Read Online Gifted: Finders Keepers by Marilyn Kaye - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Marilyn Kaye
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dawned on her that it might not be so awful being Margaret Robinson for a little while. She wouldn’t mind living in this apartment. And she was twenty-five years old! She could go to clubs and hang out in places that would never let a fourteen-year-old in.
And there was something else – if she remained in this body up to Monday, robot-Amanda would have the operation in her place! Yes, there was a lot about this situation that could work to her advantage.
A phone rang. It sounded like a mobile, so she dived back into Margaret’s handbag.
‘Hello?’
‘Hi, Margie, it’s me.’ The voice was a woman’s.
Amanda tried to sound casual. ‘Oh, hi. How are you?’
‘Fine. Well, burning up, actually. It’s ninety-nine degrees here, and our air conditioner’s broken.’
Amanda didn’t know what the temperature was outside, but she was very sure it wasn’t anywhere near ninety-nine degrees. It had been cool when she left the seance.
‘Where are you?’ she asked.
The woman sounded amused. ‘Where do you think I am? Miami, of course. You’ll be coming down to visit next month, won’t you?’
‘Um, I guess. I’ll try.’
‘You must come,’ the woman said. ‘It’s been too long. We’ll send you money for a flight. Daddy and I want to see you. Wait, he wants to say hello.’
A man spoke. ‘Margie, listen to your mother. We’ll expect you in December.’
‘OK. I have to go now. Bye.’
‘Here, say goodbye to your mother.’
‘Bye, Margie!’ the woman chirped.
Amanda swallowed. ‘Bye . . . Mom.’
They were disconnected. Amanda just stood there for a minute, still holding the phone. Daddy. Mom .
What was going on here?
C HAPTER S EVEN
S O HOW DID IT go with Amanda?
Ken yawned. It was Saturday morning, he was still in bed, and for once he didn’t mind having a chat with his old friend.
I don’t know. She was sort of weird.
How do you mean, weird?
Well, like, at first things were really good. I mean, we were kind of connecting, you know? We talked a lot on the way there. And during the seance I couldn’t even look at her because I was afraid we’d start laughing. I thought things were going pretty well for us.
Cool.
But then things changed. After the seance, coming home, she barely spoke to me. I asked her if she wanted to get something to eat, but she said she wasn’t hungry. So I took her home. And she didn’t invite me to come in.
Did you kiss her?
I didn’t even get a chance. The second we arrived at her place, she went inside and closed the door. She didn’t even say goodbye!
That’s pretty weird. Maybe she’s just not into you. Hey, what are you doing today?
I don’t know. I haven’t thought about it.
Why don’t you go to the pool?
The indoor pool at the Community Centre? Nah, it’s too crowded on Saturdays.
Oh, c’mon, you could use a good swim. Work out your frustrations over Amanda. And you’d be doing me a favour.
How’s that?
Lucy goes to the pool every Saturday. It’ll give you a chance to talk to her. Find out what’s going on between her and Dowell.
Ken sighed. Well, if he was going to help Jack he’d have to talk to Lucy sooner or later, and he might as well get it over with. The pool was as good a place as any.
When he arrived, he saw that the pool wasn’t as crowded as he’d expected. He didn’t see Lucy around so he decided to make the most of it. He dived in.
The thing he liked best about swimming was that he could put his mind on automatic pilot and let his thoughts wander. And his thoughts went back to Amanda. He hoped she didn’t go to the pool on Saturdays. Nah, the public swimming pool was probably beneath her.
She’d really been a major disappointment, he thought as he swam his lengths. He’d been feeling positive about her at the seance and when the seance was over he’d looked forward to discussing what they’d just observed, and comparing their reactions.
But Amanda had been totally uninterested in having any kind
And there was something else – if she remained in this body up to Monday, robot-Amanda would have the operation in her place! Yes, there was a lot about this situation that could work to her advantage.
A phone rang. It sounded like a mobile, so she dived back into Margaret’s handbag.
‘Hello?’
‘Hi, Margie, it’s me.’ The voice was a woman’s.
Amanda tried to sound casual. ‘Oh, hi. How are you?’
‘Fine. Well, burning up, actually. It’s ninety-nine degrees here, and our air conditioner’s broken.’
Amanda didn’t know what the temperature was outside, but she was very sure it wasn’t anywhere near ninety-nine degrees. It had been cool when she left the seance.
‘Where are you?’ she asked.
The woman sounded amused. ‘Where do you think I am? Miami, of course. You’ll be coming down to visit next month, won’t you?’
‘Um, I guess. I’ll try.’
‘You must come,’ the woman said. ‘It’s been too long. We’ll send you money for a flight. Daddy and I want to see you. Wait, he wants to say hello.’
A man spoke. ‘Margie, listen to your mother. We’ll expect you in December.’
‘OK. I have to go now. Bye.’
‘Here, say goodbye to your mother.’
‘Bye, Margie!’ the woman chirped.
Amanda swallowed. ‘Bye . . . Mom.’
They were disconnected. Amanda just stood there for a minute, still holding the phone. Daddy. Mom .
What was going on here?
C HAPTER S EVEN
S O HOW DID IT go with Amanda?
Ken yawned. It was Saturday morning, he was still in bed, and for once he didn’t mind having a chat with his old friend.
I don’t know. She was sort of weird.
How do you mean, weird?
Well, like, at first things were really good. I mean, we were kind of connecting, you know? We talked a lot on the way there. And during the seance I couldn’t even look at her because I was afraid we’d start laughing. I thought things were going pretty well for us.
Cool.
But then things changed. After the seance, coming home, she barely spoke to me. I asked her if she wanted to get something to eat, but she said she wasn’t hungry. So I took her home. And she didn’t invite me to come in.
Did you kiss her?
I didn’t even get a chance. The second we arrived at her place, she went inside and closed the door. She didn’t even say goodbye!
That’s pretty weird. Maybe she’s just not into you. Hey, what are you doing today?
I don’t know. I haven’t thought about it.
Why don’t you go to the pool?
The indoor pool at the Community Centre? Nah, it’s too crowded on Saturdays.
Oh, c’mon, you could use a good swim. Work out your frustrations over Amanda. And you’d be doing me a favour.
How’s that?
Lucy goes to the pool every Saturday. It’ll give you a chance to talk to her. Find out what’s going on between her and Dowell.
Ken sighed. Well, if he was going to help Jack he’d have to talk to Lucy sooner or later, and he might as well get it over with. The pool was as good a place as any.
When he arrived, he saw that the pool wasn’t as crowded as he’d expected. He didn’t see Lucy around so he decided to make the most of it. He dived in.
The thing he liked best about swimming was that he could put his mind on automatic pilot and let his thoughts wander. And his thoughts went back to Amanda. He hoped she didn’t go to the pool on Saturdays. Nah, the public swimming pool was probably beneath her.
She’d really been a major disappointment, he thought as he swam his lengths. He’d been feeling positive about her at the seance and when the seance was over he’d looked forward to discussing what they’d just observed, and comparing their reactions.
But Amanda had been totally uninterested in having any kind
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