The Kid Who Ran For President Read Online Free

Moon.”
    â€œWhat’s wrong with my image?”
    â€œDon’t be so touchy! You don’t even have an image yet. We have to give you one.”
    â€œI thought a person’s image was the natural personality they give off.”
    â€œYou’re so naive, Moon,” Lane said, shaking his head. “I’ve been thinking it over and one thing you definitely have to do is change your parakeet’s name.”
    â€œChange Snot’s name?!”
    â€œYou can’t have a bird named Snot.”
    â€œThat’s her name!”
    â€œIt’s disgusting!”
    â€œIt is Snot!”
    â€œWhy’d you name your parakeet Snot in the first place?” Lane asked.
    â€œWell, when we first got her, she was always running around her cage.”
    â€œYeah, so?”
    â€œLike a nose,” I explained. “She was always running. And she looks a little bit like a big nose, too.”
    â€œSo you had to name her Snot? Why didn’t you name her Nose or Shnozz? Even Booger would have been a better name.”
    â€œI like Snot!”
    â€œHow about Cuddles or Choo-Choo?” Lane suggested. “Something voters will find adorable.”
    I hated the idea of changing Snot’s name. But as Lane pointed out, it would be a shame to lose votes just because my parakeet’s name offended some people. So Snot became Cuddles.
    â€œNow, our next order of business,” Lane said, going down his list. “The First Babe.”
    â€œThe First Babe?”
    â€œBehind every great man stands a great woman, Moon. You’ve got to have a First Lady.”
    â€œThat’s a no-brainer, Lane. Abby Goldstein is the First Lady.”
    Lane took a few moments to find the right words. “Moon, I’ve given this a lot of thought, and I don’t think Abby fits your image.”
    â€œI thought you said I don’t have an image,” I blurted out.
    â€œShe doesn’t fit the image we want to give you.”
    â€œWhat’s wrong with Abby?”
    â€œDon’t take this the wrong way, Moon, but it wouldn’t hurt a kid running for the highest office in the country to have a real knockout with him. All those photo opportunities and every thing.”
    I had never thought of Abby as someone who was pretty or not pretty. I just thought of her as my friend.
    â€œYou think Abby’s ugly?” I asked.
    â€œI didn’t say that, Moon. She’s just sort of uh … normal. Tell me, what do you think of Chelsea Daniels?”
    â€œYou mean the girl with the long blond hair in science class? She’s the most beautiful girl in the school. Doesn’t she do fashion modeling or something?”
    â€œShe’s the one.”
    â€œShe doesn’t even know who I am,” I said.
    â€œOnce the word gets around that you’re running for president, she’ll know who you are. And it will help her modeling career to be seen with you.”
    â€œI don’t know, Lane. Abby and I have been friends since we were babies. What will she think if some other girl is my First Babe?”
    â€œMoon, you agreed to let me run the campaign and that you’d run to win,” Lane said. “I say you get more votes with Chelsea at your side than with Abby at your side. Do me a favor and just ask Chelsea. Will you do that for me?”
    â€œOkay,” I said reluctantly.
    So I had two girls to ask out. June Syers and Chelsea Daniels.

I spotted Chelsea walking home from school the next day and ran to catch up with her.
    â€œUh, excuse me, Chelsea?” I said awkwardly from behind.
    â€œOh, hi! I’m sorry, I don’t know your name.”
    She turned around to face me. Chelsea Daniels is one of those twelve-year-old girls who looks like she’s about eighteen in the magazine ads. I know it’s not cool to think a girl is beautiful just because she has blond hair and blue eyes, but looking at Chelsea somehow makes the muscles