California Diaries #10: Ducky, Diary Two
Ann M. Martin
ISBN 0-590-02387-X
Copyright © 1998 by Ann M. Martin.
All rights reserved. Published by Scholastic Inc.
CALIFORNIA DIARIES is a trademark of Scholastic Inc.
Printed in the U.S.A.
First Scholastic printing, December 1998
The author gratefully acknowledges Peter Lerangis for his help in preparing this manuscript.
This eBook is for educational and reference purposes only. It is not intended to infringe on or circumvent copyright. No monetary gain is made from the distribution of this eBook.
Dec. 1
5:45 P.M.
Los Angeles International Airport
Ducky the Fearless strikes again!
He leaves home late. He hits rush hour freeway traffic. He detours onto back roads through treacherous Windsor Hills and Inglewood, finally reaching the airport — and yes, ladies and gentlemen, he makes it to Gate 21 TWO MINUTES early! 5:35 for a 5:37 arriving flight.
Ducky the MIRACLE WORKER. Ducky the GOOD SON. HERE for his parents when they
arrive from Ghana — on a SCHOOL NIGHT, the day before a math test.
Why? Because he WANTS TO. Because that’s the kind of guy he is.
Then he checks the arrival scene. And he sees:
FLIGHT 407
1 HOUR LATE
(Cue laugh track.)
What a fool.
Okay. Let’s analyze this, Ducky.
You might have known. This HAS Happened before. Mom and Dad’s overseas flights are
almost ALWAYS late.
You could have called in advance to check. If you knew, you wouldn’t have panicked and rushed.
Now, suddenly, you have time to kill and nothing to do. And this would be a PERFECT
opportunity for some badly needed math review. But you can’t do it because — in your hurry —
you forgot your review material.
And why are you here alone to pick up your lucky parents on the day before a math test?
Well, that breaks down into two questions:
1. Why are YOU here? Because Ted, Older and More Beloved Son, couldn’t be. You see,
Ducky, he’s a COLLEGE boy. You may have homework, but he has a COURSE LOAD.
2. Why are you here ALONE? Because none of your friends would come along to keep you
company.
Not Jay, formerly known as Jason, once your best friend and now a member of the Vista School Cro Mags, dedicated to the grunt-and-snort school of social behavior. Jay’s
helpful comment? “Come on, Duckster, they’re old enough to get home by themselves.”
Which, you have to admit, isn’t a bad point.
Not Alex. Too depressed, of course. (Which doesn’t surprise you. But because you’re best friends, and because you’ve been HELPING him through the gloomy state he’s in,
you still hoped he might come along. No such luck.
Not Sunny, even though she’s ALWAYS looking for excuses to get away from her house.
She’s busy tonight — with what or whom she won’t say, but you know her slippery-cute
tone of voice translates into: NEW BOYFRIEND. Which means you may not see her for
awhile [sic] … until, of course, this guy turns out to be just like the others, and she comes back to cry on your shoulder. And that’s FINE because Sunny needs you, she’s freaking
out because of her mom’s cancer, and the boyfriends are a way of escaping reality.
You understand everyone’s excuses, because that’s what you do best, Ducky. You think of others first.
And second. And third.
Somewhere down the list of concerns — oh, maybe near the price of asparagus and the political situation in Norway — is YOU.
I.
Say I when you mean I, Ducky. Don’t hide.
When am I going to learn?
Maybe Jay is right. You COULD have let Mom and Dad take a car service.
You I should think about yourself myself for a change.
MYSELF. ME.
God, I hate the way that sounds.
THREE HOURS LATER
In Which Ducky, Still Waiting,
with Nothing Else to Do,
Sees Scenes from His Life
Reenacted All Around Him
For example, you look around the arrival gate and see:
The toddler, strapped into her stroller and crying madly, ignoring her drippy ice-cream cone as a DC-10 rises into
Ann M. Martin
ISBN 0-590-02387-X
Copyright © 1998 by Ann M. Martin.
All rights reserved. Published by Scholastic Inc.
CALIFORNIA DIARIES is a trademark of Scholastic Inc.
Printed in the U.S.A.
First Scholastic printing, December 1998
The author gratefully acknowledges Peter Lerangis for his help in preparing this manuscript.
This eBook is for educational and reference purposes only. It is not intended to infringe on or circumvent copyright. No monetary gain is made from the distribution of this eBook.
Dec. 1
5:45 P.M.
Los Angeles International Airport
Ducky the Fearless strikes again!
He leaves home late. He hits rush hour freeway traffic. He detours onto back roads through treacherous Windsor Hills and Inglewood, finally reaching the airport — and yes, ladies and gentlemen, he makes it to Gate 21 TWO MINUTES early! 5:35 for a 5:37 arriving flight.
Ducky the MIRACLE WORKER. Ducky the GOOD SON. HERE for his parents when they
arrive from Ghana — on a SCHOOL NIGHT, the day before a math test.
Why? Because he WANTS TO. Because that’s the kind of guy he is.
Then he checks the arrival scene. And he sees:
FLIGHT 407
1 HOUR LATE
(Cue laugh track.)
What a fool.
Okay. Let’s analyze this, Ducky.
You might have known. This HAS Happened before. Mom and Dad’s overseas flights are
almost ALWAYS late.
You could have called in advance to check. If you knew, you wouldn’t have panicked and rushed.
Now, suddenly, you have time to kill and nothing to do. And this would be a PERFECT
opportunity for some badly needed math review. But you can’t do it because — in your hurry —
you forgot your review material.
And why are you here alone to pick up your lucky parents on the day before a math test?
Well, that breaks down into two questions:
1. Why are YOU here? Because Ted, Older and More Beloved Son, couldn’t be. You see,
Ducky, he’s a COLLEGE boy. You may have homework, but he has a COURSE LOAD.
2. Why are you here ALONE? Because none of your friends would come along to keep you
company.
Not Jay, formerly known as Jason, once your best friend and now a member of the Vista School Cro Mags, dedicated to the grunt-and-snort school of social behavior. Jay’s
helpful comment? “Come on, Duckster, they’re old enough to get home by themselves.”
Which, you have to admit, isn’t a bad point.
Not Alex. Too depressed, of course. (Which doesn’t surprise you. But because you’re best friends, and because you’ve been HELPING him through the gloomy state he’s in,
you still hoped he might come along. No such luck.
Not Sunny, even though she’s ALWAYS looking for excuses to get away from her house.
She’s busy tonight — with what or whom she won’t say, but you know her slippery-cute
tone of voice translates into: NEW BOYFRIEND. Which means you may not see her for
awhile [sic] … until, of course, this guy turns out to be just like the others, and she comes back to cry on your shoulder. And that’s FINE because Sunny needs you, she’s freaking
out because of her mom’s cancer, and the boyfriends are a way of escaping reality.
You understand everyone’s excuses, because that’s what you do best, Ducky. You think of others first.
And second. And third.
Somewhere down the list of concerns — oh, maybe near the price of asparagus and the political situation in Norway — is YOU.
I.
Say I when you mean I, Ducky. Don’t hide.
When am I going to learn?
Maybe Jay is right. You COULD have let Mom and Dad take a car service.
You I should think about yourself myself for a change.
MYSELF. ME.
God, I hate the way that sounds.
THREE HOURS LATER
In Which Ducky, Still Waiting,
with Nothing Else to Do,
Sees Scenes from His Life
Reenacted All Around Him
For example, you look around the arrival gate and see:
The toddler, strapped into her stroller and crying madly, ignoring her drippy ice-cream cone as a DC-10 rises into
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