Any Way You Slice It Read online

  Table of Contents

  Dedication

  Copyright Page

  Title Page

  Chater 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  For Maya and Rachel, Katie’s fans

  from the start!—NK

  For the girls on Spring Street—J&W

  Text copyright © 2003 by Nancy Krulik. Illustrations copyright © 2003

  by John & Wendy. All rights reserved. Published by Grosset & Dunlap,

  a division of Penguin Young Readers Group, 345 Hudson Street,

  New York, NY, 10014. GROSSET & DUNLAP is a trademark of

  Penguin Group (USA) Inc. Published simultaneously in Canada.

  S.A.

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  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available.

  eISBN : 978-1-101-09864-6

  A B C D E F G H I J

  http://us.penguingroup.com

  Chater 1

  “Watch out, Suzanne!” Katie Carew warned her best friend Suzanne Lock as the girls walked through the Cherrydale Mall. “You’re about to bump into the jewelry stand!” The girls were allowed to walk around the mall alone, as long as they stayed close to the bookstore where Katie’s mother worked. It was one of the best parts of having a mom who worked at the mall.

  Suzanne moved to her left. “Thanks, Katie,” she answered. “That was a close one.”

  “I don’t know about this walking-backward thing,” Katie said. “It’s pretty dangerous. You could get hurt.”

  “Well, I can’t stop now,” Suzanne told her. “I’ve already been walking backward for forty-five minutes.”

  “How much longer until you break the record?”

  Suzanne looked at her watch. “Only seventy-two hours and twenty-three minutes.”

  Just then, Jeremy Fox, Katie’s other best friend, ran up to the girls. “Hurry up, Katie,” he said. “We’ve got to get to Louie’s Pizza Shop. He’s about to make another pizza!”

  Katie’s face lit up. She loved watching Louie throw the dough in the air. He made a real show of it, twirling around and singing Italian songs. “Suzanne, can you run backward?” Katie asked.

  “I can try,” Suzanne replied.

  Jeremy rolled his eyes. “Why don’t you give it up?” he asked Suzanne. “You’ll never break the record.”

  “How do you know?” Suzanne demanded.

  “Well, you didn’t break the seesawing record, or the holding-your-breath record, or the hopping-on-one-foot record, did you?” he asked. “You’ve been trying to break a record all week!”

  Suzanne frowned. “This is different!” she insisted. “Isn’t it, Katie?”

  Katie didn’t answer. She hated it when her two best friends put her in the middle of one of their arguments. Besides, she didn’t really know what to say. Suzanne had been trying all week to get into the book of world records. So far, she hadn’t even come close.

  Still, Katie knew Suzanne wasn’t going to give up—at least not until she became interested in something else.

  “Come on,” Jeremy urged again. “I want to get a good seat, right near the pizza oven. Louie’s is going to be mobbed. You know what it’s like there on Saturdays.”

  Katie looked at Suzanne.

  “You go ahead,” Suzanne told Katie.

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yeah. Just save me a seat.”

  Katie smiled. “Thanks, Suzanne, you’re the best!” she shouted as she ran off with Jeremy.

  Katie and Jeremy didn’t get very far before they heard a loud crash. The kids turned around and saw Suzanne sitting on the floor, covered in a mountain of women’s hats.

  “Suzanne banged into the Hat Rack!” Jeremy began to laugh.

  But Katie didn’t think it was funny. Neither did the manager of the Hat Rack clothing stall.

  “Watch where you’re going!” the manager shouted at Suzanne.

  “I’m sorry,” Suzanne said, blushing. “I was trying to break a record.”

  “Well, you almost broke my stall,” the manager scolded. “Now get out of here, before I call security.”

  Suzanne jumped to her feet and ran . . . frontward.

  “So much for the book of world records,” Jeremy said to her.

  “Don’t you worry.” Suzanne shook her head. “I’ll find another record to break.”

  Chapter 2

  Louie’s Pizza Shop was very crowded by the time Katie, Jeremy, and Suzanne arrived. Lots of people liked to watch Louie make his pizzas.

  Katie loved everything about Louie’s Pizza Shop. She loved the jukebox in the corner. She loved the Italian ice and spumoni counter. She loved the smell of warm pizza coming out of the oven. But most of all she loved Louie. He looked just like a pizza chef should, with his big white shirt, long apron, and dark, twirly moustache.

  “Hey, Katie Kazoo, over here!” somebody called out.

  There was only one person in the world who called her Katie Kazoo—her friend George Brennan. Katie quickly spotted George and his best pal, Kevin Camilleri. The boys were sitting at a big table with Kevin’s older brother, Ian.

  “Where have you been?” George asked as Katie, Suzanne, and Jeremy sat down. “You were supposed to be here ten minutes ago.”

  “Shhh. Louie’s just about to do a double twist,” Ian interrupted excitedly.

  Katie turned to look at Louie. The pizza chef tossed the big circle of dough in the air. Then he spun around twice, reached his hands out, and caught the pizza just before it hit the counter.

  “All right!” Jeremy cheered.

  “Louie, you rock!” Ian shouted.

  “That pie’s going to be pepperoni,” George told the others. “And I’m getting a slice!”

  Katie was a vegetarian. She’d been hoping that Louie’s next pie would be a spinach pizza. Oh well. She could wait. Katie couldn’t go home from the mall until her mother got off work.

  Louie ladled the sauce onto the pizza. His arm moved swiftly, leaving red sauce all over the dough. Next, he tossed some cheese into the air. The white mozzarella bits fell like snow from the sky. Then Louie took a few steps back and started flinging pepperoni slices at the pizza.

  The pepperoni looked like little Frisbees as they flew through the air and landed on top of the cheese. Then, as he sang loudly, he added a pinch of his secret herbs. Finally, he slid the finished pizza into the oven.

  The crowd cheered.

  Louie took a bow and picked up another ball of dough. “Now for a Louie’s veggie special!” he announced, smiling at Katie.

  Just then, Becky Stern came running into Louie’s Pizza Shop.

  “Where have you been?” Suzanne asked her. “Louie already made a pepperoni pie.”

  “I’m sorry I’m late,” Becky apologized in her soft Southern accent. “My mother wanted to stop and get a slice of pizza.” She grabbed a chair and sat down next to Jeremy.

  “Why didn’t she get the pizza here?” Katie asked her.

  “Yeah,” Jeremy agreed. “Louie makes the greatest pizza in the whole world.”

  Becky smiled at him. “I believe you, Jeremy. A
fter all, you do have the best taste!”

  Jeremy blushed.

  “But my mother had a coupon for a free slice at Olives and Oregano,” Becky continued.

  “Olives and Oregano is on the other side of town,” Katie said, raising her eyebrows. “Why did you go all the way over there?”

  Becky shook her head. “There’s a new Olives and Oregano right here in the Cherrydale Mall. It’s next to the Flower Power flower shop. Today is the Grand Opening. They’re giving out all sorts of free food.”

  “Did you say free food?” a woman at the next booth asked Becky.

  Becky nodded. “Free pizza and soda. I just had some.”

  The woman stood up. She grabbed her little girl by the hand. “Come on, Alexandra,” she said. “Let’s try the new restaurant.”

  Then a terrible thing happened.

  Something that had never happened before.

  Louie dropped the pizza dough.

  “Sorry, folks,” Louie said, as he scooped up the dirty dough from the floor, changed his rubber cooking gloves, and picked up a new ball of dough. “Let’s try that again.”

  Louie tossed the new ball of pizza dough in the air. He spun around in a circle as it flew through the air, and sang an Italian song. But he wasn’t smiling the way he usually did when he was making pizza.

  Louie was obviously upset. And Katie was pretty sure it didn’t have anything to do with the fallen pizza dough.

  Chapter 3

  “Boy, does Becky have a crush on you!” Suzanne teased as she, Jeremy, and Katie climbed into the backseat of Mrs. Carew’s car later that afternoon.

  “She does not!” Jeremy protested.

  “Does too,” Suzanne answered back. She batted her eyes and imitated Becky’s accent. “Oooh, Jeremy. You have the best taste!”

  Jeremy blushed. He pushed his glasses up on his nose. “I wish Becky had never moved here!” he exclaimed suddenly.

  Katie gulped. “Jeremy, don’t make wishes like that,” she warned.

  Katie knew all about making wishes.

  Sometimes they came true—and that could lead to big problems.

  It had all started one really bad day at school. Katie had lost the football game for her team, ruined her favorite jeans, and burped in front of the whole class.

  That night, Katie had wished that she could be anyone but herself. There must have been a shooting star flying overhead or something when she made that wish, because, the very next day, the magic wind came.

  The magic wind was a wild storm that seemed to blow only around Katie. It was really powerful. So powerful, in fact, that the magic wind was able to turn Katie into somebody else.

  The first time the magic wind came, it changed Katie into Speedy, the class hamster. Another time it turned her into her own dog, Pepper.

  But the magic wind didn’t turn Katie only into animals. Sometimes it turned her into grown-ups, like Lucille the school-lunch lady, and Mr. Kane, the principal of her school, Cherrydale Elementary School.

  The magic wind had also turned Katie into other kids, like Becky or Jeremy. Being somebody else could be really tough. When she was Jeremy, Katie didn’t even know whether to use the girls’ room or the boys’ room!

  “Don’t worry, Jeremy,” Suzanne said, interrupting Katie’s thoughts. “Becky will get over you . . . as soon as she gets some brains.”

  “Okay, why don’t you three talk about something else?” Mrs. Carew suggested quickly. “And don’t forget to buckle up,” she added as she prepared to pull out of the parking lot.

  Chapter 4

  The next afternoon, Katie arrived at the mall with her mother at exactly 12:00. “Hurry up, Mom!” she cried out. “It’s lunchtime. I want to make sure I get a seat at Louie’s.”

  Katie’s mom laughed. “You certainly like pizza,” she said.

  “It’s not just the pizza. It’s fun at Louie’s. Everyone from school is there—except Mrs. Derkman of course. And that makes it even more fun.”

  Mrs. Derkman was Katie’s very strict third-grade teacher. She was also Katie’s next-door neighbor. Ever since a few months ago, when Mrs. Derkman had moved into the house beside Katie’s, it seemed like Katie saw her everywhere—in school, on the street, even at barbecues in Katie’s own yard. But she never saw Mrs. Derkman at Louie’s. Mrs. Derkman was not a big pizza eater.

  “All right, Katie,” Mrs. Carew said, as her daughter pulled her toward Louie’s. “I’m going as fast as I can.”

  But when Katie and her mother arrived at Louie’s Pizza Shop, there were plenty of seats left. In fact, there were only three people in the restaurant—a father and his two sons.

  “Slow day, Louie?” Mrs. Carew asked as she sat down at a table near the pizza oven.

  Louie pounded hard on a pile of dough. “It’s only slow here,” he answered sadly. “It’s mobbed at Olives and Oregano.”

  Mrs. Carew nodded understandingly. “It’s a new restaurant. People will get tired of it.”

  Louie shook his head. “I don’t think so. Olives and Oregano is part of a big chain of restaurants. They have lots of money to spend on advertising.” Louie reached under the counter and pulled out a newspaper. “Look at this.”

  Katie and her mother looked at the newspaper. There was a full-page ad:

  “They have clowns and a magician performing all day,” Louie told Katie and her mom.

  “Big deal,” Katie said. “Nobody puts on a better show than you, Louie. Or has better pizza.”

  Louie smiled at her. “Thanks, Katie,” he told her. “I wish there were more kids like you.”

  “Don’t worry, Louie,” Mrs. Carew said. “Things will pick up. It’s still early.”

  Sure enough, someone else walked into the restaurant. “Katie!” Suzanne shouted. “Here you are.” She held out a wooden paddle with a red rubber ball attached to it with a rubber band. She was hitting the ball with the paddle. “Thirty-eight. Thirty-nine. Forty,” she counted as she tapped the ball.

  “I told you I’d meet you here,” Katie told her.

  Suzanne nodded. “Forty-one. Forty-two. Forty-three.”

  “What are you doing?” Katie asked her.

  “I’m trying to break the world paddleball record. Fifty. Fifty-one.”

  “When did you start that?” Katie asked her.

  “A few minutes ago,” Suzanne replied, still counting. “They were giving out the paddles at Olives and Oregano.”

  Bam! Louie pounded the dough so hard, the counter shook. The noise broke Suzanne’s concentration. She missed the ball.

  “Drat,” she said. “Now I’ll have to start all over.”

  Katie put her hand on the paddle. “Not now.”

  “But I’m going to break the record,” Suzanne insisted.

  “You can do that later,” Katie assured her. She knew Louie didn’t want to see an Olives and Oregano paddle bouncing up and down in his restaurant. “Let’s sit down and get a slice. Mandy and Miriam should be here any minute. They always have lunch at Louie’s on Sunday.”

  “I don’t think they’re coming today,” Suzanne said. “I just saw them eating hoagies at Olives and Oregano.”

  Louie didn’t say anything. But judging by the frown on his face, Katie could tell he’d heard everything Suzanne had just said.

  Olives and Oregano was taking over the food business in the mall.

  This was so not good.

  Chapter 5

  After they’d finished their pizza, Suzanne and Katie took a walk around the mall. They stopped in Bead It!, the bead store near the BookNook. They tried on blue eye shadow at the Beauty Barn, and checked out jewelry at the Golden Earring stall.

  “Katie, are you ever going to get your ears pierced?” Suzanne asked. Suzanne had her ears pierced in first grade. Katie, on the other hand, was still wearing clip-on earrings.

  “It doesn’t hurt,” Suzanne assured her. “At least not a lot.”

  Katie shrugged. “Let’s go to the flower shop,” she suggested. />
  But it was almost impossible to get to the Flower Power flower shop. The area around the store was filled with crowds of people hanging around outside Olives and Oregano. Clowns were giving balloons to the kids who walked by, and pretty girls in Italian folk-dancing costumes were handing out free food coupons to adults.

  “Hey, Katie Kazoo!” George cried out from a seat near the front of the restaurant. He was sitting at a table with Zoe Canter and Manny Gonzalez.

  “What are you doing here?” Katie asked her classmates. “Why weren’t you at Louie’s? He’s been making pizzas all afternoon.”

  Manny shrugged. “They’re giving out free soda here!”

  “Come on, sit down,” Zoe said to Katie and Suzanne. “We’ve got room.”

  Suzanne plopped down in a chair near Zoe. But Katie didn’t move. She didn’t want to eat at a restaurant that was giving Louie so much trouble.

  “I don’t think so,” she said. “I’ve got to get back to my mom’s store.”

  “Oh, you can stay for a little while,” Manny said. “We just ordered some fries. You can share.”

  “Yeah,” George said. “We’re getting tons of food. My mom gave me money and told me to stay here until she gets back from returning things at the jeans store.”

  “Come on, Katie, sit down,” Suzanne urged. “Your mom isn’t going home for at least an hour. And, besides, they have chocolate milk shakes on the menu.”

  Katie loved chocolate milk shakes.

  “Do you know how they get milk shakes?” George asked.

  “How?” Katie asked him.

  “From nervous cows!” George laughed at his own joke.

  Katie laughed, too. “Okay, I’ll stay,” she said finally. “But only for a minute. And I’m not going to eat anything.”

  Suzanne shrugged. “Okay, but I’m ordering a shake.”

  Katie sat down and looked around the restaurant. On the wall, there were huge paintings of Italian olive groves. All of the waiters and waitresses were dressed in red, white, and green uniforms, which matched the colors on the big Italian flag that hung over the door. And, of course, there were plenty of olives and oregano on all the tables.