Sophie the Hero (2 page)

S
ophie told her hero story so many times that day she was sure everyone had heard it. But she was ready to tell it again the next day as soon as she got to school. After all, it was such a great story! Or maybe she would let other people tell it. She liked that a lot, too.

The only thing was nobody seemed to want to hear her story anymore.

And there was something worse. No one seemed to want to call her Sophie the Hero, either.

Sophie did not understand it!

One day, she was a hero and everyone was
talking about her. The next day, they were talking about stuff like Dean’s new haircut. And Eve’s lost tooth. And Sophie A.’s fish, who just had babies. And Ben’s mom, who just had her baby, too.

Okay. So maybe Dean’s haircut was pretty funny-looking. And maybe a fish having babies was cool. But all kids lost their teeth. And all moms had babies.
At least one,
Sophie thought.

But not everyone was a hero!

How could they have forgotten about her already? Even after she’d drawn a big
H
for “hero” on her shirt with a marker that very morning.

Even Sophie’s sidekick, Kate, was joking with Dean about his hair.

“You look like a giant toothbrush!” Kate said.

Oh, well,
Sophie thought, trying to make herself feel better. Maybe they’d talk about her again once Dean’s hair grew back.

She sure hoped so. She really, really liked being Sophie the Hero. And she really, really did not want to be Sophie the Nothing again.

Then the bell rang and their teacher, Ms. Moffly,
wrote two big words on the blackboard. As soon as Sophie read them, the day got brighter again.

Sophie could not believe it. Ms. Moffly was going to teach about
her
! And Sophie had not even told her hero story to the teacher yet. Wow! But of course Ms. Moffly had heard it. In fact, it was probably all they talked about in the teachers’ lounge, Sophie bet.

“We have two very special guests today,” Ms. Moffly said.

Hmm …,
Sophie wondered. Who was number two? Ella? Mrs. Dixon? They weren’t exactly heroes, like her. But they were part of the story.

“I hope you’ll help me welcome them,” Ms. Moffly went on.

Sophie took a deep breath and got ready to stand up.

“I’d like to introduce … Firefighters Burruss and Jones!” Ms. Moffly said.

Huh?

Sophie sat back and watched as two firefighters walked in.

One was a man. He was tall with lots of whiskers. He looked like Sophie’s dad the time he’d almost grown a beard. The other was a woman. She was short and very pretty. Sophie thought that was good, since she was wearing the same blue shirt and pants and big black boots as the man.

“Hello, everyone,” said the pretty firefighter.

“Hello,” replied the class all together.

That is, everyone in the class but Sophie. She was so surprised she could not talk yet.

“Firefighters Burruss and Jones are here to teach us about fire safety,” Ms. Moffly said. “Pay very close attention. It might save your life one day.”

Sophie sighed. Of course, she knew that she was not the world’s only hero.

She watched the firefighters take off their hats and set up some posters they had brought in. The
pretty one smiled at Sophie, and Sophie sat up a little straighter so that the
H
on her shirt showed above her desk. She wondered if the firefighter guessed that Sophie was a hero, also.

Sophie knew that heroes had to respect each other. So she listened very carefully to all the things the firefighters said.

Things like “Don’t hide; get outside,” for when there was a fire in your house.

And “Stay low and go,” since crawling along the ground was the best way to avoid smoke.

Sophie did not listen that hard when the firefighters told them what number to call in case of a fire or another big emergency. That was because she already knew it: 911. Of course.

But Sophie did listen to them tell how they got to be firefighters. She did not know they had to take tests and
then
go to firefighter school.

And she listened to them tell what they did at work—besides going grocery shopping in their uniforms and fire truck. (She had seen them at the Shop-Fresh more than once.)

Then came the moment Sophie had been waiting for: question time!

She quickly raised her hand as high as it would go. But if there was one thing Sophie was used to, it was being in the middle. In lines, and races, and question times, too. So she propped her arm up and waited as Toby asked a question first.

“What’s the biggest fire you ever put out?” Toby asked.

The firefighters looked at each other.

“Probably that four-alarmer at the warehouse,” the woman said. “We had to call in all three of our engines
and
three more from the next town.”

“Sweet!” said Toby.

Next was Archie.

“Do you sweat a lot in those uniforms?” he asked. “And does it make them stink as bad as my brother’s football pads?”

The pretty firefighter smiled. “Sometimes. Yes,” she said.

Then Grace asked if the firehouse had a Dalmatian.

They did not. But they did have a lizard named Godzilla. It was a thank-you gift from a pet shop they had saved from burning down.

“Are you the same guys who saved my grandma when she got stuck in her old lawn chair?” Ben asked next. “That was so cool! They had to use the Jaws of Death!”

“I think you mean the Jaws of Life,” said the tall firefighter, grinning. “And sorry, no. It wasn’t us.”

“Have you ever rescued a kitten from a tree?” was Mia’s question.

“No, we haven’t,” said the pretty firefighter. “But we did rescue a puppy from a well in the spring.”

Then, at last — finally! — the tall firefighter pointed to Sophie.

Sophie rubbed her tired arm, then smoothed her shirt. And she cleared her throat proudly.

“I just wanted to know …,” she began, “have you ever stopped a little kindergartner from running into the street to catch her runaway
Slinkys and saved her from probably being squashed by a car? And wouldn’t you call someone who did that a big hero?”

The pretty firefighter shook her head. “No, I have not,” she said. “And yes! That is very heroic. Isn’t it, Jim?”

Sophie felt her cheeks and ears — and even her insides — get warm and pinkish.

The firefighter with whiskers nodded. “Sure is,” he said. “And it brings up a good point, too. Never run into the street. Not for anything. Ever.”

Then there was a little cough, and Mindy raised her hand. Her face always looked pinchy to Sophie, but it looked extra-pinchy then.

“I have a question in two parts,” Mindy said.

“Okay,” said the firefighter with whiskers. “Go ahead.”

“One,” Mindy began, “have you ever rescued five kittens from a burning building like Scarlett the cat? And two: Do you agree that she is one of the biggest heroes ever?”

The firefighters shook their heads. “No, we haven’t.” Then they nodded. “And yes … she sure is.”

Mindy turned to Sophie. She looked extra, super sassy. But Sophie crossed her arms and raised her chin and looked right back.

Meanwhile, Ms. Moffly stood up and shook the firefighters’ hands.

“This has been a wonderful visit,” she told them. “We can’t thank you enough. But I know you have to get back to the firehouse. And we have to get to gym.” She looked around the room. “Class, please thank Firefighters Burruss and Jones for coming, won’t you? And thank them for being our heroes every day.”

The firefighters waved.

“Bye! Thank you!” the class said.

“Yes! Thank you!” Sophie yelled.

In fact, she yelled so loud even Toby stared.

But Sophie did not care. About Toby. Or Mindy. Or anything. The firefighters had spoken. She felt like Sophie the Hero again!

But Sophie realized something else. If she was going to stay a hero, she needed to be like the firefighters. She needed to be a hero every day.

And I will!
thought Sophie.

Let the hero work begin!

S
ophie was on the lookout all the way to gym. She did not want to miss any chance to be a hero.

“Tell me if you see anyone who needs saving,” she whispered to Kate.

“Okay,” said Kate. She looked down the line of kids following Ms. Moffly. “Uh … saving how?” she whispered back.

Sophie shrugged. She did not know. She really wished there were a busy street to cross. Or a den full of thieves to pass. Why did schools have to be so safe? Especially the gym! There wasn’t a thing to trip over, and all the walls were padded.

As they entered the gym, Kate grabbed Sophie’s arm. “Save me!” she panted.

“What? What is it?” asked Sophie, excited.

Kate leaned her head back and rolled her eyes up. “From this smell!” she said. Then she lifted her head and grinned. “Get it?” She held her nose. “This place smells like moldy meatballs!”

Sophie always thought the gym smelled more like sour sweat socks. But she basically agreed. Still, she tried not to laugh. Being a hero was serious business!

Once they all sat down on the bleachers, the gym teacher, Mr. Hurley, made an announcement.

“Today we’re going outside!” he hollered. (Hollering was how he talked.)

Sophie pumped her fist. Hooray!

After all, anything could happen outside! There could be a tornado. Or a wildfire. Or a tiger escaped from the zoo!

Who cared if there was no zoo in Sophie’s town? Or anywhere close? The farther a tiger had to come, the better. Then they would have to write
about it in the newspaper. And that was always good for a hero!

Once they were outside, Mr. Hurley split the class into two teams. Today they were playing kickball, and today that was just fine with Sophie.

Usually, Sophie did not like kickball much. Mostly because she played the same middle position — center field — every time. And that made it a very boring game for Sophie. The ball always seemed to go to the left or the right.

But today that would give Sophie lots of time to be on the lookout for people who needed saving!

Sophie waved to Kate, who was on the other team. Then she took her place and scanned the field for danger.

Sniff, sniff.
She sniffed the air for smoke. Or a wild tiger.

She searched the sky for aliens. Or asteroids.

Sophie was ready for any danger she could think of.

Of course, Sophie knew she could not stop a wildfire. Or a tiger. Or an alien. Or an asteroid. But she could be the first to tell everyone to run!

“Sophie, pay attention!” she heard Mr. Hurley holler.

Huh?

Sophie turned. She was stunned, but not because Mr. Hurley was hollering and waving his arms. He always did that. She was stunned that someone had kicked the ball to center field … and that it was rolling right past her!

Sophie ran after the ball.

“Aw, Sophie! Hurry! You should have had that!” her teammates cried.

“Yay, Kate!” she heard the other team cheer as Kate scored a home run.

Sophie finally stopped the ball and rolled it back to the pitcher. She really wished that Toby hadn’t been the pitcher right then. He was frowning at her. Hard.

“I bet you did that on purpose, to help Kate!” he yelled.

Sophie stuck out her tongue at Toby. “Of course I didn’t!” she told him.

Sure, Sophie was happy for Kate. But she would never try to make her team lose.

She put her hands on her hips and told herself to pay attention. It was not going to be easy to be a hero
and
play kickball. But she would have to try.

Sophie kept her eyes on the field. And the ball. And the players. And before she knew it, she got her chance to be a hero—by saving Grace!

Grace was in right field. Someone had kicked the ball to her and it was sailing right toward her head.

Sophie knew she had to hurry. She ran across the field at top speed. And she gave Grace a giant push.

They both fell—
thud!
The ball flew past them and rolled away.

Grace jumped up and glared at Sophie. “I could have caught that!” she said.

“Are you kidding? That ball was headed straight for your head!” Sophie said.

Then Sophie heard the words that filled her with tingles. It was Mr. Hurley hollering, “Good job, Sophie! Way to go!”

“See?” she said to Grace. Even Mr. Hurley could see she was a hero!

Then she realized something. Mr. Hurley was hollering to Sophie A., not her.

Sophie A. had kicked the ball … and scored another run.

“Sorry, Grace,” Sophie mumbled as she trudged back to center field.

“What does that big ‘H’ on your shirt stand for, anyway?
Horrible?”
Toby groaned from the pitcher’s mound.

Grrr!
Sophie glared. She was too mad to stick her tongue out. “No, it’s for ‘hero,’” she said under her breath.

Sophie would show him. She had to save someone
soon!

But she was also kind of ready for the inning to end.

Then suddenly her eyes popped wide open. There was something buzzing around second base — and Dean’s head—right in front of her!

What if it was a bee?

What if Dean was allergic?

What if it stung him and he swelled up like Sophie’s cousin Will did once? Sophie’s Aunt Jan had called the ambulance and everything!

But even if Dean was not allergic, nobody liked to get stung. One time a bee stung the bottom of Sophie’s foot and she couldn’t walk on it for a week.

Sophie had to get rid of that bee so she could be Dean’s hero!

For one second, Sophie worried that the bee might sting her. But she knew that was not how a hero’s mind worked. So she ran up to Dean and started whacking.

She meant to whack the bee, of course. But Dean’s head got in the way.

“Ow! Stop! Help! My hair! What are you doing?” Dean cried.

“It’s a bee! It’s a bee!” yelled Sophie. “Oh, wait …” She looked at the bug more closely. “Never mind. It’s just a fly.”

Then she saw Dean’s hair. It still looked like a toothbrush, but now it looked like a toothbrush that a dog had chewed on. Sophie tried not to laugh … but everyone else did.

“Back to your positions!” Mr. Hurley hollered.

“Uh, sorry, Dean,” Sophie said. She was careful not to look at him. And then, at last, it was their team’s turn to kick.

Sophie, of course, was in the middle of the lineup. But for once, she didn’t mind. It gave her time to look out for more danger.

Soon the bases were loaded and Toby was up. Sydney was on third base and ready to run.

Then Sophie noticed something. Sydney’s sneaker was untied. She could trip and break her leg! It was Sophie the Hero time!

Sophie dashed out of the dugout as Kate pitched the ball to Toby. She bent down and grabbed Sydney’s shoe just as Toby kicked the
ball. Then she started to tie Sydney’s laces as Sydney began to run.

The next thing Sophie knew, Sydney was falling down — on top of her. Then came the runners from second —
oof!
— and first—
ugh!

Sophie crawled out of the pile just as Archie tagged them all out.

Then Mr. Hurley blew his whistle. “Game over!” he hollered.