to Daphne's house. One look at Mrs. Woodleigh would probably send him to the Board of Education, and then Daphne and Hope would end up in an orphanage for sure.
Eleven
W EDNESDAY EVENING I was in my room doing my math homework when the phone rang. Josh bellowed up the stairs that it was for me, so I put down my pencil and went to answer it.
To my surprise, it was Daphne. "I thought you didn't have a telephone," I said.
"I'm at the pay phone at McDonald's." Daphne's voice sounded high and worried.
"You didn't walk there, did you? Not by yourself?" I was horrified. It was dark and cold outside.
"It's not far." She paused, and I could hear a car start up and drive away. In the background, cars roared past on Route 210.
"Aren't you freezing?" I pictured the pay phone outside McDonald's with nothing around it to shelter it from the wind.
"A little." Daphne paused again, her voice uncertain. "I just wanted to talk to somebody. Hope and Grandmother are both asleep, and I got kind of lonely."
I twisted the telephone cord around my finger and tried to think of something interesting to tell her. Here she'd walked all the way to McDonald's in the dark and the cold just to talk to me, and I didn't know what to say. "We bound the books Monday," I finally blurted out, "and ours is definitely the best one in the whole class. Mr. O'Brien loves it, and he told me to tell you he misses you."
"Did he really say that?" Daphne sounded pleased.
"Yes. He sent all the books off to be judged yesterday, and he said we'll probably hear early in April."
"That's a long time from now," Daphne said. "What are you doing in English?"
"We're finishing up grammar and we're starting a unit on poetry next week. That should be a lot more interesting."
"Yes," Daphne said. "I like poetry."
"Me, too."
There was another silence. "Would you be able to come out and see me after school tomorrow?" Daphne finally asked. "I know it's a long walk, but maybe your mother could pick you up after she gets off work."
She sounded so lonely that I couldn't refuse. "Will you meet me at the mailbox?" I asked.
"Are you sure you don't mind? I don't want you to come if it's inconvenient or anything." Daphne's voice was filled with uncertainty.
"No, no, it's fine. I'd like to come," I said. "I'll bring the mice."
"Thanks, Jessica. I'll see you tomorrow." Daphne sounded happier.
After I hung up, I went to my room and looked out the window. It was almost ten o'clock, and the night looked cold and scary. I tried to imagine Daphne walking along Route 210, cars speeding past her, their headlights flashing across her face. Picturing Cook's Lane in the dark, I shivered. The very thought of being alone in the night frightened me, and I hoped that Daphne would get home safely.
Â
When I left school on Thursday, the weather had turned raw and cold. The sky was heavy with dark clouds, and the wind had a damp, cutting edge that pierced my parka and chilled my bones. By the time I got to Cook's Lane, I was cold all the way through.
As I reached the top of a hill, I saw Daphne and Hope waiting for me, huddled together by the mailbox. Their parkas were the only color in the wintry landscape of brown fields and gray skies.
"Did you bring them?" Hope ran to meet me and seized my hands. "Is Baby Mouse in your pocket?"
I pulled him out and gave him to her, and she capered away, squeaking her Baby Mouse song. Daphne and I looked at each other and laughed at Hope.
"You're so silly, Hopesy-Dopesy!" Daphne ran after her sister, and tried to tickle her, but Hope squirmed away, giggling, and darted ahead of us toward the house.
"Do you want to come inside for a while?" Daphne asked. "Grandmother's asleep now. She doesn't usually wake up until four or four-thirty. I'll fix you a cup of tea."
"Are you sure she won't wake up?" While I hesitated, a gust of cold wind buffeted me. The icy edge of it took my breath away, and I decided to risk encountering Mrs. Woodleigh.
Very quietly we
Eleven
W EDNESDAY EVENING I was in my room doing my math homework when the phone rang. Josh bellowed up the stairs that it was for me, so I put down my pencil and went to answer it.
To my surprise, it was Daphne. "I thought you didn't have a telephone," I said.
"I'm at the pay phone at McDonald's." Daphne's voice sounded high and worried.
"You didn't walk there, did you? Not by yourself?" I was horrified. It was dark and cold outside.
"It's not far." She paused, and I could hear a car start up and drive away. In the background, cars roared past on Route 210.
"Aren't you freezing?" I pictured the pay phone outside McDonald's with nothing around it to shelter it from the wind.
"A little." Daphne paused again, her voice uncertain. "I just wanted to talk to somebody. Hope and Grandmother are both asleep, and I got kind of lonely."
I twisted the telephone cord around my finger and tried to think of something interesting to tell her. Here she'd walked all the way to McDonald's in the dark and the cold just to talk to me, and I didn't know what to say. "We bound the books Monday," I finally blurted out, "and ours is definitely the best one in the whole class. Mr. O'Brien loves it, and he told me to tell you he misses you."
"Did he really say that?" Daphne sounded pleased.
"Yes. He sent all the books off to be judged yesterday, and he said we'll probably hear early in April."
"That's a long time from now," Daphne said. "What are you doing in English?"
"We're finishing up grammar and we're starting a unit on poetry next week. That should be a lot more interesting."
"Yes," Daphne said. "I like poetry."
"Me, too."
There was another silence. "Would you be able to come out and see me after school tomorrow?" Daphne finally asked. "I know it's a long walk, but maybe your mother could pick you up after she gets off work."
She sounded so lonely that I couldn't refuse. "Will you meet me at the mailbox?" I asked.
"Are you sure you don't mind? I don't want you to come if it's inconvenient or anything." Daphne's voice was filled with uncertainty.
"No, no, it's fine. I'd like to come," I said. "I'll bring the mice."
"Thanks, Jessica. I'll see you tomorrow." Daphne sounded happier.
After I hung up, I went to my room and looked out the window. It was almost ten o'clock, and the night looked cold and scary. I tried to imagine Daphne walking along Route 210, cars speeding past her, their headlights flashing across her face. Picturing Cook's Lane in the dark, I shivered. The very thought of being alone in the night frightened me, and I hoped that Daphne would get home safely.
Â
When I left school on Thursday, the weather had turned raw and cold. The sky was heavy with dark clouds, and the wind had a damp, cutting edge that pierced my parka and chilled my bones. By the time I got to Cook's Lane, I was cold all the way through.
As I reached the top of a hill, I saw Daphne and Hope waiting for me, huddled together by the mailbox. Their parkas were the only color in the wintry landscape of brown fields and gray skies.
"Did you bring them?" Hope ran to meet me and seized my hands. "Is Baby Mouse in your pocket?"
I pulled him out and gave him to her, and she capered away, squeaking her Baby Mouse song. Daphne and I looked at each other and laughed at Hope.
"You're so silly, Hopesy-Dopesy!" Daphne ran after her sister, and tried to tickle her, but Hope squirmed away, giggling, and darted ahead of us toward the house.
"Do you want to come inside for a while?" Daphne asked. "Grandmother's asleep now. She doesn't usually wake up until four or four-thirty. I'll fix you a cup of tea."
"Are you sure she won't wake up?" While I hesitated, a gust of cold wind buffeted me. The icy edge of it took my breath away, and I decided to risk encountering Mrs. Woodleigh.
Very quietly we
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