First Big Nate story :)

Nate Wright was about to die of hunger.

No cookies, no candy, no chips, and NO CHEEZ DOODLES. Somehow, he wondered how his sister could eat the weird almonds (they had mold on the bag) and how his dad even kept the Jello packet (it already expired more than seven years ago) and he was questioning himself how he even survived without a thing containing sugar in sight. He sighed, and leaned on the wooden counter and tapped the nearby black phone. "How can this day get any worse?"

Then, when he was going to annoy his sister to get ice cream, the phone rang.

"I'll get it!" Ellen Wright, his older sister came jumping into the room, her hair in its usual pony-tail, whipping Nate in the face. "Ow," he mumbled, touching his hurt cheek while Ellen reached for the phone, babbling, "Get out, Nate. It's probably Sara talking about Bobby again..."

Nate rolled his eyes. Standing next to a barefoot Ellen, he was almost as tall as her. That was a major improvement- instead of being 4'6, he was 5'1. Very good improvement for a to-be seventh grader, but it also helped in arguments.

"Hello? Wright residence, Ellen speaking. Oh, Mr. Holloway! Yes, my father will be right over." Ellen spoke into the phone smiling. She cupped her hand over the end of the phone. "Dad, it's for you!"

The father of the children waddled into the room, reaching for the phone from Ellen.

"Hello?"

This was, Nate realized, his cue to leave the room...and possibly eavesdrop. He watched Ellen leave, going up the stairs to her room, while he walked to a wall. He was positive if his dad stayed in the same spot, then he could hear clearly and not be seen.

"Hello, Mr. Holloway. Good afternoon to you too! Yes, my shop...what about it?"

There was silence. Nate held his breath.

"Not that far...yes, yes, I see...that much? Oh, my."

Nate exhaled slowly.

"You're willing...well, I'll be darned! I'll take the job!"

Nate's eyes bugged out.

"Yes, I'll be around by four o' clock...I'll sign the papers then...Thank you, Mr. Holloway."

Click.

Nate walked into the room. "So, Dad-o," He opened the fridge casually, as if searching for something to eat. "What was that all about?"

"Oh, nothing big, really. Just that we're moving!"

"Wait...what?"

"So you're moving?"

Francis Pope and Teddy Ortiz were sitting on Nate's lawn, while Nate was pacing. Nate had called them as soon as possible, and told them to get over to his house. "Yeah! And guess what he said?" Nate did his imitation of his father. "He went, 'Oh, nothing big! We're moving, that's all!'"

"Well, do you know where you're moving to?" Teddy asked.

"Not a single clue! This is as fun as spending a week with Mrs. Godfrey!" Nate's face lit up. "Ha! I won't see her anymore! Whoo hooo!"

"I heard there's a house near Jefferson," Francis whispered to Teddy.

"If he moves there, he wouldn't be able to stand it."

"-and I won't see Gina, either, if I move away! Chester, he's a speck now, like Randy! I won't see them! Or Artur or...Jenny." Nate's face fell, and he plopped onto the grass, right next to his friends. "I won't see Jenny...or you guys. Or Mr. Rosa! And School Picture Guy. If I move, I won't see you all."

"Don't you get it, though, pin head? Summer just started! We have three months! So why spend it moping when we can have fun?" Francis thwapped Nate on the back of the head, and stood up. Teddy did so too. Nate stood up and grinned at his friends and gave them noogies.

"Okay, dweebs. What are we waiting for?"

The three boys cheered, and took off down the street, leaving the thoughts of Nate moving lingering at the Wright household.