by Wanda Coven
Chapter 1: TOOTH TROUBLE
Chapter 2: PIRATES AND WITCHES
Chapter 3: SKIP IT!
Chapter 4: PLINK!
Chapter 5: MRS. FOSTER
Chapter 6: FUNNY FACES
Chapter 7: MOM’S SURPRISE
Chapter 8: MINI MARSHMALLOWS
Chapter 9: LITTLE MISS GRIN
Chapter 10: JUST OWN IT!
Chapter 11: FREEZE FRAME
‘Heidi Heckelbeck Might Be Afraid of the Dark’ Excerpt
Wiggle!
Jiggle!
Jaggle!
Heidi stood on a kitchen chair and looked in the mirror that hung by the back door. Mom used this mirror to put on lipstick before she left the house. Heidi used it to look at her loose tooth.
“Oh no!” she exclaimed. “That tooth is SUPER-loose!”
“Which one is it?” asked Mom.
Heidi turned around on the chair and put her finger on her tooth. “My fwunt one!” she said.
She wiggled it again.
“Wow, that is really loose,” agreed Mom.
“Well, it had better not fall out!” declared Heidi.
Mom looked puzzled. “Why not?”
“Because Picture Day at school is in TWO days,” Heidi said. “And I don’t want a big hole in my smile.”
“Then stop wiggling it,” suggested Mom.
“That’s easy for you to say!” Heidi said, poking her tooth with her tongue.
“Get your mind on something else,” said Mom.
Heidi tried to think about something else. She looked at the ceiling and rubbed her chin thoughtfully. Then she sighed.
“It’s no use,” she said. “All I can think about is my loose tooth.”
“Well, I have an idea,” said Mom. “Let’s practice your spelling words.”
Heidi groaned. “Do I have to?”
“It might get your mind off your tooth,” Mom said.
“Well . . . okay,” grumbled Heidi, hopping down from the chair.
Then she pulled her spelling words from the inside pocket of her notebook and handed them to Mom.
Mom looked over the list. “Words that begin with the letter T,” she said as she sat on the couch. “Ready?”
Heidi nodded.
“Treat,” said Mom.
“Treat,” repeated Heidi. “T-R-E-A-T.”
She clasped her hands behind her back and rocked back and forth on her heels as she spelled.
“Good,” Mom said. “Toad.”
“That’s easy!” Heidi said. “T-O-A-D.”
Mom nodded. “Tooth,” she said.
As soon as Heidi heard the word “tooth,” her tongue went straight to her loose tooth. Then she hopped back onto the chair and looked at her tooth in the mirror.
Mom sighed and laid the spelling words on the table.
“We’re home!” Henry shouted as he burst through the back door.
Henry had on a baseball cap and glove. When he saw Heidi standing on the chair, he stopped. Dad, who was right behind Henry, stopped to look at Heidi too.
“What are you doing?” asked Henry.
Heidi kept staring at herself in the mirror.
Mom filled them in. “Heidi has a loose tooth,” she said.
“Wow, let me see!” said Henry, tossing his baseball glove into the sports bin.
Heidi shut her mouth and scowled. “NO!” she said firmly. “Nobody gets to see but ME.”
“Why not?” asked Henry.
“Because if you look at my tooth, it might fall out,” said Heidi. “And it can’t fall out before Wednesday.”
“Why Wednesday?” questioned Henry.
“BECAUSE!” Heidi said. “Wednesday is Picture Day!”
“So?” said Henry.
“So I don’t want my school picture taken if I have a MISSING TOOTH!” said Heidi angrily.
“Hmm . . . pirates have missing teeth,” said Henry.
Heidi rolled her eyes. “Well, I’m not a pirate,” she said. “I’m a WITCH!”
“Witches have missing teeth too,” Henry said with a smile.
“Yeah, and you know what?” asked Heidi.
“What?” Henry answered.
“They look BEASTLY!” yelled Heidi. “That’s what!”
The next day Heidi’s teacher Mrs. Welli reminded the class about Picture Day.
“We’ll take individual pictures first,” said Mrs. Welli. “Then we’ll gather in the library for a class picture. Any questions?”
“May we stand next to our friends?” asked Melanie Maplethorpe, who was Heidi’s least favorite girl in the class.
Mrs. Welli sighed.
“I can’t make any promises,” she said. “Let’s leave that to Mr. Horner.”
Flash Horner was the school photographer.
“Remember to bring in your picture order forms tomorrow. Or have your mom or dad sign up online,” Mrs. Welli said. “I’ll remind you again at the end of the day.”
The lunch bell rang. Heidi and Lucy grabbed their lunch boxes and lined up for the cafeteria. Sometimes they got hot lunches, but most of the time they brought their own.
“So, what are you going to wear for Picture Day?” asked Lucy.
“I dunno,” said Heidi. “What about you?”
“I’m going to wear my long-sleeved purple T-shirt with my pink skirt and purple flats,” Lucy said.
Before Heidi could comment, Melanie butted in.
“Guess what I’M going to wear,” she said loudly.
“Let me think,” said Lucy. “Something pink?”
“And with ruffles?” added Heidi.
“Yes, but it’s a whole NEW outfit,” bragged Melanie. “The top is light pink with crisscross straps in the back, and the skirt is a darker pink with three layers of ruffles. And PS, it TWIRLS.”
“Don’t you have lots of outfits like that?” questioned Lucy.
“No, this one will be completely different,” Melanie insisted. “You’ll see.” Then she turned to Heidi. “What are YOU going to wear? One of your weird tomboy outfits?”
Heidi gripped her lunch box. “That’s my own personal business,” she said.
Melanie stuck her nose in the air and walked off. Her pretty blond ponytail bobbed up and down as she went.
Heidi shook her head. Melanie drove her crazy, and all this talk about Picture Day outfits made her think about her loose tooth again. She poked her tooth with the tip of her tongue. It felt looser than the last time she had checked.
Lucy noticed the worried look on Heidi’s face. “What’s the matter?” she asked.
“It’s my dumb tooth!” Heidi said. “I don’t want it to fall out before Picture Day!”
Heidi showed Lucy her loose tooth.
“It’s loose, all right,” said Lucy.
“What should I do?” asked Heidi.
Lucy thought for a moment. “Skip lunch,” she said. “If you don’t chew, maybe you won’t lose your tooth!”
Heidi’s face brightened.
“You’re a GENIUS!” she said.
“Anytime,” said Lucy.
Gurgle!
Gurgle!
Gur-r-r-r-r-p!
Heidi’s stomach rumbled. She tried to ignore it, but it was hard to think about double-digit subtraction on an empty stomach. Only half an hour until the bell rings, she thought. She watched Mrs. Welli write on the interactive board. But this time it wasn’t a subtraction problem. It was a message. It said Happy birthday, Natalie! in great big letters.
“Time to hand out your birthday treats, Natalie,” said Mrs. Welli.
Natalie went to the front of the room to get her box of treats. Everyone began to chatter.
“What treat?” asked Eve.
“Can
I have some?” asked Charlie.
“Does it have nuts?” asked Melanie. “I can’t have nuts.”
“I hope it’s cupcakes!” said Bruce.
Natalie picked Lucy to help pass out birthday napkins. Lucy placed a napkin on everyone’s desk, and Natalie set an oatmeal chocolate chip cookie on top of each napkin. Bruce was the first one to take a bite of his cookie.
“Mmmmmm,” he moaned. “It . . . is . . . SO good!”
Everyone made some super-duper yummy sounds—everyone except Heidi. She stared at the cookie on her desk. Her stomach growled again. Maybe if I just bite it gently, Heidi said to herself. She picked up the cookie and bit into it softly, but even that was too much.
“OUCH!” yelped Heidi.
The bite of cookie dropped onto her desk.
Melanie, who sat next to her, saw what happened. “EW!” she cried. “That’s so GROSS!”
Everyone turned to look at Heidi. Her tooth was bent at an awkward angle.
Her classmates began to shout.
“Twist it!” exclaimed Charlie.
“Pull it!” cried Bruce.
“Tie it to a doorknob!” suggested Eve.
Heidi touched her tooth with her finger. She tried to push it back into place, but it was no use.
Plink!
Her front tooth dropped onto her desk—right next to the bite of cookie.
And just like that, it was all over.
Heidi sat on the cot in the nurse’s office. Mrs. Foster, the school nurse, had shoulder-length hair just like Heidi. She had on a pink turtleneck sweater, jeans, and short brown cowboy boots. Mrs. Foster handed Heidi a tissue and a handheld mirror.
“How’s my twin?” she asked cheerily. Mrs. Foster always called Heidi her twin because they both had exactly the same color red hair.
Heidi shrugged and looked in the mirror. Ugh, she thought, frowning. I look even worse than I thought.
“You’ve got quite a gap there!” said Mrs. Foster.
“Merg,” growled Heidi as she frowned at her reflection.
“Don’t worry, sweetie. Everyone loses teeth in second grade,” said Mrs. Foster. “It’s part of growing up.”
Then she opened a small refrigerator and pulled out a smiley-face ice pack.
“Maybe this will help,” she said, handing the ice pack to Heidi.
“No, thank you,” Heidi said. “I don’t need an ice pack; I need a MIRACLE.”
Mrs. Foster looked at Heidi thoughtfully. “What’s the matter?” she asked. “Did you swallow your tooth?”
Heidi shook her head.
“Do you still have your lost tooth?” asked Mrs. Foster.
Heidi nodded. “It’s in my hand,” she said.
“May I see?” asked Mrs. Foster.
Heidi opened her hand to show Mrs. Foster her tooth. The tooth had a little hole where the root used to be. This gave Heidi an idea.
“Can you glue my tooth back into place?” she asked hopefully.
Mrs. Foster wrinkled her forehead. “Why would you want me to do that?” she asked.
“Because tomorrow is Picture Day,” said Heidi, “and I don’t want to look like a jack-o’-lantern with a missing tooth!”
“Is that what this is all about?” asked Mrs. Foster as she sat down.
Heidi nodded and looked at her sneakers.
“Would it help if I said that you look adorable without your front tooth?” Mrs. Foster asked.
“Not really,” mumbled Heidi, and she peeked in the mirror again. “What did you look like in second grade?” she asked.
Mrs. Foster laughed. “I had pigtails, glasses, and a half-grown-in front tooth,” she said.
“Did you look absolutely adorable?” Heidi asked.
“I sure did!” said Mrs. Foster.
Heidi managed a weak smile.
“Okay, missy. May I borrow your tooth?” asked Mrs. Foster.
Heidi carefully placed her tooth in the school nurse’s hand.
Then Mrs. Foster put the tooth in a tiny plastic container shaped like a tooth. She snapped the lid shut and handed it to Heidi.
The tooth holder had a purple string attached to the back so that it could be worn as a necklace. Heidi slipped the necklace over her head. Well, at least I can wear my tooth around my neck, she thought. Then she opened the tooth holder and looked at her tooth. But I’d much rather have it back in my mouth, where it belongs.
Heidi walked through the door and dropped her backpack beside the kitchen table. Henry was about to bite into a mini bagel with tomato sauce and melted cheese on top. But then he stopped and looked at his sister.
“What’s wrong now?” he asked.
“My tooth fell out,” Heidi said crossly.
“Cool!” exclaimed Henry. “Was there any blood?”
Heidi looked at Henry in disbelief. “What are you—a vampire or something?”
“Maybe,” Henry said as he raised his arms like bat wings and stuck his front teeth out like fangs. “I vant to suck your blood!” he chanted.
Aunt Trudy and Mom, who had been making more bagel snacks and lemonade, came over to the table.
“Okay, Heidi,” said Aunt Trudy. “Open up!”
“Let’s see your new smile!” chimed in Mom.
“No!” said Heidi firmly. “It looks SO BEASTLY.”
“Beastly” had become her new favorite word.
“Come on. Just show us!” urged Henry. “What’s the big deal?”
Heidi glared at her brother. Then she growled and showed her teeth like an angry dog. “There!” she declared. “Now everyone knows how beastly I look.”
Mom raised her hands to her cheeks. “You look so adorable!” she exclaimed.
“Sweet as pie!” said Aunt Trudy.
“BEASTLY!” said Henry.
“Bingo!” said Heidi, folding her arms. “For once Henry is right!”
“Okay, that’s enough, you two,” said Mom.
“But Heidi should be happy,” said Henry. “Now she’ll get a present from the tooth fairy!”
“I would much rather have a tooth than get a visit from the tooth fairy,” said Heidi.
Then she planted her elbows on the table and rested her chin on her hands. Normally, she loved getting stuff from the tooth fairy, but this time all she could think about was how awful she was going to look in her school picture.
“Grrrr,” growled Heidi again. “Why did I have to lose my tooth right before Picture Day?”
“Nobody says you have to show your teeth when you smile,” said Henry. “Do a lips-only smile.”
“Henry’s right,” said Mom. “Why don’t you practice a new smile for Picture Day?”
Heidi stared blankly into space. Maybe they are right, she thought. I suppose I COULD try another type of smile. She got up and dragged her chair over to the back-door mirror. Then she began to practice some new smiles.
First she smiled with her lips only. Ugh. No way, she thought. That doesn’t look natural. Then she tried her normal smile—just to see. Ack! she thought, and made a sour face.
This triggered an angry face, followed by . . .
A sad face.
A crazy face.
And a fish face.
Then Heidi stuck out her tongue and made a big, fat growl sound.
RAWRRRR!
“There’s my beautiful girl!” Dad said as he walked through the back door from work.
Dad had seen Heidi’s funny face show from the mudroom. He lifted Heidi from the chair and gave her a great big hug and a kiss on the nose.
“I look like a storybook witch,” Heidi said glumly.
“She’s a toothless old witch!” added Henry.
“And I feel beastly!” said Heidi.
“She is a BEAST!” Henry declared.
Heidi nodded. “It’s true,” she said.
Dad squeezed Heidi and laughed. “Then you’re the prettiest beastly old witch I’ve ever seen!” he said as he let Heidi slide to the floor.
Mom walked
over and bent down to put her arm around Heidi. “Cheer up,” she said. “I have something that will make you feel better about Picture Day.”
Heidi gave her mom a questioning look. What could Mom possibly have that will make me feel better? she wondered.
Mom beckoned Heidi with her finger. Heidi slowly followed her into the front hall. They walked upstairs and into Heidi’s bedroom. There, on the bed, lay a brand-new outfit.
Heidi gasped.
“I decorated the skirt myself,” Mom said.
It was a blue denim skirt with little stars sewn in colorful thread all over it. Mom had bought a light green top to go with it.
“I LOVE it!” Heidi said, forgetting her toothless self for a moment.
Mom smiled.
“Can I wear my jean jacket with it?” Heidi asked.
Mom nodded happily. “Of course you can,” she said. “That’ll give it the classic Heidi style.”
Heidi picked up the hangers and held up the clothes against herself.
“They will look beautiful on you,” said Mom. Then she looked at her watch. “I have to go make dinner,” she said. “But why don’t you come down and model your new outfit for us?”
Heidi nodded as Mom left the room. Then she held her new outfit up to herself in front of the mirror. She tilted her head from one side to the other. This is my new favorite skirt, she said to herself.
Then she smiled and saw the gap in her teeth again. Ugh, she thought. My smile ruins the WHOLE outfit!
