A Spy Among the Girls Read Free

off the Hatfords’ back porch,” Eddie reminded her. “Where did they see it this time, Dad?”
    “A man was out gathering firewood along the river last week, it says, and claims he saw just a glimpse of the animal from a distance,” Coach Malloy told them, scanning the page. “It was a tawny color, but certainly not a dog, he claims.”
    “Something else to worry about!” said Mrs. Malloy.
    Beth came into the kitchen just then and announced that she was reserving the kitchen the day before Valentine's Day because she was going to make a double-chocolate frosted heart for Josh.
    “Oh, brother!” said Eddie.
    “Sounds wonderful,” said Coach Malloy. “Would you consider making one for your dad, too? I could do with a double-chocolate frosted heart.” He grinned.
    Beth smiled. “I'll think about it.”
    “Just don't put it out on the porch to cool or the abaguchie might get it,” said Caroline.
    “It's back?” asked Beth.
    “Just once I'd like it to stick around long enough for somebody to get a really good look at the beast and tell what it is,” Coach Malloy said. “No one's seen morethan its tail and a flash of color. The sheriff says his best guess is a bobcat.”
    “Whatever, I want you girls to stay out of the woods for a while,” said their mother.
    When Caroline went upstairs to brush her teeth, she imagined Wally Hatford rescuing her from the clutches of the abaguchie. Or even her rescuing Wally. She decided that if Wally was going to fall in love with her, perhaps she ought to give
him
a valentine—a really gorgeous valentine. If he gave her one in return, she decided, she could claim she'd experienced love. If he didn't, at least she would know what rejection felt like, and she could call it a tragedy.
    At school, however, Wally was proving more difficult than she had imagined. She hadn't even told him yet that she was going to fall in love with him, but he was leaning about as far forward, away from her, as he could get.
    When she tapped him, very gently, on the shoulder before class, he didn't even turn around.
    “What?”
he said. Not very pleasantly, either.
    “I just wondered if you'd noticed my new sweater,” Caroline said sweetly. “I wore it just for you.”
    Wally's back seemed to stiffen and his ears turned pink.
    “Why?” was all he said, and he still didn't turn around.
    Caroline stood up and leaned way over her desk until her mouth was right by Wally's left ear. “Because Ithink I'm falling in love with you, Wally,” she whispered, as softly and sweetly as she knew how.
    Wally Hatford rose straight out of his seat and asked permission to use the rest room, and Miss Applebaum looked at Caroline strangely. Caroline just smiled innocently and tried to imagine how an actress would act out the part of someone dying because of a broken heart.
    That afternoon the class voted on whether or not to have a Valentine's party. The sixth-graders had already voted no. The fifth grade voted no just to be like the sixth grade, but when the fourth grade realized that there would be no punch and valentine cookies and chocolate hearts without a party, they voted yes.
    “There's one rule, however,” Miss Applebaum said. “You don't have to give out any valentines at all if you don't want to, but if you do, you can't leave anyone out. If you want to give valentines just to girls, you have to give one to every girl. If you want to give only to boys, you have to give one to all the boys. This isn't a popularity contest.”
    Great. Just great,
thought Caroline. She had already planned to give some crazy valentines to the girls in her class, but she wanted to give a valentine to only one boy, namely Wally. Well, she'd just give her valentine to Wally after the party was over, that was all. There was no rule that said she couldn't hand a boy a valentine out in the hall. But Wally would get the biggest, most beautiful valentine she could find.
    After school she walked down to the business district