Read Online The Black Sheep by Sandy Rideout Yvonne Collins - Free Book Online Page A

when I’m in bed. “Studying?” I whisper. “School’s over. He graduated.”
    â€œMitch is always studying,” Meadow says. “He’s getting a head start on college.”
    Who knew nerds came in such nice packaging?
    â€œDid you know he’s already been published?” Mona asks. “He wrote a first-hand account of his tracking experiences for a local travel magazine.”
    Mitch sticks his head out of the stairway. “Don’t talk about me.”
    Too bad the packaging can’t hide the personality.
    â€œLighten up, honey,” she says. “Can’t a mother be proud?”
    â€œJust cut out the yodeling,” he says, disappearing as fast as he came.
    Mr. Likable is going to be thrilled to hear he’s escorting me to a party.
    â€œI’m not doing it,” I say.
    Judy stacks warm cookies onto a plate. “What’s the big deal? Just go downstairs, offer Mitch a cookie, and have a little chat.”
    â€œForget it. He tried to kill me with a basketball.”
    She throws an arm around me. “That’s how boys show girls they like them.”
    â€œNot in a civilized society,” I say.
    Mona laughs. “There’s nothing civilized about teenage boys, Kendra.”
    â€œI’m not chatting with him,” I say. “He’s rude.”
    â€œMy point exactly,” Judy says. “Judy thinks you two got off on the wrong foot and you need to smooth things over.”
    I step out from under her arm. “I thought Judy liked conflict. Ratings, remember?”
    She shifts gears with her usual split-second timing. “Sure, but too much conflict about the same thing gets old fast. Viewers have short attention spans.”
    â€œMitch isn’t so bad,” Mona assures me. “He’s just cranky about the cameras. No offense, Judy.”
    â€œNone taken,” Judy says.
    â€œI’m not a fan of television myself, to be honest,” Mona continues. “Ours broke a year ago and I had no intention of repairing it.” She turns to me and shrugs. “Judy arrived with a new one and I’ve hardly seen the kids since.”
    Judy puts the plate of cookies in my hand and propels me toward the stairs. “Think about how much easier the party will be if you’re getting along. Go patch things up.”
    â€œOnly if you and your cameras stay up here.” I brace myself in the doorway with one elbow and my free hand as she pushes.
    â€œIt’s all fair game, KB, you know that.”
    â€œI can’t patch things up unless you back off.”
    â€œFine,” she says. “Have it your way.” She presses the button on her walkie-talkie. “Attention, Black Sheep crew.” Several crew members are in the kitchen with us, and their walkies squawk because of the close proximity. “We’re standing down on the lamb. Repeat: stand down on the lamb.” Taking her thumb off the button, she says, “Consider this your one free pass, KB.”
    Halfway down the stairs, I turn and run back up to make sure they’re keeping their word. Mona has left the kitchen and Judy is kicking back at the table with the rest of the crew. The cameras and mikes are on the floor. “Go,” she says, around a mouthful of cookie.
    I start down the stairs again, feeling a little nauseous, either from nerves or from eating too many cookies. Winning Mitch over is one of the tougher challenges I’ve faced in my life, but I’m sure he’ll come to like me when he knows me better. It’s not like he has a good reason to hate me.
    When I reach the bottom of the stairs, Mitch is parked in front of a large plasma-screen TV watching a basketball game. I hold out the plate of cookies and offer a faint “Hi.” He doesn’t respond. He doesn’t even move his eyes from the screen.
    This is going well. “I thought you were studying,” I say.
    He turns to see if the