The Other Mush by: Madeline Howell
Noah hated that guy. He HATED him. Miss Leah could marry any
boy in the whole world if she wanted to. Brown hair, red, blonde, white, even
purple. She could marry any of those guys on the covers of those magazines she
was always reading. She could marry a prince! The kind with a million horses
and giant dinner tables and servants and a castle! But she picked that guy. “What was so special about
him?” Noah wondered. Miss Leah didn’t ever go to the park and feed the ducks
with him. She didn’t take him to the aquarium or to the zoo or to get ice cream
at Noah’s favorite ice cream place (it was the best one). She didn’t play
Candyland or Monopoly or watch her favorite cartoons with him… She wouldn’t
even help him with his homework! Noah knew that because when he asked Miss
Leah, she laughed and said “No, I never have!” She even shook her head. Instead
of doing anything fun, Miss Leah always came back from seeing him with
something way too shiny. One time she showed Noah a necklace from the guy and
it was so bright that Noah went half blind for three days! Once she came back
with a bracelet that she let Noah try on. The consensus? “It was okay.” The last
time she left with him, Miss Leah came back with a ring like the one Noah’s mom
usually wears. It was too big for her hand. Probably hurt to carry around. Noah
hated him so much that every time Miss Leah talked about him, he would press
his hands over his ears so hard that his whole face would smush. That way no
sound could get through.
Despite constant
protesting from the little guy, Miss Leah invited this mystery man over to meet
Noah for the first time, which Noah was less than pleased about. But it was too
late. The moment of truth was here. The doorbell rang and Miss Leah jumped to
pause the T.V. as her smile grew ten inches. Noah turned on his best puppy dog
eyes and grabbed Miss Leah’s ring-less hand with both of his tiny ones. His
feet dragged reluctantly the whole ten wooden steps to the entry and as Miss
Leah eagerly yanked open the heavy iron door, Noah’s little heart broke at the
sound of a deep, rumbling, “Hey, little man! I’m Todd.”
