perfectly. How did you know?”
Paul winked at Penny. “I did a little snooping.” He took my mother’s arm and folded it across her chest, admiring the match. “They look pretty good, don’t they?” Paul waited for Penny and me to agree enthusiastically before continuing. “Well, we don’t want to be late. I promised the bowling league a look at Julia in a dress, so we have to make an extra stop at Lincoln Lanes.”
“Paul!” my mother said, covering her mouth and blushing like a…well, like a middle-school girl.
I cleared my throat. “Your coat, Mother? And about that curfew…”
“Not to worry, Franklin.” Penny walked over and put her arm around me. “We have it all taken care of. It just so happens that I am free tonight, and they’re showing all the old Lassie movies at the Wealthy Theater. We won’t get home until after eleven.”
Paul opened the door for my mother and stood back.
“You’re not going to start opening doors for me, are you?” she asked him. But you could tell she liked it.
Honestly, after three Lassie movies, I think I’m going to have to nominate Timmy to replace Stuart Little as the most accident-prone character in literature. I mean, how many ravines can one kid fall down?
Timmy wasn’t the only one in mortal danger over the weekend. As I reviewed my school planner on Sunday afternoon, I recalled that it had been Sarah’s weekend to have custody of our baby.
“Where’s Keds?” I asked as soon as I saw Sarah outside science class on Monday.
Sarah hitched her thumb over her shoulder. “Takin’ a nap.”
“In your backpack?”
Sarah pulled me into the classroom, dropped her backpack unceremoniously on the floor, and began rummaging through it. I glimpsed Keds upside down, sandwiched between
Ven Conmigo
and
Science Interactions
.
“I got something for you.” She pulled out a wrinkled plastic Megamart bag and pushed it at me.
“A present?”
“Nah. It’s just something…well, in case I…I can’t go with you…” Sarah bent over to zip her pack. “Go on, Franklin.”
I thought about mentioning that our health grade might be compromised if Keds had ink stains on his face, but I was overcome by a sudden wave of feeling: Sarah Kervick had purchased something for me. And it was in a store bag, which meant she actually paid money for it.
“Well, look at it.”
I peeked in the bag and pulled out a CD entitled
Water Sounds.
“I know you have a player. You even have a special pocket at the top of your backpack.” She reached over my shoulder to yank on the zipper, but I pulled away. The CD-player compartment was where I kept my stash of Mercurochrome and antibacterial hand wipes.
“You can go in the john, in the stall, and turn this on. They got waves, waterfalls, river rapids. It’ll work, don’t worry.”
“But where will you be?”
Sarah took a long breath and let it escape through her nose.
“Oh yeah. There’s something else. It blew off her head the other day and I nabbed it.”
I looked down at the wrinkly piece of fabric Sarah pulled out of her pocket.
“That’s not…”
“Yup. Glynnis’ head thing. You really should give it back to her, Franklin.”
I wondered what Glynnis’ kerchief would say if it could talk. Did it go home with Sarah Kervick and eat dinner in front of the television set? Visit the dogs? I took the crumpled square of cotton from Sarah and folded it as best I could before stuffing it in my backpack.
Sarah tossed hers over her shoulder and pushed past me. I followed her. The alcove created by the skeleton and the jars of vital organs gave us a little privacy as other students streamed past.
“Why wouldn’t you be able to go with me? Is something wrong, Sarah?”
Sarah looked at me, sizing me up. She swept her hand across her forehead, pushing back the hair that had fallen over her eyes.
“He lost his job again…at the door-panel factory.”
My first thought was to ask why. But did
Paul winked at Penny. “I did a little snooping.” He took my mother’s arm and folded it across her chest, admiring the match. “They look pretty good, don’t they?” Paul waited for Penny and me to agree enthusiastically before continuing. “Well, we don’t want to be late. I promised the bowling league a look at Julia in a dress, so we have to make an extra stop at Lincoln Lanes.”
“Paul!” my mother said, covering her mouth and blushing like a…well, like a middle-school girl.
I cleared my throat. “Your coat, Mother? And about that curfew…”
“Not to worry, Franklin.” Penny walked over and put her arm around me. “We have it all taken care of. It just so happens that I am free tonight, and they’re showing all the old Lassie movies at the Wealthy Theater. We won’t get home until after eleven.”
Paul opened the door for my mother and stood back.
“You’re not going to start opening doors for me, are you?” she asked him. But you could tell she liked it.
Honestly, after three Lassie movies, I think I’m going to have to nominate Timmy to replace Stuart Little as the most accident-prone character in literature. I mean, how many ravines can one kid fall down?
Timmy wasn’t the only one in mortal danger over the weekend. As I reviewed my school planner on Sunday afternoon, I recalled that it had been Sarah’s weekend to have custody of our baby.
“Where’s Keds?” I asked as soon as I saw Sarah outside science class on Monday.
Sarah hitched her thumb over her shoulder. “Takin’ a nap.”
“In your backpack?”
Sarah pulled me into the classroom, dropped her backpack unceremoniously on the floor, and began rummaging through it. I glimpsed Keds upside down, sandwiched between
Ven Conmigo
and
Science Interactions
.
“I got something for you.” She pulled out a wrinkled plastic Megamart bag and pushed it at me.
“A present?”
“Nah. It’s just something…well, in case I…I can’t go with you…” Sarah bent over to zip her pack. “Go on, Franklin.”
I thought about mentioning that our health grade might be compromised if Keds had ink stains on his face, but I was overcome by a sudden wave of feeling: Sarah Kervick had purchased something for me. And it was in a store bag, which meant she actually paid money for it.
“Well, look at it.”
I peeked in the bag and pulled out a CD entitled
Water Sounds.
“I know you have a player. You even have a special pocket at the top of your backpack.” She reached over my shoulder to yank on the zipper, but I pulled away. The CD-player compartment was where I kept my stash of Mercurochrome and antibacterial hand wipes.
“You can go in the john, in the stall, and turn this on. They got waves, waterfalls, river rapids. It’ll work, don’t worry.”
“But where will you be?”
Sarah took a long breath and let it escape through her nose.
“Oh yeah. There’s something else. It blew off her head the other day and I nabbed it.”
I looked down at the wrinkly piece of fabric Sarah pulled out of her pocket.
“That’s not…”
“Yup. Glynnis’ head thing. You really should give it back to her, Franklin.”
I wondered what Glynnis’ kerchief would say if it could talk. Did it go home with Sarah Kervick and eat dinner in front of the television set? Visit the dogs? I took the crumpled square of cotton from Sarah and folded it as best I could before stuffing it in my backpack.
Sarah tossed hers over her shoulder and pushed past me. I followed her. The alcove created by the skeleton and the jars of vital organs gave us a little privacy as other students streamed past.
“Why wouldn’t you be able to go with me? Is something wrong, Sarah?”
Sarah looked at me, sizing me up. She swept her hand across her forehead, pushing back the hair that had fallen over her eyes.
“He lost his job again…at the door-panel factory.”
My first thought was to ask why. But did
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