Read Online Fabulous Five 008 - The Runaway Crisis by Betsy Haynes - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Betsy Haynes
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she had composed herself, she looked into the camera again
and said, "I just want you to remember that we love you very much
and we want you to come home."
"Wow!" said Katie as the camera shot swung back to
the reporter who went on with the morning's news. It was all she could say. Her
mind had gone numb with panic.
"Katie, you've got to think hard," said Willie,
picking up her hand and looking straight into her eyes. "You're her
friend. Where would Shawnie go? We've got to help find her if we can. Do you
realize how dangerous it is out there for someone alone?"
Katie dropped her eyes and pulled her hand away. "I . .
. I . . ." she began. "I have to go to the bathroom." Racing up
the stairs, she darted into the bathroom and sank against the door. She did not
turn on the light, but in the darkness she could see the faces of Shawnie's
parents as if the television set had followed her up the stairs and into the
pitch-black room. They couldn't have looked more sincere when they said they
loved her. It was obvious that they were worried sick about Shawnie, and still
at this very moment she was totally safe, sound asleep not more than a dozen
feet away.
What am I going to do? The question kept spinning around
in her brain, and yet she knew that there was one thing she had to do. She had
to talk to Shawnie. She had to find out what had happened once and for all.
Then she would be able to figure out what to do next.
Slipping quietly out of the bathroom so that Willie would
not hear, she tiptoed to her room and shut the door behind herself. To her
surprise, Shawnie was sitting in the middle of her bed in her bathrobe brushing
her long blond hair.
"What was that all about?" she asked. "Did I
hear your mom say that my parents were on television?"
"That's right," said Katie. "And you should
have seen how worried they looked. They even have the police looking for you.
You've got to tell me what happened, Shawnie. Right now."
Shawnie laughed softly. "I see they even have you convinced.
Didn't I tell you that they were fabulous actors?" She paused and Katie
started to protest, but Shawnie spoke again before Katie could get a word out. "I
suppose Mom had tears in her eyes and they both said they loved me. HA! That's
just to make themselves look good so they'll get all the sympathy. It worked,
too. Didn't it? You look as if you're ready to turn me in."
Katie felt herself blushing, and the doubt that had burned
so strongly a moment ago flickered and went out as she looked at Shawnie. Her
chin was raised bravely as if daring Katie to call her parents, and she
absently rubbed the bruise on her right arm, which had turned a sickly shade of
yellow.
"Can't you tell me what happened?" pleaded Katie,
sitting down on the bed beside her friend. "You know I want to help you. I
promised you that I would. I won't go back on my word. Don't you know that?"
Shawnie nodded. "I know that, Katie. It's just that . .
. well . . ." She sighed deeply. "It was awful. That's all that I can
tell you right now. You've got to believe me. Oh, please, Katie. I don't know
what I'd do without you."
Katie bit her lower lip and thought about Willie. There was
no way she could keep Shawnie hidden from her mother very much longer. Couldn't
Shawnie understand that?
Suddenly there were sounds in the hallway.
"Katie? Did I hear voices coming from your room?"
The door swung open, and Willie started in only to stop cold when she saw
Shawnie sitting on the bed.
CHAPTER 14
"Shawnie?" Willie whispered in disbelief. "You're here? "
Katie jumped to her feet. She held her breath as Shawnie
lowered her eyes and said quietly, "Hi, Mrs. Shannon."
"I was going to tell you." The words burst out
before Katie could stop them. She looked pleadingly at her mother. "We
have to help her. She says it's awful at home."
"I don't know what I would have done without Katie,"
said Shawnie, looking up at Katie's mother. "I didn't have anywhere to go
or anyone else to turn to, and I
and said, "I just want you to remember that we love you very much
and we want you to come home."
"Wow!" said Katie as the camera shot swung back to
the reporter who went on with the morning's news. It was all she could say. Her
mind had gone numb with panic.
"Katie, you've got to think hard," said Willie,
picking up her hand and looking straight into her eyes. "You're her
friend. Where would Shawnie go? We've got to help find her if we can. Do you
realize how dangerous it is out there for someone alone?"
Katie dropped her eyes and pulled her hand away. "I . .
. I . . ." she began. "I have to go to the bathroom." Racing up
the stairs, she darted into the bathroom and sank against the door. She did not
turn on the light, but in the darkness she could see the faces of Shawnie's
parents as if the television set had followed her up the stairs and into the
pitch-black room. They couldn't have looked more sincere when they said they
loved her. It was obvious that they were worried sick about Shawnie, and still
at this very moment she was totally safe, sound asleep not more than a dozen
feet away.
What am I going to do? The question kept spinning around
in her brain, and yet she knew that there was one thing she had to do. She had
to talk to Shawnie. She had to find out what had happened once and for all.
Then she would be able to figure out what to do next.
Slipping quietly out of the bathroom so that Willie would
not hear, she tiptoed to her room and shut the door behind herself. To her
surprise, Shawnie was sitting in the middle of her bed in her bathrobe brushing
her long blond hair.
"What was that all about?" she asked. "Did I
hear your mom say that my parents were on television?"
"That's right," said Katie. "And you should
have seen how worried they looked. They even have the police looking for you.
You've got to tell me what happened, Shawnie. Right now."
Shawnie laughed softly. "I see they even have you convinced.
Didn't I tell you that they were fabulous actors?" She paused and Katie
started to protest, but Shawnie spoke again before Katie could get a word out. "I
suppose Mom had tears in her eyes and they both said they loved me. HA! That's
just to make themselves look good so they'll get all the sympathy. It worked,
too. Didn't it? You look as if you're ready to turn me in."
Katie felt herself blushing, and the doubt that had burned
so strongly a moment ago flickered and went out as she looked at Shawnie. Her
chin was raised bravely as if daring Katie to call her parents, and she
absently rubbed the bruise on her right arm, which had turned a sickly shade of
yellow.
"Can't you tell me what happened?" pleaded Katie,
sitting down on the bed beside her friend. "You know I want to help you. I
promised you that I would. I won't go back on my word. Don't you know that?"
Shawnie nodded. "I know that, Katie. It's just that . .
. well . . ." She sighed deeply. "It was awful. That's all that I can
tell you right now. You've got to believe me. Oh, please, Katie. I don't know
what I'd do without you."
Katie bit her lower lip and thought about Willie. There was
no way she could keep Shawnie hidden from her mother very much longer. Couldn't
Shawnie understand that?
Suddenly there were sounds in the hallway.
"Katie? Did I hear voices coming from your room?"
The door swung open, and Willie started in only to stop cold when she saw
Shawnie sitting on the bed.
CHAPTER 14
"Shawnie?" Willie whispered in disbelief. "You're here? "
Katie jumped to her feet. She held her breath as Shawnie
lowered her eyes and said quietly, "Hi, Mrs. Shannon."
"I was going to tell you." The words burst out
before Katie could stop them. She looked pleadingly at her mother. "We
have to help her. She says it's awful at home."
"I don't know what I would have done without Katie,"
said Shawnie, looking up at Katie's mother. "I didn't have anywhere to go
or anyone else to turn to, and I
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