Read Online The Shortest Way Home by Juliette Fay - Free Book Online Page A

more. Her eyes welled, and she suddenly clutched him to her, pressing her cheek to the top of his head. Then she let him go. She laughed, said one or two more words. Kevin nodded sheepishly and turned toward the door. Sean popped back out of sight before Kevin could catch him.
    When Kevin came out, Sean called his name and he looked up, startled, it seemed, to see his uncle there at school. Sean made a show of silent claps, then mimed galloping. Kevin rolled his eyes, embarrassed but laughing all the same. Sean felt an odd surge of happiness. “I’ll meet you outside!” he called, as Kevin went to follow his classmates.
    When Kevin was no longer visible beyond the sea of parents, Sean turned and found the young teacher looking at him.
    “Are you . . . a relative?” she asked.
    “Yeah, I’m his uncle.”
    She thought about this for a moment, pressing her glasses up a little farther on the bridge of her nose. “The one who lives in Africa?”
    Sean nodded. “He told you about that?”
    “He tells me a lot of things.” Her smile had a strangely sad tinge to it. “Boy, I’m going to miss him.” She looked down the hallway. “I better get out there. Nice to actually meet you.” And she strode away.
    Sean followed the crowd to the front of the school. When he spotted Kevin, he was listening patiently to a man with a brightly colored tie. The man patted Kevin’s shoulder. From the look on Kevin’s face, he wasn’t nearly as happy to be talking to this guy as to his teacher.
    “There you are,” said Sean. “Ready to hit the high road?”
    “Yeah!” Kevin’s relief was palpable. The man seemed about to introduce himself, but Kevin grabbed Sean by the elbow and steered him toward the street. As soon as they’d put a safe distance between themselves and the school, Kevin’s hand dropped back to his side.
    “Who was that?” Sean asked.
    “Guidance counselor.” Kevin continued up the sidewalk and Sean went with him.
    “He seemed to like you.”
    “That’s his job.”
    Sean nodded. The kid had a point. “And who was that lady in your classroom?”
    “My teacher.” Said like it was ridiculously obvious.
    “Deirdre said you had old Mrs. Lindquist.”
    “She retired a couple of years ago. That’s her daughter.”
    “I guess Deirdre didn’t realize a secret switch had been made,” Sean joked.
    “She doesn’t pay that much attention.”
    True, thought Sean. “So what do you want to do now? Should we go get an ice cream or something to celebrate the end of your elementary career? We could go home and get Auntie Vivvy’s car and hit Dairy Queen.”
    “Um . . .” Kevin squinted in indecision.
    “ ‘Um’ to ice cream ? What kind of kid are you?” Sean teased.
    “No, it’s just . . . There’ll be a lot of people there.”
    “The line’ll be long,” Sean conceded. “But we’re not in a hurry, are we?”
    “No . . . but it’ll be really . . . crowded .” He said it as if the word tasted bad.
    Sean didn’t know how to respond. How crowded could it be, and what did it matter anyway? “I see,” he said, though he didn’t. “Well, um. I’m open for suggestions.”
    “I was just gonna go home and have a Popsicle.”
    They walked in silence for another few moments. “Popsicles it is, then,” said Sean.
    As they made their way home, Sean was glad that he’d thought to go to the Clap Out. Even an uncle you hardly knew was better than no one showing up at all. Especially since Kevin didn’t seem to have a friend whose parents had taken him under their wing, like Cormac’s parents had done for Sean all those years ago. The McGraths had always included Sean, and had hooted and clapped the loudest for him at his high school graduation. Still, he remembered looking into the audience, hoping stupidly that his father might be there, though he hadn’t laid eyes on the man for a good two years. He’d heard so many of his classmates complain about their parents’ interference