Read Online It's Only Temporary by Sally Warner - Free Book Online

talking to her or to Aaron – and she wasn’t about to ask.
    â€œIt’s the pipsqueak pansy,” Aaron shouted, finally recognizing Pip, and he gave Pip another shove, knocking him to the ground.
    â€œStop
saying
that!” Skye heard herself object loudly.
    â€œHe tried to trick us,” Cord yelled, furious, and, eager to erase his earlier humiliation, he drew his leg back as if he were about to attempt to kick a field goal. And then–
thud
! Cord’s foot connected with Pip’s ribs.
    â€œHey,” Danko and Kee objected simultaneously.
    â€œ
Uhh
,” Pip groaned as the air was knocked out of him,and he tried to roll away from the blows that were sure to follow.

    â€œStop that!” Skye cried, panicked.
    â€œQuit it, dude. You made your point,” Kee said to Cord, grabbing his arm and pulling him away from Pip.
    But it was Aaron’s leg that was going back for the kick this time.
    This was really, really happening, Skye told herself, stunned.
    â€œ
Hey
,” a man’s voice shouted from across the street, and suddenly, the beam of light from a powerful flashlight swept across their faces. “What the heck is going on over there?”
    â€œThey – they were beating my friend up for no reason,” Skye cried, her words tumbling out into the night.
    â€œWe were not,” Cord said, sounding both innocent and outraged.
    â€œYeah,” Aaron said. “And I live around here.”
    The flashlight beam rested on Aaron’s face for a moment. “Oh, it’s you,” the man said as he approached the group of kids, his voice flat and unsurprised.
    â€œHi, Mr. Walters,” Aaron said with no change in his expression. “These kids were making a lot of noise, and wejust stopped by to see if anything was the matter.”
    â€œYou guys are what’s the matter,” Skye exclaimed, hoping like crazy she wasn’t about to start crying. “We were just standing here! Are you okay, Pip?”

    As Pip struggled to his feet, Skye could make out two orange balloons – Pip’s former Dolly Parton chest, she supposed – bouncing across the lawn like escaping ghosts. “I’m fine,” Pip said. He tried to stand up straight, but Skye could tell by the way he clutched his side that he was in pain.
    â€œAre you okay, son?” the man with the flashlight asked, echoing Skye.
    â€œI’m fine,” Pip said again.
    â€œSee?” Aaron said to the man – in a tone of voice that was just this side of rude, in Skye’s opinion. “Everything’s great.”
    â€œLet’s go,” Kee murmured, taking a few steps back, and Danko and Cord stepped back, too. But Aaron didn’t move.
    â€œI’ll be keeping my eye on you, Mr. Petterson,” the man said to Aaron. “C’mon, kids,” he said, turning to Pip and Skye. “I’ll walk you to the Berrigans’ front door.”
    â€œBuh-bye,” Aaron called out after them, his voice fake-nice, cheerful, and threatening – all at the same time. “See you guys at school!”
    So much for being invisible, Skye thought, resigned to whatever was going to happen next.

15
Revenge!
    HI SKYE, HOW WAS THE PARTY LAST WKND? MOM AND DAD GO 2 CONSELING NOW THEY YELL ALOT, EVEN MORE THAN BEFOR. I HAF 2 STAYE IN THE WATING RM IT SUX BUT IT IS BETTR THAN A BABYSITR. JERMY CAME OVER IT WAS COOL AT FRST BUT WE RAN OUT OF STUFF TO SAY IT WS WERD. I WANT 2 MOVE AWAY FRM HERE. LOVE SCOTT

    Dear Scott, I am freaking out about Mom and Dad going in for counseling! They are fighting even more ?? Doesn’t our family have enough problems??? That is so irresponsible of them!!!!
    I’m sorry you and Jeremy ran out of stuff to say to each other when he came over. It must have felt so strange, not that you guys ever used to talk all that much, as I recall. Not like me and Hana, who never e-mails me at all anymore, by the way.
    I am