Read Online The Seventh Wish by Kate Messner - Free Book Online Page A

school day ends, I spot Drew walking toward the gym as if each of his fancy new sneakers weighs about a thousand pounds. I can’t wait to see him
after
tryouts.
    I volunteer to help put up a “Getting Ready for Pi Day” bulletin board after school so I can hang around until Drew is finished.
    At three thirty, I find him at the art club bake sale, counting pennies and trying to negotiate a lower price for his Rice Krispie treat.
    â€œHey! How’d you do at tryouts?” I ask.
    He looks up, surprised. “Good.
Really
good. It was weird.” He looks down at the sneakers. “I guess maybe these helped.” He shrugs. “I don’t think I’ll find out if I made the team until tomorrow, though.”
    â€œAre you buying that or not?” a girl with a tie-dye scarf asks him. “All prices are firm.”
    Drew waves the treat at her. “I can’t believe you’re getting fifty cents for these. It’s not even a full-size bar.” Then he turns to me. “Do you have a quarter? I’ll split it with you.”
    â€œThat’s okay.” I hand him a quarter, just as the basketball coach, Mr. Breyette, walks up.
    â€œGot a minute, Drew? I’d like to speak with you in the gym.”
    â€œSure.” Drew looks at me. “You fishing later?”
    â€œYep. See you in a while.”
    Drew walks off eating his Rice Krispie treat, and I go outside. Mom’s car is parked in the pickup circle. She’s talking on her cell phone, scowling at whoever’s on the other end.
    â€œReally?” she says as I get into the car. “You’d think that sending that tuition check every semester would give me the right to know if she’s been to class.” Mom glances over at me, then lowers her voice. “All right, then please do that. Thank you.” She hangs up. “How was your day?”
    â€œGood,” I say as we head for home. “Who was that on the phone?”
    â€œYour sister’s school. Abby hasn’t been returning our calls—and I’m sure she’s fine, but I wanted to double-check and make sure she’s been going to her classes and . . .”
    â€œAw, Mom, leave her alone. She’s not ten years old. She’s fine.”
    â€œHave you heard from her lately?” Mom asks.
    â€œWell, not really.” I pull out my phone. My text from a couple of weeks ago is still sitting there unanswered. I guess we’ve both been busy. “She’s probably just got stuff going on.”
    â€œI know.” Mom sighs again. “Let’s hear about your day.”
    I tell her about the math test and coloring maps and Dasha’s language test.
    â€œGot homework?” she asks as we pull into the driveway.
    â€œNo. But I’m going out ice fishing with Drew and Mrs. McNeill for a while if that’s okay.”
    â€œThat’s fine. You sure conquered your fear of the ice this winter.”
    â€œKind of. Yeah. Anyway, I want to see if I can earn alittle more money before Friday. I can’t wait to shop for my solo dress.”
    I gather up my backpack and lunch box and water bottle and start to get out of the car, but Mom’s just sitting there. She takes a deep breath. “I need to talk to you about this weekend.”
    My heart sinks because I know that tone of voice. It’s the I’m-letting-you-down-even-though-I-promised voice. The voice that’s already asking me to be grown up about being disappointed, only I can’t.
    â€œMom, no . . .”
    â€œI’m sorry. I found out today that they’re sending me to a school health conference in Albany from Friday to Sunday. I’ve been in this job a week, Charlie. I can’t say no. Maybe you could ride with Catherine?”
    Any other feis, that would work, but not this one. I shake my head. “They’re going straight to Montreal from her sister’s gymnastics meet in Vermont