Read Online Jessi's Secret Language by Ann M. Martin - Free Book Online

Usually, she’s very protective of him, and he adores her.
    That night, Claudia was going to be sitting for Karen, Andrew, and David Michael, Kristy’s seven-year-old brother. Claudia arrived just as Kristy, Sam, and Charlie were running out the door to the Stoneybrook High versus Mercer High basketball game.
    â€œBye, Kristy! Hi, Karen!” said Claudia.
    â€œBye!” called Kristy as the door slammed behind her.
    â€œHi,” said Karen. “I’m going to be very busy tonight. There’s a ghost party on the third floor.”
    â€œAnd you’re going to it?” asked Claudia, trying to look serious.
    â€œAre you kidding?” replied Karen. “That would be crazy. But I’m in charge of refreshments. All night it’s going to be my job to take food to the bottom of the third-floor stairs and leave it there for the ghosts.”
    â€œWhat are you going to feed them?”
    â€œGhost pâté,” replied Karen. “It’s really the only thing for a ghost party.”
    â€œWell, I’m sure they’ll appreciate it,” said Claudia.
    â€œHi, Claudia,” spoke up another voice. It was Kristy’s mother, the new Mrs. Brewer. “Thanks for coming. Mr. Brewer and I will be home by ten-thirty. And the kids should go to bed at nine.”
    â€œAw, Elizabeth ,” complained Karen. “Andrew’s younger than me. He should go to bed before I do.”
    â€œBut it’s Friday, honey,” Mrs. Brewer pointed out. “He can stay up a little later.”
    â€œThen I get to stay up even later than he does.”
    Kristy’s mother sighed. “All right. Claudia, Andrew’s bedtime is nine o’clock, Karen’s is nine-fifteen, and David Michael’s is nine-thirty.”
    â€œGoody!” cried Karen, jumping up and down. “Thank you!” Claudia thought Karen might complain about David Michael’s bedtime, but she didn’t. Fair was fair.
    â€œNow,” Mrs. Brewer went on, “Andrew is getting over tonsillitis and needs a spoonful of liquid penicillin before he goes to bed. The bottle is in the kitchen, in the cabinet next to the refrigerator.”
    â€œOkay,” Claudia replied.
    â€œI guess that’s it. You know where the emergency numbers are. And Mr. Brewer and I will just be across the street at the Papadakises’.”
    The Brewers left, and Karen and Claudia went upstairs to the big playroom, where they found Andrew and David Michael building a space station out of Legos and Tinker Toys.
    â€œHi, guys,” Claudia greeted the boys.
    â€œHi!” they replied.
    â€œWant to help us?” asked Andrew.
    â€œSure.” Claudia sat down in front of the space station.
    â€œWell,” said Karen, “I guess I better go.”
    â€œGo where?” asked Claudia vaguely, sifting through a pile of Legos.
    â€œDown to the kitchen, then up to the ghosts.”
    â€œDown to the kitchen?” Claudia repeated. “For real food?”
    â€œSure. That’s where the ghost pâté is.”
    â€œWhat’s ghost pâté?” asked Andrew nervously.
    â€œDon’t worry about it,” David Michael told him. “Karen’s just pretending again.”
    â€œAm not!” cried Karen.
    â€œAre too!”
    â€œHold it! Hold it!” said Claudia. (Silence.) “Karen, use pretend food, okay? You don’t need to go down to the kitchen.”
    There were, Claudia thought, a few problems with living in a house as big as the Brewers’. For instance, it was easy for the kids to get out of ear-shot in the house, and Claudia didn’t like that. And when she sat downstairs at night waiting for the Brewers to come home, she sometimes felt terrified.
    Then Claudia added, “And Andrew, don’t worry. It really is just a game.”
    â€œIs not!” said Karen indignantly. She stooped down, pretended to pick something up, and walked