Read Online Fabulous Five 014 - The Seventh-Grade Menace by Betsy Haynes - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Betsy Haynes
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blouses and in their hair, and nearly every boy had picked up on
it. Of course, good old Clarence Marshall was still wearing his huge ribbon,
only now it was starting to get so smudged it didn't look very yellow anymore.
It was funny, she thought, but it seemed to her as if Clarence was starting to
hang around Geena a lot. He couldn't possibly be interested in a girl that had
bloodied his nose, could he?
Jana's thoughts turned to Igor. She had talked to Shane at
Bumpers, and he told her that he had put Igor in a box and taken him to Mr.
Dracovitch, who took the iguana home to observe him for a few days and to try
to get him to eat. Poor old Igor. She really hoped the science teacher could
figure out what his problem was.
The enlargements were ready, and Jana paid for them and
headed for Geena's house. Her father should be home from work by now, and if
she was lucky, she could talk to him before Geena got there. She sighed. She'd
have to do it, even if it meant having another confrontation with Geena and
maybe even Max and Joe. But Mr. McNatt is a nice man, she told herself.
I just know he is. If I can just get him to listen and look at these
pictures, he'll know I'm sincere and will have to believe me.
Still, going to Geena's house was scary. She drew in a deep
breath and turned the corner onto the McNatts' street.
CHAPTER 14
Jana punched the doorbell, drew in a deep breath, and
squared her shoulders. The garage door at the side of the house was closed, and
she couldn't tell if Mr. McNatt was home or not. She crossed her fingers behind
her back.
A young man who was obviously a McNatt opened the door. He
had the same blondish hair his father had, but he wore it longer, and his
features were more delicate. He also had a light sprinkling of freckles across
his nose like Geena. Jana guessed he was older than Max, probably high school
age, and must be George. The last of the McNatts, thought Jana. Now I've met
them all.
"Is Mr. McNatt home?" she asked as cordially as
she could.
"If you mean my dad, no, but he should be here in about
two minutes," the boy answered. "You can come in and wait for him if
you want."
Jana was surprised at how pleasant he was. "Uh, no. I
don't know if I should."
"Sure you should," he said, smiling and opening the
door so she could enter. "You came to see him, and I know he'll be here
shortly. I've got dinner just about ready, and he can smell it from wherever he's at. By the way, I'm George."
Jana laughed in spite of herself.
George showed her into the living room, and she sat
nervously on the edge of the couch listening for sounds that would tell her if
Geena, Max, or Joe might have come into the house from another direction. The
only sounds she could hear were made by George in the kitchen, so they must
still be at Bumpers.
Minutes passed and Mr. McNatt didn't come. Jana squirmed on
the couch. The longer she waited, the more likely it was that Geena and the
others would come home first.
Then she heard footsteps on the front porch and the doorknob
rattled as someone turned it. Jana sprang to her feet, hoping against hope that
it was Geena's father.
Max stepped into the room, and he and Jana stared at each
other. A puzzled look crossed his face.
Geena pushed Max out of the way and barged in. "What's
for sup—" When she saw Jana, she stopped dead in her tracks. "What ar e
you doing here?"
Joe came in next and looked at Jana. To her relief he gave
Max a shove, and the two of them went into the kitchen.
Jana clutched the envelope containing the photos close to
her chest. "I came to see your father," she said as bravely as she
could.
"My father? Why? "
Jana squared her shoulders and made her backbone straight
and rigid. "Because I have something to show him." She heard a car
door slam in the driveway.
"What do you have to show him?" demanded Geena.
"You'll see."
Geena glared at Jana as if she could eat her alive.
"Well, what do we have here?" asked Mr. McNatt as
he stomped into the
it. Of course, good old Clarence Marshall was still wearing his huge ribbon,
only now it was starting to get so smudged it didn't look very yellow anymore.
It was funny, she thought, but it seemed to her as if Clarence was starting to
hang around Geena a lot. He couldn't possibly be interested in a girl that had
bloodied his nose, could he?
Jana's thoughts turned to Igor. She had talked to Shane at
Bumpers, and he told her that he had put Igor in a box and taken him to Mr.
Dracovitch, who took the iguana home to observe him for a few days and to try
to get him to eat. Poor old Igor. She really hoped the science teacher could
figure out what his problem was.
The enlargements were ready, and Jana paid for them and
headed for Geena's house. Her father should be home from work by now, and if
she was lucky, she could talk to him before Geena got there. She sighed. She'd
have to do it, even if it meant having another confrontation with Geena and
maybe even Max and Joe. But Mr. McNatt is a nice man, she told herself.
I just know he is. If I can just get him to listen and look at these
pictures, he'll know I'm sincere and will have to believe me.
Still, going to Geena's house was scary. She drew in a deep
breath and turned the corner onto the McNatts' street.
CHAPTER 14
Jana punched the doorbell, drew in a deep breath, and
squared her shoulders. The garage door at the side of the house was closed, and
she couldn't tell if Mr. McNatt was home or not. She crossed her fingers behind
her back.
A young man who was obviously a McNatt opened the door. He
had the same blondish hair his father had, but he wore it longer, and his
features were more delicate. He also had a light sprinkling of freckles across
his nose like Geena. Jana guessed he was older than Max, probably high school
age, and must be George. The last of the McNatts, thought Jana. Now I've met
them all.
"Is Mr. McNatt home?" she asked as cordially as
she could.
"If you mean my dad, no, but he should be here in about
two minutes," the boy answered. "You can come in and wait for him if
you want."
Jana was surprised at how pleasant he was. "Uh, no. I
don't know if I should."
"Sure you should," he said, smiling and opening the
door so she could enter. "You came to see him, and I know he'll be here
shortly. I've got dinner just about ready, and he can smell it from wherever he's at. By the way, I'm George."
Jana laughed in spite of herself.
George showed her into the living room, and she sat
nervously on the edge of the couch listening for sounds that would tell her if
Geena, Max, or Joe might have come into the house from another direction. The
only sounds she could hear were made by George in the kitchen, so they must
still be at Bumpers.
Minutes passed and Mr. McNatt didn't come. Jana squirmed on
the couch. The longer she waited, the more likely it was that Geena and the
others would come home first.
Then she heard footsteps on the front porch and the doorknob
rattled as someone turned it. Jana sprang to her feet, hoping against hope that
it was Geena's father.
Max stepped into the room, and he and Jana stared at each
other. A puzzled look crossed his face.
Geena pushed Max out of the way and barged in. "What's
for sup—" When she saw Jana, she stopped dead in her tracks. "What ar e
you doing here?"
Joe came in next and looked at Jana. To her relief he gave
Max a shove, and the two of them went into the kitchen.
Jana clutched the envelope containing the photos close to
her chest. "I came to see your father," she said as bravely as she
could.
"My father? Why? "
Jana squared her shoulders and made her backbone straight
and rigid. "Because I have something to show him." She heard a car
door slam in the driveway.
"What do you have to show him?" demanded Geena.
"You'll see."
Geena glared at Jana as if she could eat her alive.
"Well, what do we have here?" asked Mr. McNatt as
he stomped into the
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