Read Online Out of the Ashes by Valerie Sherrard - Free Book Online Page B

dismayed that the essay had to be a thousand words long. It would take all evening, even if we hurried. I’d have to stay up half the night to get my science project finished. Well, it would be worth it!
    â€œYou’re such a sweetheart.”
    A quiver went all through me when he said that, but it disappeared fast at his next words.
    â€œI wish I could be here the whole time, but the team has a practice at seven.” Seeing my dismayed look he added quickly, “Don’t worry. It’s a short one. I’ll be home by eight or so.”
    His mom came into the room just then and looked quizzically at him.
    â€œThis is Shelby, Ma. Isn’t she a babe? She’s giving me a hand with an essay, so keep the TV down will you?” Then he tossed on his jacket and headed out the door.
    I could hardly believe it. Instead of being alone with Nick, there I was, alone with his mom. It wasn’t exactly how I’d pictured it!
    I reminded myself that he’d be back in an hour and got to work. Before long I was concentrating hard on the essay and trying not to watch the clock too closely. Still, I couldn’t help but notice when eight-thirty passed and he still wasn’t back. Then it was nine, and nine-thirty. At ten minutes to ten I had the essay finished.
    There was nothing left to do then but tell his mother goodnight and leave.

CHAPTER ELEVEN
    On the walk home I was trying to think of excuses for Nick not coming back to his house. Everything I came up with sounded lame, and my disappointment was turning to anger. Well, anger and humiliation. And since I’d let it happen, I wasn’t sure if I was angry at Nick or at myself.
    Before very long though, something happened that completely erased all thoughts of Nick Jarvis from my mind. Well, for the moment anyway. Something was wrong.
    When I first smelled smoke in the air I’d assumed it was just someone’s wood furnace, but then I realized it was too thick, and it didn’t have the right smell.
    Even though it was dark, it didn’t take long to discover the source of the fire. As I was passing a house I could see an orange glow, like the beginning of a sunrise, on the next street over. After all the fires in theearly fall, it gave me a creepy feeling, but I was curious too. I rounded the corner and hurried toward it. At the same time I could hear sirens in the distance.
    I got there just before the fire truck raced to the blazing building. It was the Lawfords’ big double garage that was burning. The first thing I noticed was that the doors were open and there were no cars inside. The house was dark and quiet too, and I figured the family was out for the evening. I wondered what would have happened if there had been a car in there when the fire started, if the gas tank would have blown up or not.
    I stood back when the firemen leapt from the truck and fastened hoses to a nearby fire hydrant. They were amazingly fast, and it seemed that only seconds passed from the time they got there until powerful streams of water were pulsing into the flames.
    People were gathering on the sidewalk, and even in the dark you could see that their expressions were grim and anxious. I backed away a little more, watching the crowd and wondering if the person who’d set the fire was in its midst.
    Thankfully, the firefighters got the blaze out before it spread to any other buildings. The police were there by then too, and were keeping everyone back away from the scene. I knew they had to make sure that no one disturbed any evidence that was there. No one seemed inclined to leave though, they just hung back and watched, eventhough the fire was out and all that was left to see was a soggy mess of charred wood and smouldering debris.
    Walking away, I couldn’t help but think that it was starting again! My stomach felt sick thinking of how the town was going to react, how the gossip would rise up again and swallow the truth, how people would