Lara Bergen - Sophie the Hero

Wow! He’s so pretty! Sophie thought. Rumplesnakeskin was bright orange and white and yellow. And he was all twisted up. He looked like a candy-corn rope. Almost.

The snake’s eyes were open … but he was not moving.

Maybe he was napping. Hooray! That was fine with Sophie. If the snake was sleeping, this would be even easier than she’d hoped!

Sophie had never touched a snake before. She was a little nervous. But if her mom and Hayley could do it, so could she. It was in her blood!

Sophie reached in and picked up Rumplesnakeskin. Hayley was right — snakes were not slimy. They were dry and smooth and scaly.

Sophie held him up to get a closer look. Suddenly, his tongue flicked out.

“Ah!” Sophie yelped. She couldn’t help it. His body began to move and twist and wrap around her arm.

Sophie looked down at her new thick orange bracelet. Boy! The snake liked her — a lot!

Rumplesnakeskin reached his head out. Then he flicked his tongue toward her shirt.

Sophie looked down at the spot near her H. “That’s syrup,” she told him.

Unfortunately, Sophie did not have time to stand around chatting with Rumplesnakeskin. She had to get back to room 10 and hide him before recess was over.

But it was one thing for someone to see her running around the halls during recess. It was another thing for someone to see her running around the halls during recess with the fifth graders’ snake.

What if somebody stopped her?

It was not easy to hide a bright orange snake. Especially when he was on your arm (and slowly making his way to your shoulder).

Somehow, she had to hide him.

Sophie looked around the room quickly and spotted Hayley’s pink jean jacket on a hook. It was Hayley’s favorite. She would be so mad if Sophie stole it. But Sophie was not stealing. She was borrowing. And she would make sure Hayley got it back.

And then she could be Hayley’s hero!

Sophie smiled as she draped the jacket over her shoulder to cover the snake. Then she hurried into the hall and down the stairs to room 10.

She was almost there when she heard someone say, “Sophie Miller?” Uh-oh.

Sophie stopped and turned around. Ms. Bart, the art teacher, was walking up behind her. She had a lunch box in her hand. (It was covered with paint. Of course.)

Sophie quickly checked Hayley’s jacket. It was doing its job. Good.

Then she froze. What was Rumplesnakeskin doing? Was he moving up her arm?

No! No! Not to her underarm! Sophie was ticklish there! But the snake did not care.

“I thought that was you,” Ms. Bart went on as Sophie squirmed. “I’m glad all that paint came out of your hair. Believe me, I know how hard it is to wash out.”

Sophie wanted to say, “I’m glad, too.” But she could not.

Instead, she laughed.

And laughed.

And laughed.

The snake was tickling her worse than her mom or dad or cousin Will ever had!

“I’m glad you can laugh about it,” Ms. Bart said. “That’s how I am, too.”

Sophie laughed.

And laughed.

And laughed some more.

“Okay, well …,” Ms. Bart said. She looked at Sophie a little funny. “I’m going to go eat my lunch now.”

Sophie nodded. She was still laughing and trying to catch her breath. She ducked into her classroom as fast as she could.

Phew! That was a close one. But Sophie did not think about that too much. All she could think about was getting Rumplesnakeskin out of her armpit!

She gently took him into her other hand. Now she had to hide him somewhere in the classroom, fast! Recess would be over soon.

Sophie looked around. Then she saw just the place. Ms. Moffly’s desk. Bingo!

She walked up and opened a drawer. But when she tried to put Rumplesnakeskin inside, he did not want to go.

“You’re as bad as Tiptoe,” Sophie told him as he slid back up her arm. “But it’s okay. I’ll get you out soon, I promise. Look, there’s a box of tissues in there. It will be almost like home.”

Finally, the snake turned to the drawer and flicked his tongue. Sophie hoped the drawer smelled good to him. She guessed it did when he slid in and curled up next to Ms. Moffly’s hairbrush.

“Good snake!” Sophie said.

Sophie squeezed her hands together. She felt a tingle. This was such a good plan! She was going to be a hero — a big one — again very soon!

Then Sophie looked down at her hands. Oh, yeah. She’d better wash those.

Sophie said good-bye — for now — to Rumplesnakeskin and ran to the bathroom.

She stood by the sink. And she looked in the mirror. Her smile was big. But she made it even bigger.

Perfect!

That was just the smile Sophie would use when Ms. Moffly called her “My hero!”

Sophie made it back to the yard just before the end of recess.

“Mission accomplished!” she told Kate.

“Awesome!” Kate said, giving her a very heroic high five.

When the bell rang, the class followed Ms. Moffly back to room 10. But Sophie was so excited she kept walking too fast, making the line bend.

“Hey, Sophie,” Ben said, “do you mind? I’m the Line Leader this week. Not you.”

Sophie sighed and let Ben go ahead. But she did mind. A little bit.

What if Ms. Moffly found Rumplesnakeskin before Sophie got into the classroom? What if she suddenly wanted to fix her hair and ran to her desk to get her brush? Or what if a fly flew up her nose and she had to get a tissue?

A hero had to be there. Right then!

Luckily, Ms. Moffly did not open her drawer before Sophie got there.

But she did not open it after Sophie got there, either. Ms. Moffly sat down in her chair in the reading corner instead.

It was Chapter Book Time. Ugh!

For maybe the first time ever, Sophie did not want it to be Chapter Book Time. She plopped down on the reading rug with a frown.

“What’s wrong?” Kate whispered. “Everything’s going just like you planned.”

Sophie pointed to Ms. Moffly’s desk. “Ms. Moffly can’t open her drawer from across the room,” she whispered back.

Kate nodded. “Oh, right. But she’ll open it later. Don’t worry,” she said. “I can’t wait to hear how she screams. Can you?” she added. “Ooh, I hope she faints! Then I can fan her while you grab the snake!”

Ms. Moffly clapped her hands three times. “Quiet, everyone. Let’s begin,” she said, opening the book. “Oh! I forgot my glasses. Toby, would you please get them from my desk?”

From her desk?

Sophie looked at Kate. And Kate looked at Sophie.

What if Toby found the snake? Sophie had not thought of that!

She could still be a hero. She could save Toby instead of Ms. Moffly. But it would not be the same. Not at all!

Sophie held her breath. She watched Toby walk to the desk and reach for the drawer handle.

“No, no, Toby,” Ms. Moffly said. “My glasses are right there, on top. Thank you.”

Sophie sighed as Toby grabbed them and walked back to the reading rug. Another close call!

Ms. Moffly put her glasses on and opened the book again.

That week’s book was about a mouse and a motorcycle. But the mouse had just lost the motorcycle. Sophie was not sure what would happen next. The day before, Sophie had really wanted to find out. But today, not so much. She had other things on her mind.