Read Online The Great Scavenger Hunt by Annie Bryant - Free Book Online Page B

“SO THERE!”
    â€œOh, that was mature,” scoffed Patrice.
    â€œJust shut—” Katani began.
    â€œShut what?”
    Katani put her head down and pedaled like there was no tomorrow.
    â€œNo, tell me. I’m sure Nick, Charlotte, and Dillon are curious. Right, guys?” Patrice turned to the rest of the Cods who had pulled up in front of the gas station.
    Charlotte wished Mr. Moore were around to put a stop to the sister insanity. Though she was usually way jealous of her friends with siblings, today was not one of those times.
    The funny thing was that Patrice didn’t seem to be bothered at all by her tiff with her sister. Charlotte wondered if she was just being an oversensitive only child.Nick and Dillon seemed okay, and now that Patrice was helping Katani walk her bike to the garage mechanic, Katani seemed fine too. Charlotte sighed. She would never understand the whole sibling thing.
    Suddenly, she had a great idea and ran over to Patrice.
    â€œHey, Patrice, maybe we should talk to some locals and see which place is rockier,” Charlotte suggested.
    Patrice looked at Charlotte like she’d just invented the cure for the hiccups. “Why, Charlotte Ramsey, no wonder they say you’re so smart,” she complimented her.
    Charlotte beamed. “Thanks…”
    As Patrice walked into the gas station convenience store to ask about where the rockiest shore was, Katani asked, “Charlotte, are you siding with Patrice over me?” Katani heard her voice crack and prayed that tears would not follow.
    â€œNo way, Katani, I would never do that! But I do think that you and Patrice are getting on each other’s nerves and it’s not all that fun for the rest of us,” Charlotte confessed.
    â€œYeah, me too!” Nick said. “You two need to calm down.”
    â€œ I need to calm down?” Katani balked. “But she’s the one—”
    â€œI’m hungry,” Dillon interrupted, turning to Charlotte and Nick. “You guys want to eat lunch down at Rock Harbor? That looks like a sandwich shop right over there by the beach,” he said, pointing. “We can get some cold drinks.”
    Charlotte felt a wave of relief wash over her. “That sounds like the most brilliant plan of the day!” Charlotte pronounced.
    â€œWordage,” Nick agreed.
    â€œWe’ll meet you at the shore!” Charlotte called out as the three of them took off on their bikes, leaving Katani and Patrice, who had just walked up, confused. The sisters watched as Charlotte, Nick, and Dillon laughed their way down to the harbor.
    â€œThe locals say both beaches are rocky. I doubt we’ll find anything down there, but whatever.” Patrice shrugged at Katani and hopped on her bike. Katani followed, testing her newly adjusted gears. They seemed to work just fine now, but somehow, it didn’t make her feel any better.
    Finally Patrice muttered, “Are you gonna sulk all day?”
    Katani ignored her sister.
    â€œOh, I get it. You’re doing the whole silent-treatment thaaang. That is so cute!”
    Katani was not doing the silent treatment thing, she was doing the ignoring thing. As Patrice blathered on and on about absolutely nothing, Katani did her best to pretend she was totally alone. She knew Patrice was trying to be friendly, but Katani needed time to chill out before she could deal with her sister and her win-at-all-costs attitude.
    As they rode down toward the beach, Katani noticed that Charlotte and Dillon were shouting on the boulders ahead—shouting and jumping up and down. She felt arush of panic in her throat hoping that no one was hurt. In spite of her annoyance with her sister, she stole a glance at Patrice, whose eyes also were also filled with worry.
    â€œWhere’s Nick?” asked Patrice. She hopped off her bike and ran, her long legs moving at the super speed she usually reserved for sprinting on the track