Read Online Dorinda's Secret by Deborah Gregory - Free Book Online Page A

Street.”
    â€œOh,” Tiffany says, kinda embarrassed.
    â€œWhere do you live?”
    â€œEighty-second Street and Park Avenue,” she says, then scrunches up her nose. “I hate it—I liked California better.”
    â€œYou lived in California?” I ask curiously.
    â€œYeah, till I was seven.”
    â€œI can’t believe you really found your adoption records like that!” I tell her.
    â€œActually, I found the locked security box, and then I searched all over the house until I found the key,” Tiffany says proudly. “It took me two Saturday afternoons!”
    I laugh out loud. It seems Tiffany’s a whole lot better at sleuthing than skating.
    â€œWhere do you go to school?” I ask her.
    â€œSt. Agatha’s of the Peril,” Tiffany says, like she’s disgusted. “I hate it. They’re so strict there. Yesterday I had to go to detention, just because I was wearing nail polish. They made me take it off, too.” She scrunches up her nose to show me she’s unhappy. “Where do you go?”
    â€œFashion Industries East High,” I say proudly.
    â€œWow, that is so cool!” Tiffany responds. “I love clothes but I’m tired of my mom picking out everything.”
    The way she looks at me, all impressed like that, it makes me feel proud and excited about everything that I’m trying to do. So I tell her some more about myself.
    â€œI design some stuff, too—and I’m in this singing group, the Cheetah Girls,” I tell her.
    â€œYeah, Mrs. Tattle told me. I’m really into music. Maybe I could come hear you sing some time.”
    â€œUh, yeah,” I say, because I don’t want to hurt her feelings. But inside, I’m saying,
I don’t think so
. I can just see the looks on my crew’s faces.
    â€œI can tell Mrs. Tattle’s really proud of you,” Tiffany says.
    I guess I never thought about it—but if it’s true, I’m glad. “You don’t have a caseworker, right?” I ask.
    â€œNo,” Tiffany responds.
    â€œYeah, I guess not.”
    All of a sudden, Tiffany bumps into a garbage can and stumbles. We both start laughing. When she regains her balance, she moans, “I’m tired of skating—you?”
    Even though I’m not, I say, “Let’s go eat some hot dogs.”
    Tiffany smiles, and her eyes light up. She and the twins would get along hunky chunky—the way they cook, Tiffany would probably never leave their house!
    Whoa! There I go again, I think, and stop myself. The twins would not understand about Tiffany. And neither would the others.
    â€œI wanna be a singer, too,” Tiffany tells me, like it’s a big secret.
    As we skate back toward Mrs. Tattle, I tell Tiffany about everything that’s happened so far with the Cheetah Girls. She seems really fascinated.
    â€œI’m trying to get my parents to let me go to performing arts school,” she says. “They want me to go to Catholic school,” Tiffany informs me sadly. “We fight about it all the time.” Then her big blue eyes light up. “You know, I just got a keyboard for my birthday!”
    â€œThat’s dope,” I exclaim. “I don’t know how to play any instruments, even though I’ve always wanted to play the piano. See, Mrs. Bosco didn’t have any money to get me lessons.”
    â€œMaybe you could come over my house and we could learn keyboard together!” Tiffany offers, getting excited.
    I wonder why she’s being so nice to me. She doesn’t even
know
me—and who says we’re
really
sisters, huh? I’m still not totally convinced this isn’t all some big mistake.
    â€œOkay,” I say, because I don’t want to hurt Tiffany’s feelings.
    â€œMy parents wanted to pick me up from the park,” Tiffany says, grimacing. “They want to go with me
everywhere
.”
    I can tell