Freckles #7

Freckles becomes smitten with a mysterious voice he accidentally reaches on the phone, leading him to imagine a romantic connection with a girl he’s never met. As he tries to uncover her identity, his friend June grows suspicious, and Freckles finds himself caught between his growing crush and the reality that the voice might not be who he thinks.

Freckles and his friends are preparing for Shadyside’s big football game, but tensions rise when Nubbin’s perfect exam score sparks suspicion—especially after he claims to have answered every question without looking anything up. As the team wonders if Nubbin cheated, Freckles must confront the possibility that the boy who’s always been a joke might actually be smarter than anyone gave him credit for.

In a humorous twist, Nubbin, a shy boy from a trailer with no mailing address, accidentally wins a national essay contest using Freckles’ return address—leading to a surprising eligibility test for the big football game. When the school’s principal questions his academic credentials, Nubbin proves his knowledge with a lightning-fast recall of obscure encyclopedia facts, earning his spot on the field despite his lack of a number or football experience.

Freckles and his friend Lard try to retrieve Freckles’ car stuck in a riverbed after a storm, only to discover the road is washed out and a new bridge won’t be built anytime soon. With no other choice, they decide to disassemble the car and carry it piece by piece across the canyon, enlisting help from their friend Nutty along the way. The effort is grueling, but their ingenuity and teamwork eventually get the car back on the road—though not without a few surprising detours and a final push to get it running.

Freckles is unexpectedly thrust into the student body presidential race, despite having no interest in the office—especially since his rival, Hilda Grubble, has made it clear she’ll never speak to him again unless he loses. With help from his scheming friend Lard Smith, who’s determined to sabotage his campaign, Freckles tries to avoid winning by making himself look utterly unqualified, all while navigating a series of absurd pranks and misadventures.