Read Online The Unseen by Zilpha Keatley Snyder - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Zilpha Keatley Snyder
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talk about Mozart and money went on and on, but at least boring was better than terrifying.
At last the evening and a fairly sleepless night were over and Xandra was on her way to school and to the all-important meeting with Belinda. But if what you had to say was too urgent to wait for the bus ride to the downtown terminal, what then? What then, if it was a sunny morning and lots of people were hanging around in the outdoor lunch area? The only answer was that she would have to find another private place like … like the storage room behind the auditorium stage. Which meant she would have to let Belinda know that they absolutely had to talk, in some fairly unnoticeable way, like sliding a note through the crack at the bottom of her locker.
But even after Xandra wrote the message and got it into the locker, Belinda didn't show up. Xandra waited among the old dusty stage sets and costume racks until the first bell rang, wondering and worrying that Belinda might have skipped school that day or perhaps had failed to find the note. And then, after she'd given up and was making her way back down the crowded hall, there she was. There Belinda was, looking perfectly normal—normal for Belinda at least—heading down the hall toward Mr. Fernandez's first-period class.
After glancing quickly around to be sure no one important was watching, Xandra hurried to catch up. When theywere side by side, she punched Belinda with her elbow and whispered out of the corner of her mouth, “Didn't you get my note?”
“This note?” Belinda stopped walking and pulled the tightly folded piece of notebook paper out of the pocket of her disgusting jacket. “Yes, I read it.”
Reluctantly Xandra stopped too, long enough to inspect the note, which was hers, all right. And then to say in an exasperated tone of voice, “Then why didn't you come? I waited there for a long time.”
Belinda looked worried. “I couldn't,” she said.
“Why not?” Xandra was getting upset. So furious, in fact, that for a moment she forgot to worry about who might be watching. “What do you mean you couldn't?”
Belinda sighed. “Because I wasn't ready. I didn't get to talk …” She paused. “I didn't get to talk to …”
“Who?” Xandra demanded. “Who didn't you get to talk to? Your grandfather?”
Belinda shook her head but Xandra noticed that her hands were twisting nervously. “To a person who might know about …” Belinda paused.
“Who might know about what?” Xandra insisted.
“About why it happened the way it did.” She reached out, grabbed Xandra's arm and shook it. “Don't worry. I'll find out soon. Tonight, I think. And then we'll talk. All right?”
“No,” Xandra said. “It's not all right. I want to know right now. Why can't we talk right now?”
Belinda looked around, her worried frown changing to a teasing smile. “Right now? Right here?”
“Well.” Xandra looked around too and saw Marcie anda bunch of her friends heading toward them. “Well, when then?” she asked. “When can we talk?”
“Tomorrow,” Belinda said. “Maybe tomorrow after I've found out more about it. All right?”
It wasn't really all right but Xandra shrugged and said it was. Then she stopped to wait for Marcie while Belinda started down the hall. Started, but then suddenly turned and came back. Grabbing Xandra's arm again, she leaned forward to whisper in her ear. “Don't forget your promise not to do anything. Anything with the Key, I mean. It's terribly important.”
“Hey, turn loose.” Pulling her arm free, Xandra said, “Don't worry. I won't.”
As Belinda disappeared into the crowd, Marcie and her Mob of friends caught up and a girl named Katlyn said, “Hey, Alexandra. Who's your new friend?” And at the same time Marcie herself asked, “What was that freak telling you, Alexandra?” Marcie was laughing and so were all the rest of them. That was the way it was with the Mob. Whatever Marcie did, they all did.
Suddenly
At last the evening and a fairly sleepless night were over and Xandra was on her way to school and to the all-important meeting with Belinda. But if what you had to say was too urgent to wait for the bus ride to the downtown terminal, what then? What then, if it was a sunny morning and lots of people were hanging around in the outdoor lunch area? The only answer was that she would have to find another private place like … like the storage room behind the auditorium stage. Which meant she would have to let Belinda know that they absolutely had to talk, in some fairly unnoticeable way, like sliding a note through the crack at the bottom of her locker.
But even after Xandra wrote the message and got it into the locker, Belinda didn't show up. Xandra waited among the old dusty stage sets and costume racks until the first bell rang, wondering and worrying that Belinda might have skipped school that day or perhaps had failed to find the note. And then, after she'd given up and was making her way back down the crowded hall, there she was. There Belinda was, looking perfectly normal—normal for Belinda at least—heading down the hall toward Mr. Fernandez's first-period class.
After glancing quickly around to be sure no one important was watching, Xandra hurried to catch up. When theywere side by side, she punched Belinda with her elbow and whispered out of the corner of her mouth, “Didn't you get my note?”
“This note?” Belinda stopped walking and pulled the tightly folded piece of notebook paper out of the pocket of her disgusting jacket. “Yes, I read it.”
Reluctantly Xandra stopped too, long enough to inspect the note, which was hers, all right. And then to say in an exasperated tone of voice, “Then why didn't you come? I waited there for a long time.”
Belinda looked worried. “I couldn't,” she said.
“Why not?” Xandra was getting upset. So furious, in fact, that for a moment she forgot to worry about who might be watching. “What do you mean you couldn't?”
Belinda sighed. “Because I wasn't ready. I didn't get to talk …” She paused. “I didn't get to talk to …”
“Who?” Xandra demanded. “Who didn't you get to talk to? Your grandfather?”
Belinda shook her head but Xandra noticed that her hands were twisting nervously. “To a person who might know about …” Belinda paused.
“Who might know about what?” Xandra insisted.
“About why it happened the way it did.” She reached out, grabbed Xandra's arm and shook it. “Don't worry. I'll find out soon. Tonight, I think. And then we'll talk. All right?”
“No,” Xandra said. “It's not all right. I want to know right now. Why can't we talk right now?”
Belinda looked around, her worried frown changing to a teasing smile. “Right now? Right here?”
“Well.” Xandra looked around too and saw Marcie anda bunch of her friends heading toward them. “Well, when then?” she asked. “When can we talk?”
“Tomorrow,” Belinda said. “Maybe tomorrow after I've found out more about it. All right?”
It wasn't really all right but Xandra shrugged and said it was. Then she stopped to wait for Marcie while Belinda started down the hall. Started, but then suddenly turned and came back. Grabbing Xandra's arm again, she leaned forward to whisper in her ear. “Don't forget your promise not to do anything. Anything with the Key, I mean. It's terribly important.”
“Hey, turn loose.” Pulling her arm free, Xandra said, “Don't worry. I won't.”
As Belinda disappeared into the crowd, Marcie and her Mob of friends caught up and a girl named Katlyn said, “Hey, Alexandra. Who's your new friend?” And at the same time Marcie herself asked, “What was that freak telling you, Alexandra?” Marcie was laughing and so were all the rest of them. That was the way it was with the Mob. Whatever Marcie did, they all did.
Suddenly
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