Read Online Smart Dog by Vivian Vande Velde - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Vivian Vande Velde
Tags: Ages 8 and up
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this guy got bits of fluff stuck to everything."
"Yes," Mom said, "very—"
But by then Sean and his mother had turned the corner into the cafeteria, and Amy dragged on her mother's arm. "Come on," Amy said. "Hurry up or we won't get a good seat." What she meant was Or
we might have to sit too near to the Gormans.
As soon as they stepped into the cafeteria, Amy said, "Oh, look! There's Sister Mary Grace. Do you know Sister Mary Grace?"
Mom turned in the direction Amy pointed—which happened to be at the front of the room rather than farther back, where Sean and his mother were taking seats at one of the tables. Mom started to say something—probably that of course she knew Sister Mary Grace after one Open House, two parent-teacher conferences, and bingo the first Thursday of every month—but by then Amy had spotted empty seats two tables away from Sean. "Oh, there's my best friend, Minneh," she squealed. "We've
got
to sit with her."
"Minneh?" Mom repeated quizzically. "I don't remember you ever mentioning a Minneh."
"Of course you do," Amy insisted. Once more she began tugging on her mother's arm.
Her mother hung back and whispered, "Which is Minneh? The one sitting next to that strange man who keeps sniffling and scratching himself?"
"Yes," Amy said. She called out, before Mom could suggest sitting someplace else, "Hi, Minneh. Isn't this going to be fun? This is my mom. Mom, Minneh."
"Hi, Mrs. Prochenko," Minneh said. "This is my dad."
Mr. Tannen half stood up and extended his arm as though to shake hands with Mom, but then he jerked his hand away to cover his nose and mouth as he gave a huge sneeze. "Sorry," he said. "But don't worry: I'm not contagious. This started too fast to be a cold. It's got to be allergies." He pulled his sleeve back to reveal where he'd been scratching. "Rash," he said, in case they missed the pinkish welts. "Definitely allergies. Not sure to what, though."
Mom didn't look quite ready to believe him. She obviously was worried about sitting too near, but Amy plunked herself down next to Minneh, hoping that Mom would be too polite to demand that they move.
Sister Mary Grace stepped forward, which the children recognized as a signal for quiet, but the parents didn't. "Hello, everyone," she said. She had to repeat it twice more before all the adults settled down. "I realize some of you have taken time off work to be here with us today, and I just wanted to assure you that the lesson ends promptly at 11:45, though we hope you'll stay for pizza. I'd also like to thank all of you for coming and showing support for your children and interest in their education."
Amy wasn't sure what decorating Easter eggs had to do with education, but at least it was a day without a spelling quiz.
"Everyone," Sister Mary Grace said, "I'd like you to greet Mrs. Oksanna Pudlyk, our own Kaitlyn's grandmother, who has graciously offered to demonstrate the making of traditional Ukrainian Easter eggs."
People clapped politely as Mrs. Pudlyk stood and moved to the front of the room.
Most of the children had only one parent—or grandparent, or aunt or uncle—with them, although a few had two. Kaitlyn, Amy noted, had brought not only her grandmother
and
her grandfather, but both parents. Amy wondered if Sister Mary Grace would make Kaitlyn share with Raymond Young, who had come without any adult. But Sister Mary Grace herself went to sit with Raymond, and left the Walker-Pudlyk tribe together, grinning proudly.
Mr. Tannen, who had been blowing his nose loudly during Sister Mary Grace's announcement, leaned over Minneh and Amy to whisper to Amy's mom, "Do you know how long this is supposed to take? My boss has given me the time off, but the sooner I can get back, the better."
"Until 11:45," Mom whispered, looking embarrassed. Mr. Tannen's voice was probably a bit louder than he realized, and Mom was obviously worried that people might think they were together just because he was talking to her. She sat forward
"Yes," Mom said, "very—"
But by then Sean and his mother had turned the corner into the cafeteria, and Amy dragged on her mother's arm. "Come on," Amy said. "Hurry up or we won't get a good seat." What she meant was Or
we might have to sit too near to the Gormans.
As soon as they stepped into the cafeteria, Amy said, "Oh, look! There's Sister Mary Grace. Do you know Sister Mary Grace?"
Mom turned in the direction Amy pointed—which happened to be at the front of the room rather than farther back, where Sean and his mother were taking seats at one of the tables. Mom started to say something—probably that of course she knew Sister Mary Grace after one Open House, two parent-teacher conferences, and bingo the first Thursday of every month—but by then Amy had spotted empty seats two tables away from Sean. "Oh, there's my best friend, Minneh," she squealed. "We've
got
to sit with her."
"Minneh?" Mom repeated quizzically. "I don't remember you ever mentioning a Minneh."
"Of course you do," Amy insisted. Once more she began tugging on her mother's arm.
Her mother hung back and whispered, "Which is Minneh? The one sitting next to that strange man who keeps sniffling and scratching himself?"
"Yes," Amy said. She called out, before Mom could suggest sitting someplace else, "Hi, Minneh. Isn't this going to be fun? This is my mom. Mom, Minneh."
"Hi, Mrs. Prochenko," Minneh said. "This is my dad."
Mr. Tannen half stood up and extended his arm as though to shake hands with Mom, but then he jerked his hand away to cover his nose and mouth as he gave a huge sneeze. "Sorry," he said. "But don't worry: I'm not contagious. This started too fast to be a cold. It's got to be allergies." He pulled his sleeve back to reveal where he'd been scratching. "Rash," he said, in case they missed the pinkish welts. "Definitely allergies. Not sure to what, though."
Mom didn't look quite ready to believe him. She obviously was worried about sitting too near, but Amy plunked herself down next to Minneh, hoping that Mom would be too polite to demand that they move.
Sister Mary Grace stepped forward, which the children recognized as a signal for quiet, but the parents didn't. "Hello, everyone," she said. She had to repeat it twice more before all the adults settled down. "I realize some of you have taken time off work to be here with us today, and I just wanted to assure you that the lesson ends promptly at 11:45, though we hope you'll stay for pizza. I'd also like to thank all of you for coming and showing support for your children and interest in their education."
Amy wasn't sure what decorating Easter eggs had to do with education, but at least it was a day without a spelling quiz.
"Everyone," Sister Mary Grace said, "I'd like you to greet Mrs. Oksanna Pudlyk, our own Kaitlyn's grandmother, who has graciously offered to demonstrate the making of traditional Ukrainian Easter eggs."
People clapped politely as Mrs. Pudlyk stood and moved to the front of the room.
Most of the children had only one parent—or grandparent, or aunt or uncle—with them, although a few had two. Kaitlyn, Amy noted, had brought not only her grandmother
and
her grandfather, but both parents. Amy wondered if Sister Mary Grace would make Kaitlyn share with Raymond Young, who had come without any adult. But Sister Mary Grace herself went to sit with Raymond, and left the Walker-Pudlyk tribe together, grinning proudly.
Mr. Tannen, who had been blowing his nose loudly during Sister Mary Grace's announcement, leaned over Minneh and Amy to whisper to Amy's mom, "Do you know how long this is supposed to take? My boss has given me the time off, but the sooner I can get back, the better."
"Until 11:45," Mom whispered, looking embarrassed. Mr. Tannen's voice was probably a bit louder than he realized, and Mom was obviously worried that people might think they were together just because he was talking to her. She sat forward
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