Girls Rule! by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor Read Free Book Online Page A

need someone to stand out on the road with a sign directing cars in here. We need someone to close the windows and pick up trash, someone to vacuum, someone to do the wheels, wash the windows, use the cleaner, polish and dry….”
    “In other words,” said Beth, “the Hatfords.”
    “I’m afraid so,” said Eddie.
    The driver of the third car tapped her horn impatiently.
    “I’m coming, I’m coming!” Eddie muttered.
    “Are you
sure
we want the guys over here?” Beth asked. “Do we know what we’re doing?”
    “I know that if we
don’t
have some help, we’re going to go out of business,” said Eddie. “Caroline, go call the Hatfords and ask if they want to go in with us on a car wash.”
    Anything was better than cleaning wheels for the rest of the day, Caroline thought. She dropped the rag and went into the house. She knew how suspicious theboys were of any Malloy idea, however. She knew Jake would quiz her and want a contract, probably, stating that the money they received would be divided equally among them. She didn’t have time to stand at the telephone arguing with them.
    So she dialed the boys’ number, and when she heard Wally say, “Hello?” she simply called feebly into the phone, “Help! Help!” And hung up.

Eight

Cleaning the Clock
    T he Hatford boys enjoyed their usual Sunday chicken dinner. They had just changed from their white shirts and blue pants to T-shirts and shorts and were thinking about going outside to shoot baskets when the phone rang.
    “Hello?” said Wally.
    Nobody said hello at the other end. Instead, someone who sounded remarkably like Caroline Malloy yelled, “Help! Help!” And before Wally could ask what was wrong, she hung up.
    Wally walked to the doorway of the living room, where his brothers were reading the Sunday comics.
    “Who was that?” asked Josh.
    “I
think
it was Caroline,” said Wally. “I
think
she’s in trouble.”
    “Why? What did she say?” asked Jake.
    “She just yelled, ‘Help!’ “ Wally said.
    “Help? That’s all?” asked Josh.
    “Actually, she said, ‘Help! Help!’ “ Wally told them.
    Peter jumped to his feet. “Then let’s go rescue her. Maybe she fell in the river again!"
    “Sure, she’s calling from the river. Right!” said Josh.
    “Don’t be in too big a hurry to get over there. You
know
it’s a trick,” said Jake.
    Wally was uneasy. “But what if it’s not?”
    “Yeah, what if there’s a murderer in her house or something?” said Peter.
    “On a Sunday afternoon?” said Jake.
    “Murderers get in whenever they want,” said Peter.
    Wally thought they ought to go too, trick or no trick.
    “Well, at least it will be more interesting than shooting baskets,” said Josh. “Let’s go.”
    The boys went outside and trooped across the footbridge, then up the grassy hill in the June sunshine. When they reached the clearing between the house and the garage, they saw two cars sitting in the Malloys’ driveway and three girls trying to wash two cars at once.
    “Help!” Caroline cried again when she saw the Hatfords.
    “Who’s drowning?” asked Jake suspiciously.
    “
We’re
drowning—in work!” Eddie told him. “Westarted a car wash to earn money for the hospital, and now we can’t keep up with all the cars turning in. If you guys will help out, we’ll split the money seven ways.” Even as she spoke, another car came up the drive.
    It was better than nothing, Wally thought. Heck, he’d help even if his brothers didn’t. Peter immediately picked up a rag.
    “I guess we can do it,” said Jake.
    “I’ll polish,” said Josh.
    It was sort of neat to form an assembly line, Wally decided. Caroline and Peter were assigned to the wheels, Eddie used the hose, Beth did the vacuuming, and Jake and Josh did the cleaning and polishing.
    “What am I supposed to do?” Wally asked.
    “You need to go to the end of the driveway, stand by the sign I made, and try to get cars to turn in,” said Eddie.
    Heck,