment. Mum has her bathroom, and I have mine.”

PHONE! BATHROOM! WASHCLOTH! Judy’s mom and dad would never let her have a phone. Or her own bathroom. At home, Judy had to use any old washcloth. Even ones with Stink cooties.

“I collect stuff, too,” said Judy. “Mostly Barbie-doll heads and pizza tables. My newest collection is ABC gum. I stick it on the lamp in my room.”

“ABC gum?” asked the girl.

“Already Been Chewed — I label each piece, like a rock collection.”

“Fab!” said Tori. “I never heard of that.”

“And I collect pencils,” said Judy. “And Band-Aids.”

“Brilliant!” said Tori. “We call them plasters, not Band-Aids.”

“Do you collect tea?” asked Judy.

“No. But I do collect sugar packets with pictures on them.” Tori opened her coin purse. It was filled with sugar packets! She, Judy Moody, Collector of the World, had never even
thought
of collecting sugar packets.

“I have American presidents and flags of the world,” said Tori. “Famous paintings. Hotel names . . . boring! Famous women, too. See? Here’s one of Susan B. Anthony.”

“Do you have Amelia Bloomer? She gave a speech on Boston Common in her undies,” said Judy.

“In her knickers?” asked Tori.

“Really they were bloomers. Some people call them pant-a-loons. Because they’re
loons
if they think girls can’t wear pants,” said Judy.

“At least it wasn’t in her nuddy pants,” Tori whispered. “That means
bare naked
!” Judy and Tori cracked up.

“I did get some at the snack bar with Ben Franklin sayings!” Tori added. “See?”

Judy read the sugar packets. “‘Don’t cry over spilled milk.’ ‘If your head is made of wax, don’t stand out in the sun.’” She cracked up some more. “Brilliant!” said Judy. “My little brother will be so jealous!” She looked around. She didn’t see Stink anywhere.

“The short one? Been spying on us? Maybe he’s gone to the loo.”

“The what?” Judy asked.

“You know.” Tori pointed to the bathroom.

“The loo! That’s cuckoo!” Judy didn’t see her mom and dad either. “Well, I better go find my family,” she said. “We’re supposed to eat lunch at the snack bar.”

“Me too! I’ll go and fetch my mum.”

“See you there,” said Judy.

“Cheers!” said Tori. “Wait — what’s your name?”

“Judy. Judy Moody.”

“Brilliant!” said Tori.

Judy found her mom, dad, and Stink in the checkout line. Dad was getting a ship-in-the-bottle kit to make a model of the
Beaver
. Mom was buying stuff to sew a cross-stitch pillow of the Paul Revere statue with the Old North Church in the background. Stink was holding a tin of Boston Harbor tea and waving a flag with a snake on it that said, D
ON’T
T
READ ON
M
E
.

Judy paid for her hat (with Stink’s money), and they walked to the snack bar.

“You owe me four dollars and ninety-seven cents plus tax,” said Stink.

“Tax! Mom! Dad! Stink’s going all British on me. I need a raise in my allowance so I can pay Stink back.”

“We’ll talk about more allowance when we get home,” said Mom.

“Time for lunch,” said Dad. “I need a coffee.”

“Not tea?” asked Mom.

“Just being loyal to my country,” Dad said.

“Can I try coffee?” asked Judy. “I want to be loyal to my country, too.”

“Dream on,” said Dad.

“How about tea?”

“How about chocolate milk,” said Dad.

“The Boston Chocolate Milk Party. How UN-Revolutionary.”

Judy ordered a Ben Franklin (grilled cheese with French fries). In the middle of bite three of her Ben Franklin, she said, “Hey, there’s Tori!”

“Tori the Tory,” said Stink.

Tori and her mom came over. While everybody met, Tori showed Judy all the new Bonjour Bunny stuff in her bag.

“You have all the luck!” said Judy. “I need more allowance. For sure and absolute positive.”

“Mum gives me two pounds a week,” said Tori.

“Star-spangled bananas!” said Judy. Tori got
pounds
of allowance! All Judy got was a few stinky ounces.

“C’mon,” said Tori. “Let’s collect more Ben Franklin sugar packets.” While the grownups talked and Stink blew bubbles in his un-Revolutionary chocolate milk, Judy and Tori sat at an empty table and spread out all the sugar packets.

“Let’s make up our own!” said Judy. She wrote on the backs of the packets:

“Crikey! That’s jolly good!” said Tori. She made one up, too:

Judy taught Tori how to play Concentration with sugar packets. Tori showed Judy how to build a sugar-packet castle. When it came time to go, Judy did not want to leave her new friend.

“Mom? Dad? Can Tori come back to the hotel with us?” Judy asked.

“Or can Judy go swimming at our hotel with us?” Tori asked her mom.

“Can Tori come to Chinatown with us tonight?”

“Can Judy sleep over at our hotel? We can sleep on the floor like we do in our flat at home.”

Mom looked at Dad. Dad looked at Mom. “I don’t think so, honey.”

“AW! Why not?” asked Judy.

“We’ve only just met Tori,” said Mom.

“Yes, that’s right, girls,” said Tori’s mom.

“Please, Mum,” said Tori. “Judy’s ever so fun.”

“Judy and her family have got their own plans,” said Tori’s mom. “And we have tickets for the Duck Tour later this afternoon.”