Read Online Driving Team by Bonnie Bryant - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Bonnie Bryant
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little extra work? Veronica’s got a lot on her mind, and I certainly don’t mind doing a favor for someone with a troubled heart!”
“I STILL CAN ’ T believe anybody would do that to a five-year-old girl,” Carole fumed. She and Lisa were walking toward Lisa’s house. Though the temperature was cold, sunlight sparkled in the blue sky.
“I know.” Lisa stuffed her hands deep in her jacket pockets. “It makes me angry just to think about it. Sometimes you hear about stuff like that on the news, but when it happens right in front of you, it seems unreal.”
“And Mrs. Davidson!” Carole continued. “She’s so nice and sweet and helpful to us. How could she possibly consider throwing that little girl out on the street? Particularly on a day like yesterday, when it was so rainy and miserable?”
“It couldn’t be her,” said Lisa. “Maybe her boss is mean and makes her do it. I’m sure the library has rules, just like everyplace else.”
“Well, it seems like she could bend the rules in a case like this,” muttered Carole. “I mean, Cynthia’s only five. It’s not like she’s got a lot of choice in the matter.”
Lisa gave a big sigh. “Well, we’ve done the best we could to make her feel better. We’ve read most of
Misty
to her, and we’ve tried to make her feel good about herself.”
Carole pushed back a lock of dark curly hair that had fallen into her eyes and looked seriously at Lisa. “I think we should tell some grown-up about this.”
Lisa frowned. “Like who?”
“I don’t know,” said Carole. “Maybe your mom. Or my dad.”
“Or we could explain it all to Mrs. Davidson,” Lisa suggested. “Or we could even call the police.”
Carole shook her head. “I don’t think so. They might take Cynthia away from her mother. And nothing she’s ever said about her mom has been bad.”
“That’s right,” Lisa said. “Cynthia thinks her mother is great. She says she takes her to the movies and lets her friends come over for sleepovers and fixes pancakes for them on Saturday mornings.” She shrugged. “She sounds like a great mom.”
“Except for one tiny flaw,” replied Carole. “She justcan’t quit leaving Cynthia at the library while she goes to shop at the mall!”
“Maybe we should try to talk to her,” Lisa suggested. “Maybe we should wait for her at the library someday when she picks Cynthia up. Then we could tell her that she has to stop, or else we’ll tell the police.”
“But we can’t wait for Cynthia’s mother at the library every day,” said Carole.
Lisa stopped in her tracks. “Wait! I’ve got the perfect plan!”
Carole’s brown eyes grew wide. “What?”
“Mom’s taking us over to the mall this afternoon anyway, to shop at that big sale. We can look for Cynthia’s mom there!”
Carole grinned. “That’s a great idea! Cynthia said her mom always carries a big red pocketbook over her right shoulder. How many women do that? Probably not more than two or three. We could find her and talk to her and convince her that she needs to quit stashing her daughter in the stacks. Lisa, you’re a genius!”
Lisa laughed. “Maybe I’ve just hung around Stevie long enough to have some of that brilliant inspiration of hers rub off on me!”
They turned down the driveway to Lisa’s house. Inside, Mrs. Atwood had a hot lunch of vegetable soup and grilled cheese sandwiches waiting for them.
“I’m delighted that you’re coming with us, Carole,”said Mrs. Atwood with a smile. “But I never thought you were particularly interested in shopping.”
“Oh, sometimes I am,” Carole said with a secret grin at Lisa. “I guess it just depends on what I’m shopping for.”
The girls finished their lunch quickly and helped Mrs. Atwood with the dishes. Soon they all piled into the car, heading for the huge mall on the outskirts of town. When Mrs. Atwood pulled into the parking lot, it was already packed with cars.
“Looks like everybody’s come
“I STILL CAN ’ T believe anybody would do that to a five-year-old girl,” Carole fumed. She and Lisa were walking toward Lisa’s house. Though the temperature was cold, sunlight sparkled in the blue sky.
“I know.” Lisa stuffed her hands deep in her jacket pockets. “It makes me angry just to think about it. Sometimes you hear about stuff like that on the news, but when it happens right in front of you, it seems unreal.”
“And Mrs. Davidson!” Carole continued. “She’s so nice and sweet and helpful to us. How could she possibly consider throwing that little girl out on the street? Particularly on a day like yesterday, when it was so rainy and miserable?”
“It couldn’t be her,” said Lisa. “Maybe her boss is mean and makes her do it. I’m sure the library has rules, just like everyplace else.”
“Well, it seems like she could bend the rules in a case like this,” muttered Carole. “I mean, Cynthia’s only five. It’s not like she’s got a lot of choice in the matter.”
Lisa gave a big sigh. “Well, we’ve done the best we could to make her feel better. We’ve read most of
Misty
to her, and we’ve tried to make her feel good about herself.”
Carole pushed back a lock of dark curly hair that had fallen into her eyes and looked seriously at Lisa. “I think we should tell some grown-up about this.”
Lisa frowned. “Like who?”
“I don’t know,” said Carole. “Maybe your mom. Or my dad.”
“Or we could explain it all to Mrs. Davidson,” Lisa suggested. “Or we could even call the police.”
Carole shook her head. “I don’t think so. They might take Cynthia away from her mother. And nothing she’s ever said about her mom has been bad.”
“That’s right,” Lisa said. “Cynthia thinks her mother is great. She says she takes her to the movies and lets her friends come over for sleepovers and fixes pancakes for them on Saturday mornings.” She shrugged. “She sounds like a great mom.”
“Except for one tiny flaw,” replied Carole. “She justcan’t quit leaving Cynthia at the library while she goes to shop at the mall!”
“Maybe we should try to talk to her,” Lisa suggested. “Maybe we should wait for her at the library someday when she picks Cynthia up. Then we could tell her that she has to stop, or else we’ll tell the police.”
“But we can’t wait for Cynthia’s mother at the library every day,” said Carole.
Lisa stopped in her tracks. “Wait! I’ve got the perfect plan!”
Carole’s brown eyes grew wide. “What?”
“Mom’s taking us over to the mall this afternoon anyway, to shop at that big sale. We can look for Cynthia’s mom there!”
Carole grinned. “That’s a great idea! Cynthia said her mom always carries a big red pocketbook over her right shoulder. How many women do that? Probably not more than two or three. We could find her and talk to her and convince her that she needs to quit stashing her daughter in the stacks. Lisa, you’re a genius!”
Lisa laughed. “Maybe I’ve just hung around Stevie long enough to have some of that brilliant inspiration of hers rub off on me!”
They turned down the driveway to Lisa’s house. Inside, Mrs. Atwood had a hot lunch of vegetable soup and grilled cheese sandwiches waiting for them.
“I’m delighted that you’re coming with us, Carole,”said Mrs. Atwood with a smile. “But I never thought you were particularly interested in shopping.”
“Oh, sometimes I am,” Carole said with a secret grin at Lisa. “I guess it just depends on what I’m shopping for.”
The girls finished their lunch quickly and helped Mrs. Atwood with the dishes. Soon they all piled into the car, heading for the huge mall on the outskirts of town. When Mrs. Atwood pulled into the parking lot, it was already packed with cars.
“Looks like everybody’s come
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