Read Online Soar by Joan Bauer - Free Book Online Page A

I don’t want to sound selfish—I mean, a kid has died. But I gaveup a lot to come here, and now everything is changing.
    I feel awful even thinking this way!
    Franny and Benny walk into the room. Benny takes a green marker and carefully draws balloons with strings on the wall:

    â€œCan you sign your name?” Franny asks him.
    Benny shakes his head.
    â€œYes, you can. I’ve seen you do it lots of times.”
    â€œHow many?” Benny asks.
    Franny thinks about it. “Over a hundred and fifty-one times.”
    Benny writes:
    B
    e
    nn
    Y
    Next to Benny’s balloons, Franny writes:
    Dear Hargie,
    Thanks for showing me about working hard
    and never giving up.
    Your Fan 4ever,
    Franny Engers
    They see me now and sit with me on the bench. Benny kicks the back of the bench with his feet again and again. I wonder if he can understand about someone dying.
    Benny whispers loudly, “Hargie died like Mufasa.”
    Franny nods. “That’s right.” She turns to me. “Benny’s favorite movie is
The Lion King.
”
    Benny’s face gets serious. “Scar is bad.”
    I nod. “Scar’s a bad lion.” Scar let Mufasa, the great lion ruler, die.
    More bench kicking. “Forty-two,” Benny says. “Jackie Robinson.”
    I smile. Jackie Robinson is my favorite ballplayer.
    Franny looks at him. “How many hits did Jackie Robinson have, Benny?”
    I know this. One thousand five hundred and eighteen.
    â€œOne five one eight,” he says.
    1,518.
This kid knows that?
    Franny asks, “How many home runs did Jackie Robinson have, Benny?”
    I know that, too. One hundred thirty-seven.
    Major bench kicking. “One three seven.”
    I’m looking at Benny. “That’s very good.”
    â€œVery good,” he says.
    â€œFranny, that book you wanted on Canada is in.”
    A librarian tells her this; Franny goes to check it out. Benny and I wait for her.
    I say, “Benny, how many bases did Jackie Robinson steal?”
    He shakes his head, confused, and shouts, “No!”
    Franny turns to look.
    â€œNo!” Benny says.
    â€œHey, I’m sorry. Wrong question!” I smile at him. “Forty-two.”
    That quiets him down for a minute. I don’t mention that Mariano Rivera was the last player to wear the number.
    Franny has her book; we go out the door. Benny decides to shout “No!” one more time. I try to change the subject. “Are you doing a report on Canada, Franny?”
    She looks down. “No.”
    â€œMy dad and I lived in Toronto one summer,” I mention. “It’s great there.”
    She doesn’t say anything.
    â€œHave you been to Canada, Franny? It’s a big place.” That was stupid. Everyone knows it’s big.
    She shouts, “I’ve never been, Jeremiah! Is that okay with you?”
    â€œNo!” Benny yells.
    â€œI didn’t mean to—”
    â€œI don’t want to talk about it!” Franny grabs Benny’s hand and walks off.
    I stand here watching them go.
    What just happened?

Chapter
13

    I’M LOOKING AT a map of Canada, trying to figure out why Franny got upset about this country. I am eating my third multigrain waffle with organic butter and real maple syrup. They are serious about their maple syrup in Canada. I love waffles so much that Walt had a toaster in my hospital room and we made them whenever. This was my push-back on Jell-O, which seemed to appear any time, day or night, even when I hung a NO JELL-O EVE R sign on my bed.
    But waffles! They fill the atmosphere with goodness. Nurses would come into my room, sniffing the air, and say, “That smells so good!”
    â€œThe downside of being a robot, Jerwal, is you can’t eat waffles.”
    Jerwal cocks his head at me like a dog. It took forever to get his head movement right.
    â€œI have no insight on Canada, Jerwal. Do you want to watch the eagle