Read Online Fabulous Five 008 - The Runaway Crisis by Betsy Haynes - Free Book Online
Authors: Betsy Haynes
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her pillows and
spread them on the floor while Shawnie watched in silence. Katie wasn't sure if
Shawnie was still upset over going into the shower with all her clothes on or
if she didn't like the idea of sleeping on the floor. Don't be silly, Katie
scolded herself. She's just run away from home. She's upset over that.
To Katie's amazement, Shawnie went to sleep as soon as her
head hit the pillow. She must be exhausted, Katie decided. Determined to put
Shawnie's problems out of her mind until morning, Katie turned over on her side
and thought about Tony. Their date seemed as if it had happened a million years
ago, and yet he had kissed her good-night a mere hour before.
She smiled to herself as she remembered the initials shaved
into his hair: T.C. + K.S. Leave it to Tony, she thought tenderly. When she had
first gotten to know him, it had seemed as if he were nothing more than a
show-off, but now she knew that wasn't true at all. He was simply willing to
take chances for things he cared about. Just the way she was taking chances for
Shawnie Pendergast right now. But would he understand that if she confided in
him? What would he think if he knew she was hiding Shawnie in her room?
CHAPTER 13
A banging sound at her bedroom door brought Katie out of a
deep sleep. "Katie! Come downstairs quickly. There's something about
Shawnie Pendergast on television."
Katie opened one eye to see Willie's head poking through the
half-open door. The next instant she was wide-awake and bolting out of bed.
"Come on," Willie urged. "Shawnie's run away,
and her parents will be on the morning news right after the commercial making
an appeal for her to come home."
Passing her mother in the hall, Katie streaked down the
stairs and skidded to a halt in front of the small television set on the
kitchen counter. On the screen, a cowboy was strumming a guitar and singing a ballad
about a gentle laxative. The Pendergasts would probably be on next, she
thought.
Climbing onto a stool at the end of the counter, Katie
caught her breath and shooed the cobwebs of sleep out of her brain. The whole
business about hiding Shawnie was coming back to her now, pressing down on her
like a lead weight.
"Glass of milk?" offered Willie as the commercial
ended and the camera shot went to the news desk and the reporter who was giving
the news.
Katie shook her head and leaned closer to the set to hear
what he had to say.
"Ladies and gentlemen, as we reported earlier, a local
thirteen-year-old girl, Shawnie Pendergast, is missing from her home.
Authorities began searching for her yesterday afternoon when she did not return
from classes at Wakeman Junior High, and a check of attendance records showed
that she had not been in school all day. At this time there is no evidence of
foul play, and both the parents and the police are proceeding on the assumption
that Shawnie Pendergast has run away from home. Here with me now are Mr. and
Mrs. Pendergast, Shawnie's parents, with an appeal to their daughter to come
home."
Katie held her breath as the camera angle widened to include
a man and a woman seated at the news desk. She recognized them as the same two people
who had talked to Tony and her at the theater the night before. Their faces
looked haggard. They were even wearing the same clothes they had had on at the
theater, and Katie felt a stab of guilt as she wondered if they had been up all
night waiting for news of Shawnie.
Mr. Pendergast spoke first. "Shawnie, this is your
father." He stopped, giving an embarrassed little laugh as if he had
temporarily forgotten that she would be able to see him on the screen. "Your
mother and I are very worried. Please come home. We know you are upset, but
there isn't anything that we can't work out together."
He turned his head slightly and looked at Shawnie's mother,
and as he did so, the camera zoomed in on her, showing tears brimming in her eyes.
"Shawnie, I just want you to know . . ." Her voice broke and she
looked away. When
spread them on the floor while Shawnie watched in silence. Katie wasn't sure if
Shawnie was still upset over going into the shower with all her clothes on or
if she didn't like the idea of sleeping on the floor. Don't be silly, Katie
scolded herself. She's just run away from home. She's upset over that.
To Katie's amazement, Shawnie went to sleep as soon as her
head hit the pillow. She must be exhausted, Katie decided. Determined to put
Shawnie's problems out of her mind until morning, Katie turned over on her side
and thought about Tony. Their date seemed as if it had happened a million years
ago, and yet he had kissed her good-night a mere hour before.
She smiled to herself as she remembered the initials shaved
into his hair: T.C. + K.S. Leave it to Tony, she thought tenderly. When she had
first gotten to know him, it had seemed as if he were nothing more than a
show-off, but now she knew that wasn't true at all. He was simply willing to
take chances for things he cared about. Just the way she was taking chances for
Shawnie Pendergast right now. But would he understand that if she confided in
him? What would he think if he knew she was hiding Shawnie in her room?
CHAPTER 13
A banging sound at her bedroom door brought Katie out of a
deep sleep. "Katie! Come downstairs quickly. There's something about
Shawnie Pendergast on television."
Katie opened one eye to see Willie's head poking through the
half-open door. The next instant she was wide-awake and bolting out of bed.
"Come on," Willie urged. "Shawnie's run away,
and her parents will be on the morning news right after the commercial making
an appeal for her to come home."
Passing her mother in the hall, Katie streaked down the
stairs and skidded to a halt in front of the small television set on the
kitchen counter. On the screen, a cowboy was strumming a guitar and singing a ballad
about a gentle laxative. The Pendergasts would probably be on next, she
thought.
Climbing onto a stool at the end of the counter, Katie
caught her breath and shooed the cobwebs of sleep out of her brain. The whole
business about hiding Shawnie was coming back to her now, pressing down on her
like a lead weight.
"Glass of milk?" offered Willie as the commercial
ended and the camera shot went to the news desk and the reporter who was giving
the news.
Katie shook her head and leaned closer to the set to hear
what he had to say.
"Ladies and gentlemen, as we reported earlier, a local
thirteen-year-old girl, Shawnie Pendergast, is missing from her home.
Authorities began searching for her yesterday afternoon when she did not return
from classes at Wakeman Junior High, and a check of attendance records showed
that she had not been in school all day. At this time there is no evidence of
foul play, and both the parents and the police are proceeding on the assumption
that Shawnie Pendergast has run away from home. Here with me now are Mr. and
Mrs. Pendergast, Shawnie's parents, with an appeal to their daughter to come
home."
Katie held her breath as the camera angle widened to include
a man and a woman seated at the news desk. She recognized them as the same two people
who had talked to Tony and her at the theater the night before. Their faces
looked haggard. They were even wearing the same clothes they had had on at the
theater, and Katie felt a stab of guilt as she wondered if they had been up all
night waiting for news of Shawnie.
Mr. Pendergast spoke first. "Shawnie, this is your
father." He stopped, giving an embarrassed little laugh as if he had
temporarily forgotten that she would be able to see him on the screen. "Your
mother and I are very worried. Please come home. We know you are upset, but
there isn't anything that we can't work out together."
He turned his head slightly and looked at Shawnie's mother,
and as he did so, the camera zoomed in on her, showing tears brimming in her eyes.
"Shawnie, I just want you to know . . ." Her voice broke and she
looked away. When
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