Read Online Colt by Nancy Springer - Free Book Online Page A

mom had left when Rosie was old enough to miss her. Maybe it really had been worse for Rosie.
    â€œSorry,” Colt muttered.
    â€œSure, let’s have a pity party.” Rosie grimaced, making fun of himself, but kept talking just the same. “You want to know what I hate the worst of all? The name she gave me. My real name, I mean.” He looked up at Colt and quirked a sour smile. “Hey? Would it cheer you up if I told you what it is? Want a good laugh?”
    Colt just looked at him.
    â€œIt’s Francis,” Rosie told him. “Francis Tewksbury Flowers.”
    â€œLord,” said Colt, but he didn’t laugh.
    Rosie had not done any exercises after all. He got up, retreated across the room, and flopped on his studio couch. “Hey, Rosie,” Colt called to him.
    â€œWhat?” Rosie sounded gruff.
    â€œI can beat that. My real name is Osvaldo.”
    â€œIt’s what ?”
    â€œOsvaldo Alfonso Vittorio.”
    Their eyes met across the room, and suddenly they were both laughing like a pair of loons.
    By Thanksgiving Colt had thought, grudgingly, of a few things to be thankful for. He was thankful that he had a different school aide this year and she was nice, with a sense of humor, not a fussbudget. He was thankful that his mother and Brad were happy together. He was thankful that the chaos in the Flowers—Vittorio household had subsided somewhat, and that Muffins had finally stopped barking at the new family members. He was thankful that he had Rosie and Lauri for friends, and that Lauri brought girlfriends home with her, and that some of them were almost his friends too. They liked to talk about horses with him. They said most boys didn’t know about horses the way he did. Some of them had even started saying hi to him in school.
    â€œI am thankful that I’m back on day work,” said Brad at the Thanksgiving dinner table. “And I’m thankful that Lauri has switched to an evening paper route.”
    â€œHear, hear,” said Audrey.
    Right after Thanksgiving Colt began to consider what he was going to get everyone for Christmas, and how he was going to manage it. He had never had so many people to buy for before. His mother would probably give him some money to shop with, but he wanted to get Rosie something really nice. And Brad. And sure, Lauri too.
    Coming home from school the first day after Thanksgiving vacation, he saw Lauri’s stack of newspapers waiting for her on the front sidewalk, and he got an idea. Colt got home earlier than Lauri because he was delivered to his door by a special school van, while she had to take the regular bus. So she would be along later, and when Lauri had to deliver papers and had lessons or a lot of homework too, her day really got crowded. Sometimes she complained about how long the papers took. Colt resented her complaining, because he considered her lucky to have two strong legs so she could make money for herself. But it did take her until after dark sometimes to get her route all delivered. Maybe …
    Colt made his way into the house and got the things he needed. When Lauri got home she found Colt on the front sidewalk rubber-banding her newspapers and packing them into the carrying bags for her.
    â€œHey, Colt, thanks!” Lauri was so astonished she stammered. “I—I—this is the first nice thing that’s happened all day. Now I’ll get done in time to watch a little TV before I have to struggle with social studies.”
    Colt felt embarrassed by her gratitude. “I’m not being nice,” he mumbled. “I thought maybe—oh, forget it.” He’d just do the blasted rubber-banding for her once in a while.
    She dropped her books to the concrete with a thunk, squatted down, and looked at him. “You thought maybe what?”
    She had her stubborn look on. Already Colt knew about Lauri’s stubborn look. He gave in.
    â€œI thought maybe if I did