Read Online The Goodbye Time by Celeste Conway - Free Book Online
Authors: Celeste Conway
Tags: United States, Fiction, General, Family & Relationships, History, Family, Juvenile Fiction, Travel, Social Issues, New York (N.Y.), Girls & Women, State & Local, Friendship, School & Education, best friends, Northeast, Middle Atlantic
Ads: Link
dates on it and the name of our school. It was kind of weird to look at ourselves how we used to be, in our woolen mittens with our bus passes pinned to our big puffy coats or dressed in costumes for Halloween. In every picture where I was, Katy was right next to me, her hair in braids tied with those little plastic balls.
Tyesha’s mom offered to drop me home since they’d pass my building on the way. My mom seemed glad when I called to say she didn’t have to pick me up. She was hanging out with my dad alone, which didn’t happen all that much. As we started to leave, Michael came up behind me.
“I’ll see you in school on Monday.”
“Yeah. Okay.”
“Tell Katy hi. I’m sorry about her brother.” I didn’t tell him I wouldn’t be seeing Katy or even talking to her on the phone.
When I got home my mom and dad were drinking some wine in the living room. They really seemed relaxed. They wanted to know all about the crepe party. I had this weird feeling that they could tell I was different—that I’d been kissed. But of course, that was silly. They’d never imagine a thing like that. They also wanted to know how Katy was doing after yesterday. I told them she hadn’t gone to the party because she was painting her new room, but I didn’t mention the argument. I felt like if I mentioned it, it would all be real, and I wanted so hard to believe it wasn’t.
Chapter Twelve
You can probably guess what happened next. On Monday morning Katy didn’t meet me at our usual place. I waited and waited, but she didn’t come. I kind of knew she wouldn’t, but I stood there waiting anyway. Then, at the very last minute, just before the late bell, I ran to homeroom. Mrs. Baumgarten wasn’t there, and I could tell from the noise that something big was going on. Kids were yelling and a lot of them were laughing, though not in a funny ha-ha way. I entered the room and right away saw Kendra in the middle of the crowd. She was sort of squeaking, and her face was as red as the cherry jam we’d put on our crepes. It looked like she’d been crying.
I glanced around and Katy was there, leaning against the blackboard, not hollering at anyone. Behind her, you could still see the words only partly erased: KENDRA PLAYS WITH BARBIE DOLLS .
My first thought was Wow, what if they knew about Katy and me and our game? They’d probably write it all over school. KATY AND ANNA STILL PLAY HOUSE . I mean, that’s what it was, when you think about it, only instead of a regular family, we played—well, you know who we played. It was ten times worse than Barbie dolls; we’d be laughed out of the school. I looked at Katy to see if she was thinking the same thing. She met my eyes, then looked away like she didn’t know me. It felt like I’d been slapped.
Then all of a sudden Mrs. Baumgarten marched into the room. The laughter and yelling—everything—stopped, like the noise had been blasting from a radio someone had just snapped off. We froze like statues as Mrs. B ran her eyes over each of us. She let the silence sit awhile. Then, in a voice that was calm but furious, she said, “I’ve never been so mortified. The fifth-grade class. The class about to graduate. I enter the school and hear you from the office—with all the other teachers there—worse than a kindergarten class.” She paused for effect so we all would feel embarrassed. Then, tight-lipped, she said, like we really disgusted her, “Now get to your seats. All of you. And not another sound.” We all looked down and shuffled to our desks, feeling like total worms.
Katy sat right in front of me, but even as we moved to our desks, she refused to catch my eye. I sat there looking at the back of her head, which I know so well, with its big fat braid and the little hairs that slip their way out around her neck. It’s darkish blond, almost a little silvery, and I couldn’t imagine not seeing it there. I wanted to fiddle with the braid, but of course I couldn’t do
Tyesha’s mom offered to drop me home since they’d pass my building on the way. My mom seemed glad when I called to say she didn’t have to pick me up. She was hanging out with my dad alone, which didn’t happen all that much. As we started to leave, Michael came up behind me.
“I’ll see you in school on Monday.”
“Yeah. Okay.”
“Tell Katy hi. I’m sorry about her brother.” I didn’t tell him I wouldn’t be seeing Katy or even talking to her on the phone.
When I got home my mom and dad were drinking some wine in the living room. They really seemed relaxed. They wanted to know all about the crepe party. I had this weird feeling that they could tell I was different—that I’d been kissed. But of course, that was silly. They’d never imagine a thing like that. They also wanted to know how Katy was doing after yesterday. I told them she hadn’t gone to the party because she was painting her new room, but I didn’t mention the argument. I felt like if I mentioned it, it would all be real, and I wanted so hard to believe it wasn’t.
Chapter Twelve
You can probably guess what happened next. On Monday morning Katy didn’t meet me at our usual place. I waited and waited, but she didn’t come. I kind of knew she wouldn’t, but I stood there waiting anyway. Then, at the very last minute, just before the late bell, I ran to homeroom. Mrs. Baumgarten wasn’t there, and I could tell from the noise that something big was going on. Kids were yelling and a lot of them were laughing, though not in a funny ha-ha way. I entered the room and right away saw Kendra in the middle of the crowd. She was sort of squeaking, and her face was as red as the cherry jam we’d put on our crepes. It looked like she’d been crying.
I glanced around and Katy was there, leaning against the blackboard, not hollering at anyone. Behind her, you could still see the words only partly erased: KENDRA PLAYS WITH BARBIE DOLLS .
My first thought was Wow, what if they knew about Katy and me and our game? They’d probably write it all over school. KATY AND ANNA STILL PLAY HOUSE . I mean, that’s what it was, when you think about it, only instead of a regular family, we played—well, you know who we played. It was ten times worse than Barbie dolls; we’d be laughed out of the school. I looked at Katy to see if she was thinking the same thing. She met my eyes, then looked away like she didn’t know me. It felt like I’d been slapped.
Then all of a sudden Mrs. Baumgarten marched into the room. The laughter and yelling—everything—stopped, like the noise had been blasting from a radio someone had just snapped off. We froze like statues as Mrs. B ran her eyes over each of us. She let the silence sit awhile. Then, in a voice that was calm but furious, she said, “I’ve never been so mortified. The fifth-grade class. The class about to graduate. I enter the school and hear you from the office—with all the other teachers there—worse than a kindergarten class.” She paused for effect so we all would feel embarrassed. Then, tight-lipped, she said, like we really disgusted her, “Now get to your seats. All of you. And not another sound.” We all looked down and shuffled to our desks, feeling like total worms.
Katy sat right in front of me, but even as we moved to our desks, she refused to catch my eye. I sat there looking at the back of her head, which I know so well, with its big fat braid and the little hairs that slip their way out around her neck. It’s darkish blond, almost a little silvery, and I couldn’t imagine not seeing it there. I wanted to fiddle with the braid, but of course I couldn’t do
Similar Books
