Read Online Something Old by Dianne Christner - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Dianne Christner
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“Well, I’m not sure you’ll be going today. Your mom said she’d leave me instructions at the house.” Katy felt tense. Dance lessons? She turned west onto another suburban street. “We’re going to pick up Tyler now.”
“Okay, but where’s my snack?”
“What snack?”
“Tanya always brings me a snack so I don’t get bored. Sometimes she brings gummy bears or granola bars. But sometimes she brings me pop. I don’t like apples. I’m really tired of apples. So don’t bring me any apples. Without my snack, it’s so boring waiting for Tyler. Today’s going to be a boring day, isn’t it?”
“I hope not,” Katy replied, glancing at the sticky note again and watching for the street signs. “Do you know how to get to your brother’s school?”
“Sure, I know where it is. He thinks he’s big stuff just because he’s in sixth grade, but they don’t do anything fun. I don’t know why he brags about it.”
“Well, tell me if you see where we’re supposed to turn.”
“Okay. So why don’t you just take me to my dance lessons now? I can hang out with my friends, and then I won’t be bored.”
“Don’t worry. We’ll figure that out.”
“That was the street back there. You just missed it.”
“Ugh!” Katy wheeled into a driveway and waited for the opportunity to turn back. Soon she was in another lineup but feeling less apprehensive about the pickup procedure. When Tyler got in the car, he threw his pack on the floorboards and slammed the door. Then he looked at his sister and said, “Hi, brat.”
“Stop calling me that. Make him stop calling me that. He thinks he’s big stuff. But he’s not.”
“Be kind, Tyler. I’ll soon have you both home.”
“Put on the radio,” Tyler demanded.
“I don’t listen to the radio,” Katy explained. “Why don’t you look out the window and see how many snowmen you can find?” Such driving games always entertained her little brothers.
“Why don’t you listen to the radio?”
Seemed the car games weren’t as fun for Tyler as they were for her siblings. She sighed. “Some of the lyrics aren’t godly.”
“What’s that mean?”
“They talk about bad things.”
“No they don’t. Turn it on. Come on. My mom lets me.”
“Sorry, Tyler.”
She heard his seat belt unbuckle and then heard him rustling through his backpack. Katy glanced in the mirror nervously. “What are you doing, Tyler?”
“Duh. He’s getting his iPod,” Addison said. “He thinks he’s big stuff because he has an iPod.”
“Oh. Well, you need to keep your seat belt fastened.” Not that it mattered as they had already reached the children’s street. She’d barely pulled into the drive when both children barreled out of the car. While Katy fumbled in her purse for her house key, Tyler walked to the garage door and punched some buttons. The door opened and both children let themselves into the house. Snapping her purse closed, Katy hurried after them. She closed the garage door behind her and followed them into the kitchen, despondent to see empty microwave popcorn bags and bowls on the counter and a stack of dirty dishes in the sink. How hard was it to load a dishwasher?
Tyler jerked open the refrigerator door and stared into it. Addison pushed him and jerked open a bin.
“Stop it.”
Their bodies tugged for position, and Addison came out of the scuffle with string cheese, but her brother latched on to it, too. “Let go,” she demanded.
Katy walked over, taking each child by a shoulder. “Move aside, and let me see if there’s more.”
“This was the last one,” Addison said, jerking it out of her brother’s grip and quickly peeling back the plastic.
Katy glanced at the counter. “How about some fruit, Tyler?”
He gave his sister a glare but moved toward the fruit bowl and took a banana. When he peeled it back, he stuck it under Addison’s nose. She squealed. “Stop. Make him stop.”
Katy placed her hand on Tyler’s shoulder and
“Okay, but where’s my snack?”
“What snack?”
“Tanya always brings me a snack so I don’t get bored. Sometimes she brings gummy bears or granola bars. But sometimes she brings me pop. I don’t like apples. I’m really tired of apples. So don’t bring me any apples. Without my snack, it’s so boring waiting for Tyler. Today’s going to be a boring day, isn’t it?”
“I hope not,” Katy replied, glancing at the sticky note again and watching for the street signs. “Do you know how to get to your brother’s school?”
“Sure, I know where it is. He thinks he’s big stuff just because he’s in sixth grade, but they don’t do anything fun. I don’t know why he brags about it.”
“Well, tell me if you see where we’re supposed to turn.”
“Okay. So why don’t you just take me to my dance lessons now? I can hang out with my friends, and then I won’t be bored.”
“Don’t worry. We’ll figure that out.”
“That was the street back there. You just missed it.”
“Ugh!” Katy wheeled into a driveway and waited for the opportunity to turn back. Soon she was in another lineup but feeling less apprehensive about the pickup procedure. When Tyler got in the car, he threw his pack on the floorboards and slammed the door. Then he looked at his sister and said, “Hi, brat.”
“Stop calling me that. Make him stop calling me that. He thinks he’s big stuff. But he’s not.”
“Be kind, Tyler. I’ll soon have you both home.”
“Put on the radio,” Tyler demanded.
“I don’t listen to the radio,” Katy explained. “Why don’t you look out the window and see how many snowmen you can find?” Such driving games always entertained her little brothers.
“Why don’t you listen to the radio?”
Seemed the car games weren’t as fun for Tyler as they were for her siblings. She sighed. “Some of the lyrics aren’t godly.”
“What’s that mean?”
“They talk about bad things.”
“No they don’t. Turn it on. Come on. My mom lets me.”
“Sorry, Tyler.”
She heard his seat belt unbuckle and then heard him rustling through his backpack. Katy glanced in the mirror nervously. “What are you doing, Tyler?”
“Duh. He’s getting his iPod,” Addison said. “He thinks he’s big stuff because he has an iPod.”
“Oh. Well, you need to keep your seat belt fastened.” Not that it mattered as they had already reached the children’s street. She’d barely pulled into the drive when both children barreled out of the car. While Katy fumbled in her purse for her house key, Tyler walked to the garage door and punched some buttons. The door opened and both children let themselves into the house. Snapping her purse closed, Katy hurried after them. She closed the garage door behind her and followed them into the kitchen, despondent to see empty microwave popcorn bags and bowls on the counter and a stack of dirty dishes in the sink. How hard was it to load a dishwasher?
Tyler jerked open the refrigerator door and stared into it. Addison pushed him and jerked open a bin.
“Stop it.”
Their bodies tugged for position, and Addison came out of the scuffle with string cheese, but her brother latched on to it, too. “Let go,” she demanded.
Katy walked over, taking each child by a shoulder. “Move aside, and let me see if there’s more.”
“This was the last one,” Addison said, jerking it out of her brother’s grip and quickly peeling back the plastic.
Katy glanced at the counter. “How about some fruit, Tyler?”
He gave his sister a glare but moved toward the fruit bowl and took a banana. When he peeled it back, he stuck it under Addison’s nose. She squealed. “Stop. Make him stop.”
Katy placed her hand on Tyler’s shoulder and
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