come up to the board,” Math Teacher says.
I walk up to the front of the room on shaky legs, as slowly as possible. Willing something to happen.
All of a sudden I hear noise in the hall.
“Action, action, we want action!” Is that in my head? No! The cheerleading squad is out there!
“Surprise pep rally!” someone yells, opening the door. I am a witch. “Everyone to the gym!” The whole class charges out.
Except for me and Math Teacher, both of us standing at the board. We look at each other.
“This sure is your lucky day,” he says to me.
“Action, action, we want action,” I say, rushing out into the hall to join the crowd.
CHAPTER 16
TO HAVE AND HAVE NOT
Every day this week, I talk to Alexis a little more at lunch. I’ve broken through her shell some. Now when I sit down she actually smiles and says hi. And on Thursday she sort of talks to me about this and that—nothing big, but she talks.
Maybe that’s because at confirmation class on Wednesday night I sat in the back with her and Adam, doodling the whole time. We ignored the rabbi completely, creating the most gorgeous illicit drawings together. I don’t know what I would have done if Jake had been there. But he’s going to be missing a lot of confirmation class because of swim stuff. Said the rabbi was cool about it. “He is such a great guy.”
I kept my mouth shut when he said that.
Trying to keep my mouth shut and my mind shut. If I don’t think about His Holiness, I feel pretty good. Better. More like my old self.
And I’ve been thinking about Randy this whole week, looking forward to going back to Union, figuring out how I can reach him. Last night Mom said she was going to the mall. I asked her if I could come. I had an idea, as well as twenty dollars ofsaved-up money, and I hoped it would work. Luckily, the kids’ store there was having a sale, and when I told Mom my idea, she gave me ten more dollars.
When I walk into the reading lab, Randy is sitting on the car pillow, of course. He’s got a book in his lap, waiting for me. And I’m not even a second late!
“Hi, Randy.” I wave. He jumps up, runs over, and gives me a hug. He’s wearing the same bar mitzvah T-shirt.
“What’s in that bag?” he asks me, pointing to the shopping bag from Kids’ Korner. “Is it for me?”
Really? Can he read what it says? That little rascal.
“Why do you think it’s for you?”
He looks at me shyly, shrugs. Now I feel bad. It’s probably not that he can read the words. He sees the picture of the kids on the bag, and he’s just hoping.…
“I’m not allowed to give you a present,” I say, “but …” Now I’m worried that I won’t be able to do what I want to do.
“What do you have there?” Mrs. Glick asks, walking toward us. Uh-oh.
“I hope this is OK,” I say, talking really fast. “I was at the mall last night and I saw that the kids’ store was having a sale so I got some T-shirts to have in the box for when, you know, kids spill or something on them-um-selves and I thought it would be a good idea and I—” Bluddity, bluddity, bluddity. Stop talking, Rachel.
I take the T-shirts out of the bag and show her. Each has at least one car on it. My favorite is covered with all different kinds of cars.
She looks at me, tilts her head, smiles, and says, “I guessthat’s kosher. As long as they go in the box and are there for everyone.”
I nod and put them in the box slowly, one at a time, so Randy can see what they are.
“Randy,” Mrs. Glick says, “the shirt you’re wearing has a hole in the back. It’s getting colder out, so I think maybe you should pick out a shirt from the box to wear over it.”
I’m about to say “or instead of,” but I realize what she’s thinking: don’t make him give up one shirt for another. He needs both.
Randy dives into the box, looking at them carefully.
While he makes up his mind, I blurt out to Mrs. Glick, “What temple do you go to?”
“I don’t belong to a
I walk up to the front of the room on shaky legs, as slowly as possible. Willing something to happen.
All of a sudden I hear noise in the hall.
“Action, action, we want action!” Is that in my head? No! The cheerleading squad is out there!
“Surprise pep rally!” someone yells, opening the door. I am a witch. “Everyone to the gym!” The whole class charges out.
Except for me and Math Teacher, both of us standing at the board. We look at each other.
“This sure is your lucky day,” he says to me.
“Action, action, we want action,” I say, rushing out into the hall to join the crowd.
CHAPTER 16
TO HAVE AND HAVE NOT
Every day this week, I talk to Alexis a little more at lunch. I’ve broken through her shell some. Now when I sit down she actually smiles and says hi. And on Thursday she sort of talks to me about this and that—nothing big, but she talks.
Maybe that’s because at confirmation class on Wednesday night I sat in the back with her and Adam, doodling the whole time. We ignored the rabbi completely, creating the most gorgeous illicit drawings together. I don’t know what I would have done if Jake had been there. But he’s going to be missing a lot of confirmation class because of swim stuff. Said the rabbi was cool about it. “He is such a great guy.”
I kept my mouth shut when he said that.
Trying to keep my mouth shut and my mind shut. If I don’t think about His Holiness, I feel pretty good. Better. More like my old self.
And I’ve been thinking about Randy this whole week, looking forward to going back to Union, figuring out how I can reach him. Last night Mom said she was going to the mall. I asked her if I could come. I had an idea, as well as twenty dollars ofsaved-up money, and I hoped it would work. Luckily, the kids’ store there was having a sale, and when I told Mom my idea, she gave me ten more dollars.
When I walk into the reading lab, Randy is sitting on the car pillow, of course. He’s got a book in his lap, waiting for me. And I’m not even a second late!
“Hi, Randy.” I wave. He jumps up, runs over, and gives me a hug. He’s wearing the same bar mitzvah T-shirt.
“What’s in that bag?” he asks me, pointing to the shopping bag from Kids’ Korner. “Is it for me?”
Really? Can he read what it says? That little rascal.
“Why do you think it’s for you?”
He looks at me shyly, shrugs. Now I feel bad. It’s probably not that he can read the words. He sees the picture of the kids on the bag, and he’s just hoping.…
“I’m not allowed to give you a present,” I say, “but …” Now I’m worried that I won’t be able to do what I want to do.
“What do you have there?” Mrs. Glick asks, walking toward us. Uh-oh.
“I hope this is OK,” I say, talking really fast. “I was at the mall last night and I saw that the kids’ store was having a sale so I got some T-shirts to have in the box for when, you know, kids spill or something on them-um-selves and I thought it would be a good idea and I—” Bluddity, bluddity, bluddity. Stop talking, Rachel.
I take the T-shirts out of the bag and show her. Each has at least one car on it. My favorite is covered with all different kinds of cars.
She looks at me, tilts her head, smiles, and says, “I guessthat’s kosher. As long as they go in the box and are there for everyone.”
I nod and put them in the box slowly, one at a time, so Randy can see what they are.
“Randy,” Mrs. Glick says, “the shirt you’re wearing has a hole in the back. It’s getting colder out, so I think maybe you should pick out a shirt from the box to wear over it.”
I’m about to say “or instead of,” but I realize what she’s thinking: don’t make him give up one shirt for another. He needs both.
Randy dives into the box, looking at them carefully.
While he makes up his mind, I blurt out to Mrs. Glick, “What temple do you go to?”
“I don’t belong to a
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