all around them until Ori pulled the treasure out A bottle cap he said and slumped I thought it was gold They went back to digging Jasper found a worm It nearly got cut in half Jasper carried the worm over to the bushes and hid it under some leaves where it would be safe from birds and treasure hunters When he got back to his hole Isabel and Zoë were standing over Ori with their hands on their hips What are you doing Ori Zoë asked Digging for treasure What kind of treasure Gold Ori said Or silver Ha ha ha Isabel laughed Jasper asked her to move because her foot was almost in his hole You’re never going to find treasure here Isabel told him Jasper pretended the girls weren’t there but ignoring girls was the best way to interest them They bent over watching Jasper and Ori dig ooh-ing when Jasper hit something hard then giggling when he lifted a rock out of the hole
Jasper John Isabel said if you’re looking for treasure I have some in my cubby Jasper stopped digging and looked up at Isabel She smiled showing the empty front-tooth space in her mouth What kind of treasure Jasper asked I’ll show you Isabel said just as the bell rang Jasper and Ori followed Isabel and Zoë into the school In the classroom Isabel led them to her cubby where her backpack was hanging on a hook She unzipped the front pocket and reached inside it
Ori gasped when he saw what Isabel took out Money So so so much money Treasure Ori exclaimed Where did you get it Jasper asked Isabel From the bowl in my front hall beside the phone Isabel said Isabel had an idea for a game A good one At lunch she and Zoë would go ahead and bury the treasure Then Jasper and Ori would dig for it Whatever you find you can keep Isabel told them Really Jasper said Isabel nodded Jasper and Ori looked at each other The thing is Ori said we’ll be rich So at lunch Jasper and Ori ended up playing with Isabel and Zoë even though they hadn’t wanted to At least it wasn’t babies First they stood on the school steps with their backs turned and counted to one hundred That way the girls had enough time to bury the treasure Then they tore down to the jungle gym They dug and dug with the plastic container and the lid until the sand around the jungle gym was all holey Isabel and Zoë stood by calling Not there and Not
even close and Try again When Jasper stopped to rest he looked over at the girls Their mouths got small like they were sucking on a peppermint A peppermint or a joke They glanced at each other and smiled By the time the after-lunch bell rang Jasper and Ori weren’t any richer
