Read Online Missing Pieces by Jerry B. Jenkins, Chris Fabry - Free Book Online
Authors: Jerry B. Jenkins, Chris Fabry
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parent?”
“No, it’s personal. I—”
“We can’t give out teacher information. Good-bye.”
Chapter 64
After school I could hardly stand waiting for Ashley to wake up before I could tell her what Mrs. Garcia had said. While I waited, Leigh and Sam came through the living room, and she looked nervous.
Sam put a hand on my shoulder and whispered, “Gonna give it another try.”
He was talking about the driver’s test. There’s nothing worse than trying to do something when you’re really nervous. Especially when you ran into a curb the first time, and a dog almost went paws up.
Sam stopped at the front door and looked at Mom. “Did the doctor call yet?”
She shook her head and something happened between them—like each knew what the other was thinking.
Mom finally woke Ashley for dinner, and I broke the news about Mrs. Garcia.
Ashley put her head in her hands. “I feel like I’m chasing rabbits. I thought for sure she’d recognize her.”
“It was kind of fuzzy,” I said.
“Mom, when’s my next tutoring day?”
“Next week. Why?”
“I’d like to go talk with Mrs. Z.”
The phone rang and Mom answered. “Yes, Doctor,” she said. She moved from the dinner table into the kitchen.
Ashley gritted her teeth so hard they squeaked.
Finally, Mom came back and sat down. She daintily pushed her peas around her plate and didn’t look at us.
“What?!” Ashley yelled.
“What what?” Mom said.
“What did he say?” I said, just as annoyed as my sister.
“He hasn’t had time to look at the results. He’s been at the hospital all day. Said he’d call first thing in the morning.”
“Great,” Ashley said. “More rabbits.”
Chapter 65
Mom paced the living room. She pulled back the curtain and looked out the front window.
“Just call them,” I said.
“No, that wouldn’t be good.”
“What’s the worst that could happen?” I said. Mom asks me that when I’m worried. Most of the time the worst thing that could happen isn’t that bad, but parroting that back to her made her scowl like a judge on one of those reality TV shows.
“Maybe she hit an elephant this time,” I said.
“Not funny, Ashley.”
“An aardvark?” I said. “That would be funny, wouldn’t it?”
That made her smile. “Not for the aardvark,” she said.
The phone rang and we raced for it. I grabbed it first. It was Derek for Bryce.
Chapter 66
“Want to go to another ball game this weekend?” Derek said. “My brother’s in a tournament Saturday.”
“If it’s okay with Leigh,” I said. “She’s taking her driving test now.”
“Randy’s gone too,” Derek said. “Practice, I think. He told Mom and Dad he wouldn’t be back until late.”
“Really?”
“Can’t wait until high school when I can stay out as late as I want even on a school night.”
When I got off the phone I rewound my surveillance tape and pressed Record.
A car pulled into the driveway, and Mom rushed to the door. It was Jeff Alexander and his mom.
Chapter 67
Jeff’s mom talked with Mom in the kitchen while Jeff sat on the couch and pushed a Cubs cap back on his head. If it had been anybody else, I would have hated “being talked to,” but I knew what Jeff had been through and that he was just trying to help.
“The hardest part of being sick is not knowing,” Jeff said. “I felt bad for a long time before the doctor finally found the tumor.”
“But doesn’t your treatment hurt?”
“Yeah, it’s a bummer to lose your hair and feel like you want to throw up all the time. But at least I know what I’m fighting. From what Bryce said, your doctor doesn’t really know what to do.”
“Right. But God’s in control.”
Jeff smiled. “But that doesn’t mean everything’s okay.” He leaned forward. “A lot of people say that to me, and I could just scream. God has been with me through this whole thing, but I don’t know how much longer I have. It may be a few years, a few months, or I
“No, it’s personal. I—”
“We can’t give out teacher information. Good-bye.”
Chapter 64
After school I could hardly stand waiting for Ashley to wake up before I could tell her what Mrs. Garcia had said. While I waited, Leigh and Sam came through the living room, and she looked nervous.
Sam put a hand on my shoulder and whispered, “Gonna give it another try.”
He was talking about the driver’s test. There’s nothing worse than trying to do something when you’re really nervous. Especially when you ran into a curb the first time, and a dog almost went paws up.
Sam stopped at the front door and looked at Mom. “Did the doctor call yet?”
She shook her head and something happened between them—like each knew what the other was thinking.
Mom finally woke Ashley for dinner, and I broke the news about Mrs. Garcia.
Ashley put her head in her hands. “I feel like I’m chasing rabbits. I thought for sure she’d recognize her.”
“It was kind of fuzzy,” I said.
“Mom, when’s my next tutoring day?”
“Next week. Why?”
“I’d like to go talk with Mrs. Z.”
The phone rang and Mom answered. “Yes, Doctor,” she said. She moved from the dinner table into the kitchen.
Ashley gritted her teeth so hard they squeaked.
Finally, Mom came back and sat down. She daintily pushed her peas around her plate and didn’t look at us.
“What?!” Ashley yelled.
“What what?” Mom said.
“What did he say?” I said, just as annoyed as my sister.
“He hasn’t had time to look at the results. He’s been at the hospital all day. Said he’d call first thing in the morning.”
“Great,” Ashley said. “More rabbits.”
Chapter 65
Mom paced the living room. She pulled back the curtain and looked out the front window.
“Just call them,” I said.
“No, that wouldn’t be good.”
“What’s the worst that could happen?” I said. Mom asks me that when I’m worried. Most of the time the worst thing that could happen isn’t that bad, but parroting that back to her made her scowl like a judge on one of those reality TV shows.
“Maybe she hit an elephant this time,” I said.
“Not funny, Ashley.”
“An aardvark?” I said. “That would be funny, wouldn’t it?”
That made her smile. “Not for the aardvark,” she said.
The phone rang and we raced for it. I grabbed it first. It was Derek for Bryce.
Chapter 66
“Want to go to another ball game this weekend?” Derek said. “My brother’s in a tournament Saturday.”
“If it’s okay with Leigh,” I said. “She’s taking her driving test now.”
“Randy’s gone too,” Derek said. “Practice, I think. He told Mom and Dad he wouldn’t be back until late.”
“Really?”
“Can’t wait until high school when I can stay out as late as I want even on a school night.”
When I got off the phone I rewound my surveillance tape and pressed Record.
A car pulled into the driveway, and Mom rushed to the door. It was Jeff Alexander and his mom.
Chapter 67
Jeff’s mom talked with Mom in the kitchen while Jeff sat on the couch and pushed a Cubs cap back on his head. If it had been anybody else, I would have hated “being talked to,” but I knew what Jeff had been through and that he was just trying to help.
“The hardest part of being sick is not knowing,” Jeff said. “I felt bad for a long time before the doctor finally found the tumor.”
“But doesn’t your treatment hurt?”
“Yeah, it’s a bummer to lose your hair and feel like you want to throw up all the time. But at least I know what I’m fighting. From what Bryce said, your doctor doesn’t really know what to do.”
“Right. But God’s in control.”
Jeff smiled. “But that doesn’t mean everything’s okay.” He leaned forward. “A lot of people say that to me, and I could just scream. God has been with me through this whole thing, but I don’t know how much longer I have. It may be a few years, a few months, or I
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