Read Online Fabulous Five 008 - The Runaway Crisis by Betsy Haynes - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Betsy Haynes
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couldn't stay at home one minute longer. "
Willie crossed the room and sat down on the bed, putting her
arms around Shawnie. "Of course we'll help you. We'll do whatever we can.
But this is also very serious," she said. "Your parents are terribly
worried, and even the police are looking for you. I think you'd better go
downstairs and call your mother and father right away to let them know you're
okay."
Shawnie lowered her eyes again and murmured, "I can't."
"If you don't want to talk to them yourself, I'd be
glad to call them for you," offered Willie.
Shawnie shook her head. "You don't understand. Nobody
understands. Everybody thinks that just because they're my parents, they're
automatically right and I'm wrong. It isn't like that. You have to believe me when
I tell you that I can't talk to them on the phone and I can't go home. Besides,"
she added, looking straight at Katie, "you promised, Katie. You said you'd
do anything you could to help me, and all I ask is that you and your mom let me
hide here a little while longer."
No one said anything for a moment, and Katie could feel her
pulse pounding in her ears. What was Willie going to do? She couldn't believe
that her mother would make Shawnie go home. Willie had always been there for
people who were in trouble or needed help. It had been from watching her mother
stand up for her causes that Katie had been convinced to become the same kind
of person.
"I did promise I'd help her," Katie admitted.
"I have no objection to your staying here, Shawnie,"
said Willie. "But first, you must call your parents. They're
imagining all sorts of terrible things that could have happened to you."
"That's what you think," Shawnie muttered.
"Perhaps if you tell us what sort of problems you're
having with your parents, we can help you work out a solution," said
Willie. "There isn't any problem that can't be solved," she added
with a reassuring smile.
"You wouldn't understand," Shawnie said, shaking
her head again. "Nobody would. They're just so . . . so mean. They won't
let me do anything. "
"Do you mean that you ran away because they wouldn't
let you do something that you wanted to do?" asked Willie.
"See!" cried Shawnie. "I knew you wouldn't
understand. You think that just because they said no to something I wanted, I
ran away. Well, there's more to it than that. A lot more."
"Then tell us about it," said Willie. "That's
the only way we can help you."
"I can't. I really , really can't."
Willie sighed, and Katie could tell by her expression that
her patience was running thin. Shawnie must have sensed it, too, because she
jumped and raced to the closet, pulling out her suitcase and her wet clothes.
"Okay. I can tell that you don't want me here, so I'll
go. I'll even go home. It's obvious that I'll have to anyway sooner or later.
Nobody is going to help me. Just let me do it on my own," she said angrily.
"That's all I ask."
Katie felt helpless as Shawnie pulled dry jeans and a sweat
shirt out of the suitcase and wadded up the wet clothes and stuffed them in. "It's
all right if you don't want to help me," she said.
"We do want to help you," Willie insisted. "It's
just that running away isn't the answer. It only makes your problems worse. But
we don't know what the right way to help you is if you won't talk to us."
Shawnie didn't answer. It was obvious to Katie that she was
determined to leave rather than talk about her situation with her parents.
"We'll drive you home," offered Katie. It was the
only thing she could think of to say.
"Of course we will," said Willie. "And I'll
talk to your parents for you if you'd like me to."
"Thanks, but I want to do it all myself." Shawnie
said firmly. "I'll go home by myself and I'll talk to my parents by
myself. I'll really do it. You can trust me."
"Of course we trust you," said Willie.
Shawnie acted as if she didn't hear. Picking up her clothes,
she left the room. Katie knew she was heading for the bathroom to dress.
"Mom, what are we
Willie crossed the room and sat down on the bed, putting her
arms around Shawnie. "Of course we'll help you. We'll do whatever we can.
But this is also very serious," she said. "Your parents are terribly
worried, and even the police are looking for you. I think you'd better go
downstairs and call your mother and father right away to let them know you're
okay."
Shawnie lowered her eyes again and murmured, "I can't."
"If you don't want to talk to them yourself, I'd be
glad to call them for you," offered Willie.
Shawnie shook her head. "You don't understand. Nobody
understands. Everybody thinks that just because they're my parents, they're
automatically right and I'm wrong. It isn't like that. You have to believe me when
I tell you that I can't talk to them on the phone and I can't go home. Besides,"
she added, looking straight at Katie, "you promised, Katie. You said you'd
do anything you could to help me, and all I ask is that you and your mom let me
hide here a little while longer."
No one said anything for a moment, and Katie could feel her
pulse pounding in her ears. What was Willie going to do? She couldn't believe
that her mother would make Shawnie go home. Willie had always been there for
people who were in trouble or needed help. It had been from watching her mother
stand up for her causes that Katie had been convinced to become the same kind
of person.
"I did promise I'd help her," Katie admitted.
"I have no objection to your staying here, Shawnie,"
said Willie. "But first, you must call your parents. They're
imagining all sorts of terrible things that could have happened to you."
"That's what you think," Shawnie muttered.
"Perhaps if you tell us what sort of problems you're
having with your parents, we can help you work out a solution," said
Willie. "There isn't any problem that can't be solved," she added
with a reassuring smile.
"You wouldn't understand," Shawnie said, shaking
her head again. "Nobody would. They're just so . . . so mean. They won't
let me do anything. "
"Do you mean that you ran away because they wouldn't
let you do something that you wanted to do?" asked Willie.
"See!" cried Shawnie. "I knew you wouldn't
understand. You think that just because they said no to something I wanted, I
ran away. Well, there's more to it than that. A lot more."
"Then tell us about it," said Willie. "That's
the only way we can help you."
"I can't. I really , really can't."
Willie sighed, and Katie could tell by her expression that
her patience was running thin. Shawnie must have sensed it, too, because she
jumped and raced to the closet, pulling out her suitcase and her wet clothes.
"Okay. I can tell that you don't want me here, so I'll
go. I'll even go home. It's obvious that I'll have to anyway sooner or later.
Nobody is going to help me. Just let me do it on my own," she said angrily.
"That's all I ask."
Katie felt helpless as Shawnie pulled dry jeans and a sweat
shirt out of the suitcase and wadded up the wet clothes and stuffed them in. "It's
all right if you don't want to help me," she said.
"We do want to help you," Willie insisted. "It's
just that running away isn't the answer. It only makes your problems worse. But
we don't know what the right way to help you is if you won't talk to us."
Shawnie didn't answer. It was obvious to Katie that she was
determined to leave rather than talk about her situation with her parents.
"We'll drive you home," offered Katie. It was the
only thing she could think of to say.
"Of course we will," said Willie. "And I'll
talk to your parents for you if you'd like me to."
"Thanks, but I want to do it all myself." Shawnie
said firmly. "I'll go home by myself and I'll talk to my parents by
myself. I'll really do it. You can trust me."
"Of course we trust you," said Willie.
Shawnie acted as if she didn't hear. Picking up her clothes,
she left the room. Katie knew she was heading for the bathroom to dress.
"Mom, what are we
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