house.
She raced down a path that led along the river. As she ran, Oliverâs words pounded in her head. We donât want Lucky. We donât want Lucky . How could Oliver be so cruel?
She passed some old cabins. Then she spotted something bright and colorful tucked into the trees. She went closer for a better look. It was an old bus, decorated with painted flowers and peace signs. A hippie bus, she guessed.
She opened the door and peered inside. It was empty except for a plaid sleeping bag spread out on the floor. Some books and a drawing pad and a box of pencil crayons were scattered about.
Patrick must come here , she thought. She hesitated and then climbed inside. Patrick was in the barn with Lucky. She could hide here. Far away from Oliver, who wanted to give her pony away. Far away from Summer and Jonah, who wanted her to say that was okay.
If they took Lucky away, would Patrick stop talking again? She swallowed hard.
She tried to imagine something so terrible happening to her that it made her not want to talk. She couldnât imagine anything that bad. But why was she thinking about this? She didnât care about Patrick. She didnât care.
She sat down on the sleeping bag. She glanced at Patrickâs books but they had boring covers, and they were thick and probably very hard to read. She opened the drawing pad and gave a little gasp.
Patrick had drawn Lucky, standing in a field of green grass with a blue river behind him. It was a perfect picture. He had drawn Luckyâs big dark eyes and shaggy mane just right. She couldnât take her eyes off the picture. Lucky looked so happy, as if he belonged.
After a long time, she heard Oliverâs voice in the distance, calling her. Then the bus door opened and Summerâs tanned face peered in. âHere you are.â
âHow did you find me?â asked Tory.
âPatrick always comes here when he wants to think.â Summer smiled. âAnd also it was a lucky guess.â
Summer sat down on the sleeping bag beside her. Toryâs head was filled with a jumble of thoughts. We donât want Lucky , Oliver had said. But Patrick wanted him. He loved Lucky. Tory swallowed. If Patrick stopped talking again, it would be her fault.
She took a deep breath.
âI think Lucky should stay here,â she said.
Oliver was proud of Tory. He told her so over and over again on the way home.
âThat was a hard thing to do, but it was the right thing,â he said.
Tory stared out the window and wished he would stop talking.
When it was time to go, Summer and Jonah had hugged her good-bye. Patrick had muttered, âThank you,â in a gruff voice.
And then they had left and it had been too late for Tory to change her mind. All the way back, she tried to make herself feel better by thinking about how Lucky had found a new home with a family that really wanted him.
She blinked back tears.
What was going to happen to her?
Chapter
Twenty
The next day, at lunch, Cathy said, âLinda called while you were playing outside. She thinks it would be a good idea to get you settled before school starts. Youâre going to Daphne at the end of the week, on Friday. By then, all the paperwork will be finished.â
Friday!
âI thought I was staying two more weeks,â said Tory weakly. She had been so sure that Daphne wouldnât want her anymore, and that Linda would have to look for another home.
She pushed away her peanut butter sandwich. She would be sick if she ate another bite.
For the next two days, everyone was extra nice to Tory â even Julia, who let her listen to her iPod and play her best computer games. Oliver took her out on the ATV, and Cathy made pancakes with strawberries and whipped cream for breakfast.
âThis isnât really good-bye,â said Cathy, when Linda came to get Tory on Friday. âYouâll come back to visit us.â
Yeah, right , thought Tory. Cathy and Oliver and Julia
She raced down a path that led along the river. As she ran, Oliverâs words pounded in her head. We donât want Lucky. We donât want Lucky . How could Oliver be so cruel?
She passed some old cabins. Then she spotted something bright and colorful tucked into the trees. She went closer for a better look. It was an old bus, decorated with painted flowers and peace signs. A hippie bus, she guessed.
She opened the door and peered inside. It was empty except for a plaid sleeping bag spread out on the floor. Some books and a drawing pad and a box of pencil crayons were scattered about.
Patrick must come here , she thought. She hesitated and then climbed inside. Patrick was in the barn with Lucky. She could hide here. Far away from Oliver, who wanted to give her pony away. Far away from Summer and Jonah, who wanted her to say that was okay.
If they took Lucky away, would Patrick stop talking again? She swallowed hard.
She tried to imagine something so terrible happening to her that it made her not want to talk. She couldnât imagine anything that bad. But why was she thinking about this? She didnât care about Patrick. She didnât care.
She sat down on the sleeping bag. She glanced at Patrickâs books but they had boring covers, and they were thick and probably very hard to read. She opened the drawing pad and gave a little gasp.
Patrick had drawn Lucky, standing in a field of green grass with a blue river behind him. It was a perfect picture. He had drawn Luckyâs big dark eyes and shaggy mane just right. She couldnât take her eyes off the picture. Lucky looked so happy, as if he belonged.
After a long time, she heard Oliverâs voice in the distance, calling her. Then the bus door opened and Summerâs tanned face peered in. âHere you are.â
âHow did you find me?â asked Tory.
âPatrick always comes here when he wants to think.â Summer smiled. âAnd also it was a lucky guess.â
Summer sat down on the sleeping bag beside her. Toryâs head was filled with a jumble of thoughts. We donât want Lucky , Oliver had said. But Patrick wanted him. He loved Lucky. Tory swallowed. If Patrick stopped talking again, it would be her fault.
She took a deep breath.
âI think Lucky should stay here,â she said.
Oliver was proud of Tory. He told her so over and over again on the way home.
âThat was a hard thing to do, but it was the right thing,â he said.
Tory stared out the window and wished he would stop talking.
When it was time to go, Summer and Jonah had hugged her good-bye. Patrick had muttered, âThank you,â in a gruff voice.
And then they had left and it had been too late for Tory to change her mind. All the way back, she tried to make herself feel better by thinking about how Lucky had found a new home with a family that really wanted him.
She blinked back tears.
What was going to happen to her?
Chapter
Twenty
The next day, at lunch, Cathy said, âLinda called while you were playing outside. She thinks it would be a good idea to get you settled before school starts. Youâre going to Daphne at the end of the week, on Friday. By then, all the paperwork will be finished.â
Friday!
âI thought I was staying two more weeks,â said Tory weakly. She had been so sure that Daphne wouldnât want her anymore, and that Linda would have to look for another home.
She pushed away her peanut butter sandwich. She would be sick if she ate another bite.
For the next two days, everyone was extra nice to Tory â even Julia, who let her listen to her iPod and play her best computer games. Oliver took her out on the ATV, and Cathy made pancakes with strawberries and whipped cream for breakfast.
âThis isnât really good-bye,â said Cathy, when Linda came to get Tory on Friday. âYouâll come back to visit us.â
Yeah, right , thought Tory. Cathy and Oliver and Julia
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