Chapter One - The Loud New Kid

CHAPTER ONE

The Loud New Kid

BLUSTER BOUNCED.
NOT like a basketball. Not like a puppy.
Like a balloon with too much air and nowhere to be.

He boinged into the classroom door.
He boinged into the coat rack.
He boinged into Mrs. Wibble’s desk.

“HELLOOOOO!” he said.
But it sounded more like:
“HELLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!”

Some kids giggled.
Some kids winced.
Pebble didn’t do either. She just watched.

Bluster had a backpack way too small for his roundness.
It was shaped like a slice of pizza.
It looked hungry.

“Where do I sit?” he asked, already bouncing toward a chair.
The chair wobbled. The chair squeaked. The chair said “uh-oh” with its legs.

Mrs. Wibble pointed gently to the back.
Next to Pebble.
Right by the window.
Where the wind looked like it was waiting.

Bluster blew a raspberry at the window.
The window did not respond.
Neither did Pebble.

He plopped down.
The desk gave a tiny groan.

“Hi,” said Pebble.
“YO,” said Bluster. “You look like a rock.”
“I am a rock,” she said.
Bluster blinked. “Huh. That’s kinda cool.”

And just like that, class began.
And just like that, Bluster was there.

Loud.
Bouncy.
Kinda rude.

Everyone watched.
No one knew what to say.

But Pebble?
Pebble just sat still.

She’d seen balloons before.
And she knew something about balloons.

If you push them too hard... they pop.