Read Online Gabby Duran and the Unsittables by Elise Allen - Free Book Online Page A

lots of practice, but it was nice of Zee to say. And
thinking about the solo definitely helped take Gabby’s mind off her big secret. By lunchtime all she wanted to do was rehearse, so the second she finished eating, she excused herself from
Satchel and Zee, grabbed her instrument, and ran down two flights of stairs to the music department practice rooms to play. After school, a job sitting one of her regulars, dinner, and homework,
she was at the horn again, and played until
after
Madison’s bedroom light went out across the street.
    By morning, Gabby was totally herself again. She did ask Carmen if any new and unusual clients had contacted her, but no one had. Days passed, and not a single person asked for
Gabby’s babysitting services who wasn’t a regular or referred by a regular. Gabby didn’t see Edwina anymore, she didn’t see any pets get up on their hind legs and talk, and
no one shed their skin to reveal a body of gelatinous ooze.
    Honestly, by the time Gabby sat in Mr. Shamberg’s English class Friday morning, she was sure the entire Edwina/­Philip/­John/­Lisa/­Vondlejax experience was only a crazy dream she’d had
on the way home from babysitting the triplets. Her mind was far more occupied by the concert. It was today after school, only a few hours away, and of course Maestro Jenkins still hadn’t
awarded the solo. Gabby had worked so hard all week that, even though she’d be a good sport, she’d be heartbroken if Madison got it instead of her.
    That’s what she was thinking about when a flutter of movement outside caught her eye, and she nearly screamed out loud.
    Edwina’s face, half hidden among the leaves of a tree, was framed in the window.
    The
third floor
window.

G abby tried to swallow but choked on her own saliva. She wondered if anyone had ever needed the Heimlich for what was basically a spitball.
    “May I be excused?” she coughed out.
    Mr. Shamberg let her go, so she grabbed her purple knapsack, ignored Zee’s curious look, and raced downstairs. She avoided Ellerbee and the scattered students with free periods roaming the
halls, zoomed out of the building, ran to the tree outside her English class, and looked up, fully expecting to see Edwina floating in midair.
    No. Not floating. She couldn’t have been floating. She must have been sitting on a branch. She must have climbed the tree and sat on a branch.
    Except the lowest branches were twenty feet off the ground. Edwina couldn’t have climbed.
    Gabby squinted and peered into the leaves. “Edwina!” she hissed.
    No answer. Gabby saw no sign of her either. No black duster. No black wool pants. No chunky black shoes. No shock of white hair around a crimped face.
    Nothing.
    Was Gabby dreaming again? Did she fall asleep in class?
    No. Impossible. She
saw
Edwina. She did.
    Heart still pounding from the sprint downstairs, Gabby jumped to get a slightly closer look into the tree’s high canopy of branches and leaves. She backpedaled to take in the entire roof
of the school. Could Edwina have jumped up there?
    She couldn’t have. Of course she couldn’t have. This was ridiculous. The stress about the solo clearly had Gabby’s mind playing tricks on her. As the adrenaline drained from
her body she flopped down onto the grass…
    …and noticed a car idling under some trees across the street.
    No, not a car. A limousine.
    And suddenly she knew without a doubt that it had all been true.
    She was a bit surprised, though, that Edwina was back in a limo. She’d assumed the first time it was a matter of camouflage. Gabby had expected a limo to pick her up after sitting the
triplets. A limo at Brensville Middle School stood out like a zit on Picture Day.
    Apparently, Edwina just liked to travel in style.
    Gabby made her way to the limo and peered into the front seat. It was empty. She opened the back door.
    Edwina was there, sitting ramrod straight as always, white hair in the severe bun that added two inches to her height.