Read Online Solving Zoe by Barbara Dee - Free Book Online Page A

container of Elmer’s glue, and then Spencer—I mean out of nowhere—just grabbed it out of his hands, and then it went flying all over the place, not just on Spencer, but I mean all over their rug—”
    â€œYikes,” said Dad. “How bad was the damage?”
    â€œPret-ty bad,” said Bella, patting her chest a couple of times to catch her breath. “It was an antique. Turkish, I think.”
    â€œWas?” demanded Malcolm.
    â€œIs,” Bella corrected herself. “It’s not destroyed, or anything. Just all gummy.”
    â€œOh, boy,” said Dad. “Well, I guess I’d better call them and offer to pay for something. Do you have their phone number, Bella?”
    â€œNot on me. But they’re probably in the Hubbard directory.”
    Dad went off to fetch the directory. Zoe turned to her little brother, who all this time had been calmly reassembling his wooden train set. “Spencer, why do you do things like that?”
    â€œOh, come on, Zo. It was an accident,” said Malcolm. “He didn’t mean it.”
    â€œCameron has a puppy,” Spencer explained. He zoomed his engine through a covered bridge, making pfft-pfft noises to show it was letting off steam.
    â€œSo what?” Zoe said. “You think that means you get to spill glue all over—”
    â€œAnd I want one,” Spencer continued. He attached a few coal cars. “A orange one. Named Six.”
    Malcolm laughed. “Six? That’s a really dumb name, Spence.”
    â€œIt’s not a dumb name! You’re a dumb name!” Suddenly the train violently derailed. Spencer dove under the table to rescue the scattered coal cars, leaving a few flakes of Elmer’s glue on the polished wood floor.
    Everyone turned helplessly to Dad, who had finally located the Hubbard directory in the kitchen utility drawer. “Okay, Spence, so why are you naming something Six?” he asked distractedly.
    â€œBecause orange is six. Zoe said so.”
    â€œI don’t get it,” Bella said. “Why did Zoe say—”
    â€œLong story,” Malcolm said. He grinned mischievously at his sister. “Spencer’s right. That is what you said, Zo. Remember? One is white, two is whatever, three is—”
    â€œShut up, Malcolm,” Zoe warned.
    â€œFive is puke green—”
    â€œI said shut up. It was emerald green, for your information, and anyway, it was just a theory, and I must have been crazy to even tell you.”
    â€œOh, come on, Zozo,” Dad said, glancing up from the directory. “You know we loved your theory—”
    â€œTheory?” Bella repeated. “What about, Zoe?”
    â€œNumbers. How they’re really just colors,” Malcolm said, laughing.
    â€œOh, awesome,” said Bella. “You know, there’s a word for that, Zoe!”
    â€œThere sure is,” Malcolm agreed.
    Zoe flashed her eyes at him, then turned to her younger brother. “And you’re not getting a dog, Spencer, but even if you were, you’re not naming him Six or Sixteen or any other number for that matter, because it’s not even your theory in the first place.”
    Spencer burst into angry tears. “IT’S MY DOG!” he shouted. He picked up two coal cars and flung them across the dining room.
    â€œOh, well,” said Bella. “I guess I’ll be off now. That is, if you’re absolutely sure you don’t need me.”
    Dad smiled tiredly. “We’re fine, Bella. See you tomorrow.”
    Then Zoe stormed into her bedroom and plopped onto her bottom bunk. Why was she even in this family? They didn’t appreciate the first thing about her. Or understand her. Nobody did. Not her parents. Not her teachers. Not Owen (who apparently hadn’t called). Definitely not Lucas! Dara understood, of course, but where was she? Still with Leg? She hadn’t even called, and now The Worst Day