"It is so hot," Jason said.
He fanned himself with his notebook in the gym.
"I know. I'm sweating.
And I'm just standing here," Bobby said.
Miss Shelly blew her whistle.
There was a large cooler by her feet.
"Today I brought strawberries, bananas, peaches, milk, and ice cream.
We're going to make an ice-cold treat," she said.
"Milk shakes!" Izzie cried, jumping up and down.
"Yes," Bobby said, pumping his fist.
"Mmm . . . I like peach milk shakes," Nina said.
Jason stared at the ice cream in the cooler.
"Milk shakes are easy to make," Miss Shelly explained.
"All we do is put the ingredients into the blender and—"
"Blend, blend, blend!" finished Izzie.
Nina read the first step.
"Put strawberries into the blender."
"Then add one ripe banana," Bobby said.
"And one cup of peaches," Jason said.
"Next add one and a half cups of vanilla ice cream. Yum," Izzie said.
She scooped ice cream into the measuring cup.
"Then we put in one and a half cups of ice cubes," Nina said.
"Ooh, it's cold in the cooler!"
"And then add half a cup of milk," Izzie said, pouring carefully.
"Wow! We're done already."
"Almost done," Miss Shelly corrected.
"Jason, will you put the lid on the blender and turn it on for us?"
Jason put the lid on the blender and turned it on. Whirrrrrr . . .
The blender hummed and buzzed as the blades spun around.
The kids heard the ice cubes crack and bang against the glass.
Then the sound became softer.
"I think our milk shakes are ready," Miss Shelly said.
She filled Nina, Bobby, and Izzie's glasses with ice-cold milk shakes.
When she reached for Jason's, he suddenly put his hands over the glass.
"No!" he cried.
"Jason, what's the matter?
Don't you want to try the milk shake?" Miss Shelly asked.
"No," he said again, shaking his head.
Everyone looked at Jason.
"Why not?" Bobby asked.
"Yeah, it's really good," Izzie said, taking a sip of hers.
"Well, actually I don't like milk." Jason looked down.
"And I don't like ice cream either.
I'm weird, okay?"
"You're not weird." Bobby grinned.
"Well, you are weird, but not because of that."
"I am weird.
Kids are supposed to like milk.
Kids are supposed to love ice cream," Jason said.
"Kids don't have to like anything," Miss Shelly said.
"And it's so easy to make a fruit smoothie instead of a milk shake.
We'll just use juice instead of milk and ice cream."
She dug through the cooler.
"Aha! I knew I had mango juice!"
Everyone helped put strawberries, banana, peaches, ice cubes, and juice into the blender.
Whirrr. Jason's fruit smoothie was done in a minute.
"Thanks, guys." He took a sip.
"Mmm! Smoothies are great!"
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