The Curious Case of Kaitlin and the Cookies

By Olivia Amble

Story 4

29

Kaitlin was a pretty girl, with long black hair, braids and bangs. She was eleven years old. Her brother Jake was two years older than she was, but they got on very well, and often did things together. They looked very alike. Jake had straight black hair, too, (no bangs or braids, of course), and the same blue eyes as his sister. He was quite a lot taller than Kaitlin.

Last Saturday Jake wanted to go rollerblading on the roller blade ramps in a park near their home. Kaitlin didn’t like rollerblading, but she wanted to go to the park with her brother. She said she would go with him and watch. So off the two went, Jake carrying his roller blades and Kaitlin carrying her backpack with two bottles of water in it, and a packet of cookies for them to eat when Jake was tired of rollerblading.

It was a nice sunny day. Soon Jake was whizzing up and down the ramps, and Kaitlin was sitting on a bench feeding little bits of chocolate chip cookie to a group Glossary whizzing: (n. gerund) of hungry birds. A boy came to a person with a very sit next to her. He looked about high level of skill or knowledge in a twelve years old, was well-built particular area grinned: (past tense and had bright red hair. He v.) to smile grinned at Kaitlin and said “Hi.”

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They both watched the birds for a while, until a sudden loud shout from the kids who were rollerblading scared them and made them fly away. Kaitlin put the packet of cookies back into her open backpack, which was on the bench beside her. “Pity they flew away,” said the red-haired boy. “I like birds.” “Me too,” said Kaitlin.

Glossary

weird: (adj.) strange

They sat watching the skaters on the ramps in silence for a while. Then the red-haired boy suddenly said “Want a cookie?” “Oh thank you,” said Kaitlin and took the cookie that the boy was handing her. He was already eating one. It was a chocolate chip cookie. “That’s weird,” thought Kaitlin. “Just the same type of cookie that I brought.” She started eating the cookie. Chocolate chip cookies were her favorite!

The boy finished his cookie, and started eating another. “Want another one?” he asked Kaitlin. “No thanks,” said Kaitlin. The boy got up. “Well, I’m off to see what else is happening in the park,” he said. He pushed the rest of the pack of cookies into his jacket pocket and left. Kaitlin said “Bye” and watched him walking away in the direction of the pond at the other end of the park.

Jake came back. He sat down on the bench beside his sister, and started taking off his rollerblades. “Where did you put my sneakers, Kaitlin?” he asked. “In my backpack,” said Kaitlin. “Here they are!” and she pulled Jake’s sneakers out of her backpack and handed them over to him. “Thanks,” he said, and bent over to put them on.

“I’m very thirsty!” said Jake. Kaitlin passed him one of the bottles of water from her backpack. “And I’m hungry, too,” said Jake. “Can I have one of those cookies you brought, please?” “Sure,” said Kaitlin, and put her hand into her backpack to find the cookies. She searched and searched in her backpack, but the cookies weren’t there!” “There not here,” she said, surprised.

“You probably left them at home,” said Jake. “No, I didn’t,” said Kaitlin. “I know I brought them. I fed the birds with one of them!” “Don’t tell me you gave all the chocolate chip cookies to the birds!” said Jake. “No, I didn’t,” said Kaitlin. “I only gave them one!” Then she remembered the red-haired boy, and the cookies he was eating.

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“That boy stole them!” she shouted. “Which boy?” asked Jake. “The boy who was sitting next to me. He was talking to me. He even offered me a cookie! And it was a chocolate chip cookie! I thought that was weird at the time! He stole the pack of cookies from my backpack and offered me one! What a cheek! Then he got up and went away, taking the cookies with him!”

Glossary

cheek: (adj.) imprudent, insolent. Not showing respect

Jake jumped up! He was furious. “A boy stole our cookies?” he shouted. “Come on! Let’s go and get them back. What did the boy look like?” “He was well-built. He was about twelve I think. And he had red hair.” “Which way did he go?” asked Jake. “Towards the lake,” said Kaitlin. Jake started to run. Kaitlin ran after him. Glossary

well. built: (adj.) physically strong

The red-haired boy wasn’t hard to find. He was standing at the edge of the lake, feeding the ducks chocolate-chip cookies! “Hey! Those cookies are ours,” shouted Jake. “You took them from my backpack!” shouted Kaitlin. “No, I didn’t!” said the red-haired boy, surprised. “I brought them from home this morning!” “My son is not a thief!” said a woman with red hair, joining them.

But Jake had already lost interest in the cookies. “Forget the cookies!” he said to Kaitlin. “I left my rollerblades where you were sitting. Come on! Let’s go and get them!”

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Jake and Kaitlin ran back to the bench. The rollerblades were just where Jake had left them under the bench. He bent down to get them. “And I just solved the curious case of the cookies,” said Jake. “They’re under the bench, too!” and he held up the pack of chocolate chip cookies triumphantly! “They must have rolled out of your backpack when you pulled out my sneakers,” he said. “Oh no!” said Kaitlin, going very red. “And I accused that red-haired boy of stealing them!” “Come on!” said Jake. “We’d better go and say we’re sorry!”