Olivia Brophie and the Pearl of Tagelus. Christopher Tozier
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No one dared argue with them over the issue.
Olivia learned the skinny boy’s name was Cucumber Nevels and that his buddies called him Cuke. He was as devious as Larry was dumb. Doug told her that Cuke must have decided years ago that he would be friends with the biggest, meanest boys who would then protect him. Doug was sure he was also trying to get into the Guinness Book of World Records by growing the world’s longest mullet. Begonia Salt was the girl. She never said much, but she didn’t have to because she was on the football team herself, and not as a kicker but a linebacker.
“I’m Olivia,” she said, trying to be nice. She hadn’t learned yet that trying to be nice to this gang wouldn’t help matters.
“O . . . liv . . . ee . . . uh,” Cuke stretched out her name because he couldn’t think of anything else to make fun of. “How you like being a Milligan? You know, everyone around here thinks they are freaks. You better be careful.”
Olivia blushed.
“What are you guys doing out here anywhere? There is no hunting allowed. This is protected,” Doug asked.
“None of yer business,” Larry snipped. “But if it matters so much, we are huntin’ the Bobwhite Witch.”
“Who is Bob White?” Olivia asked, suddenly interested. The boys started laughing and slapping each other with exaggerated glee. Begonia didn’t crack a smile.
“Who is Bob White? Bobwhite is not a person, Einstein. Bobwhite is a bird-witch, a cannibal bird-witch and we aim to kill her. Who is Bob White! That’s classic!” Cuke snickered with his unnaturally high voice.
“You sure are dumb. Yer gonna fit right in with those Milligans,” Richard said, getting right in Olivia’s face.
“You know, you are the ugliest and smelliest thing I’ve seen in a while,” Olivia shot back.
“Nobody talks to my brother like that,” Larry lunged for her.
Doug stepped between them. “Leave her alone, Mutch.” He felt braver than ever before. It surged through him like a wave. “She didn’t do anything to you.”
“Whoa! Look at Corcoran getting tough now!” Cuke smirked. “You aren’t gonna cry for us today, Dougie Baby? Dontcha have a math class to teach or sumthin’?”
“Leave . . . her . . . alone,” Doug repeated. He started to regret jumping in. Richard slowly walked behind him.
Larry stared at Doug for a moment. Richard was getting on all fours behind Doug’s legs. “All right, Dougie. I won’t mess you up in front of your girlfriend. Summer is a long time. Try not to step on any more cactus, Milligan. Let’s go guys.” Larry shoved Doug as hard as he could. Just as Doug stumbled onto Richard’s back, Richard stood straight up, sending Doug end over end into the bushes. Begonia sneered and looked Olivia up and down as she walked past. Olivia swore she heard Begonia growl.
“Jerks,” Olivia said when she was sure they were out of earshot.
“Geez. You almost got us killed,” Doug said brushing himself off.
“I’ve never stood up to a bully before,” Olivia could barely breathe.
“Me neither.”
“What kind of name is Cucumber anyway?” Olivia chuckled, helping him pick up the scattered papers and flags.
“I dunno. If the Nevels had more kids, they would probably name them all after vegetables,” Doug said.
“Like lettuce.”
“Or cabbage.”
“His younger sister Tomato and older brother Artichoke,” Olivia laughed.
“The whole family is a salad.”
“You ever hear of the Bobwhite Witch?” Olivia asked.
“It’s just an old kid’s story. There are no such things as witches. Those guys are just too dumb to know any better,” Doug said.
“Well, what is it?” she asked, getting irritated.
“What is what?”
“The story.”
“It says that she can turn into a bobwhite whenever she wants and she has a covey of other bobwhites that follows her around. She steals babies, kills people at midnight, sneaks around your house at night peeking in windows, that sort of stuff. Hmmmm . . . here are some blueberries that the bears haven’t gotten yet.” He started picking the little berries and eating them. Olivia joined him. She didn’t realize how hungry she was until the first few berries squished between her teeth.
“These aren’t that great.”
“Better than nothing,” he said.
“So you don’t think the Witch is real? I mean, she could be real. You don’t really know.”
“My Mom says it’s nonsense,” he responded. “Chasing fairy tales doesn’t help me find a new species.”
“What time is it anyway?” she just realized how late it must be getting.
Doug looked at his watch. “Four o’clock.”
“Oh, no. I better get home. Aunt must be worried by now.”
They started walking at a faster pace. It really wasn’t such an ugly forest as Olivia had thought at first. In some places, clouds of rainbow-colored scarabs whirred up toward the sun. In some places, large blue birds flew in close to watch them walk by. One even landed briefly on Doug’s head. Doug showed her the Vomiting Holly, a tree whose leaves make even the most robust man vomit uncontrollably for hours and was once worshiped by the Indians. He showed her the poisonous coontie plant that those same Indians made their mealy bread out of.
“How do you know all this stuff?” she asked.
“You do realize that I’m a nerd, right?” Doug said, more of a statement than a question.
“I . . . I guess so,” Olivia felt guilty for saying it. Doug smiled a little.
They walked quietly for the next fifteen minutes until reaching the Milligans’ fence.
“Thanks for helping me, Nature Boy. You know, my Dad won’t be here to pick me up for a few days. I wouldn’t mind helping you find more tortoise burrows tomorrow. I mean, if you want.”
“Yeah. That would be cool. Meet me at Mr. Gruffle’s tomorrow at ten,” he said with a wink.
“OK. Deal.”
Olivia snuck through the fence and ran to the side of the house. She found the curving trail of the coral snakes in the sand. From out of her pocket, she pulled a handful of blueberries and left them right in the middle of their path. She heard thunder and it started to rain even though the sun was still shining. As she ran inside, she looked back to the place in the forest where Doug left her. The raindrops were shining in the sun, igniting the trees with a billion sparkling lights.
“Excuse me young lady,” Aunt started scolding her as soon as she walked in the door. “Where have you been?” Cheeto bolted out of the next room, yelping uncontrollably. He crowded around her, sniffing.
“I was just walking around,” Olivia lied. “Hi, Cheeto! You remember me!”
“You were just walking around for six hours? Listen, don’t go running off like that without telling us. I was worried sick. Oh my! And look at your legs!” she noticed the dried blood. “Come into the bathroom. We can fix that.”
In the bathroom, Olivia jumped up on the countertop. Aunt grabbed a tweezers and started pulling the little cactus hairs from her skin. Her legs were itching like crazy.
“You didn’t touch your eyes did you?” Aunt asked.
“No. Doug told me . . .” she paused, knowing her secret was out. “Doug