Read Online Absolutely Truly by Heather Vogel Frederick - Free Book Online Page B

“There’s a call on the other line. I’ll pencil you in for eleven thirty. Let me know if that doesn’t work, okay? See you tomorrow!”
    â€œBut—”
    She’d hung up.
    I sighed and replaced the receiver, turned out the light, and headed back upstairs. I hesitated in front of the door leading to the third floor, but a series of random thumps from above signaled that my brothers were practicing their wrestling moves. It probably smelled like the boys’ locker room up there, plus they got cranky when they were interrupted. I’d talk to Hatcher later.
    â€œTruly!”
    I poked my head into my sisters’ bathroom to see my mother holding up a towel for Pippa. Pippa’s old enough to get ready for bed on her own, but she likes to have Mom help her. It’s part of being the baby of the family, I guess.
    â€œHow was your first day, sweetie?” my mother asked, as Pippa climbed out of the tub. “I didn’t get to talk to you much at dinner.”
    Sometimes it feels like I’m more in stealth mode at home than anywhere else.
    â€œIt was okay,” I replied.
    â€œMake any new friends?”
    I shrugged. “Maybe.”
    My mother smiled. “Good. You can tell me all about it in the morning. I need to get a start on my homework once I’m done here. Oh, and Hatcher said he has a bunch of forms for me to sign, so you probably do too. Go ahead and leave them on the kitchen table for me, okay?”
    I nodded.
    â€œSay good night to Truly.” My mother gave my little sister a nudge, and she trotted obediently over, holding her arms up for a hug. I bent down and embraced her gingerly, since she was still pretty damp. She smelled good, though, and I nuzzled her hair. Pippa might be a drama queen, but I love her anyway.
    â€œNight, Pip,” I said.
    â€œNight, Truly.”
    I headed down the hall to my room, pausing by Lauren’s door. It was open just a crack, and a strange noise was coming from the other side. I peeked in to see her flopped on her stomach on her bed, reading. No big surprise there. That was Lauren’s usual after-dinner routine. And before-dinner routine, and every-other-time-of-day routine. She was patting her pet rabbit, Thumper, with one hand while she turned the pages of her book with the other. She didn’t look up. When Lauren was engrossed in a book, World War III could start and she wouldn’t notice.
    Thumper was curled up beside her, wearing a doll-sizenightgown and a resigned expression. My sister loves dressing up her pets. She’d put a baseball cap on Miss Marple too, who was lying on the braided rug next to the bed, keeping a wary eye on the source of the strange noise—a clear plastic hamster ball rocketing around the room and periodically crashing into the furniture. Nibbles was enthusiastic about exercise.
    Miss Marple heaved herself to her feet when she spotted me. I motioned to her to stay, but she ignored me. Toenails clicking briskly across the bare wooden floor, she shook off her baseball cap and followed me down the hall to my bedroom. I paused at the door and looked down at her, frowning.
    â€œNo, Miss Marple,” I told her firmly. “No dogs allowed in here.”
    Miss Marple sat.
    â€œGo see Lauren,” I told her.
    She didn’t budge.
    My sister is the animal lover in the family, not me. It’s not that I don’t like animals—I do. From a distance. Which is maybe one reason why I like bird-watching so much. Wild birds don’t shed and they don’t need to be walked or have doggie breath or cages or litter boxes that need cleaning.
    Miss Marple gave a tiny whine. One that I interpreted to mean, I’m afraid of the hamster ball and I don’t want to be dressed up in people clothes and I need a place where I can go into stealth mode.
    â€œOh, fine,” I said, relenting. “You can come in. But just this once.”
    I was still getting used