shocked silence fell over the McCallisters. Then Uncle Frank jumped up from his chair and pointed a threatening finger at Kevin. "You better not wreck my vacation, you little sourpuss. Your dad's paying good money for this trip."
Kevin just smirked. Typical, he thought, and then turned to leave.
"Stop, Kevin!" Kate shouted.
"If you walk out of here, you'll sleep in the attic!" his father yelled.
Kevin looked back at them and shrugged. "So what else is new?"
December 22
The Third Floor
9 P.M.
Kevin laid on the fold-out couch and stared up at the attic rafters. How could they ever believe Buzz? he thought angrily. What a bunch of jerks.
He heard footsteps on the stairs. That would be his mother, of course, coming up to yell at him.
A moment later Kate opened the door and entered the room. Kevin stared straight up at the rafters and ignored her.
"The last time we all tried to go on a trip, we had a problem that started just like this," Kate said.
"Yeah," Kevin said bitterly. "With me getting dumped on."
Kate crossed her arms firmly. "That isn't what happened last time and it isn't what's happening now. Your brother Buzz apologized to you."
"And when you couldn't see, he wiggled his retainer at me," Kevin said. "He didn't mean what he said. He was just kissing up to you."
"I'm sorry, Kevin, but I don't believe that," Kate replied. "You've been so negative lately. I wish you'd be more cooperative. Now, we're all getting on that airplane at ten o'clock tomorrow morning. Your father's spending a lot of money to take us to Florida."
"Great," Kevin snapped. "We're going to spend three and a half hours cooped up in an airplane just so we can see a bunch of palm trees and old people with bony legs."
It was obvious to Kate that her son wasn't ready to cooperate. "All right, Kevin. You sit up here for a while and think about it. When you're ready to apologize to Buzz and the rest of the family—"
"I'm not apologizing to Buzz," Kevin shouted. "I'd rather kiss a toilet seat."
"Then you can stay up here for the rest of the night."
"Fine," said Kevin. All the anger he was feeling spilled out. "I don't want to be down there anyway. I can't trust anybody in this family. And you know what? If I had my own money, I'd go on my own vacation. By myself. Alone. Without any of you guys. And I'd have the most fun of my whole life."
"You got your wish last year," Kate warned him. "Maybe you'll get it again this year."
"I sure hope so!" Kevin yelled at her.
Kate gazed helplessly at her young son. She didn't understand what was troubling him. Maybe he just had to be left alone. She turned and went back down the stairs.
Kevin watched his mother leave. Then he looked up at the rafters. Someday I'm going to go away all by myself, he thought. No one will bother me, no one will make fun of me, no one will cause me any trouble.
December 23
Oak Park
9 A.M.
The morning sunlight peeked through the bedroom curtains. Kate lay under the covers, dreaming that she was lying on a large rubber raft in a clear blue pool. On a terrace beside her, Peter sat at an umbrella table, wearing a thick white robe, sipping freshly squeezed orange juice, and reading the paper. The children had gone to the beach for the day, and Kate was luxuriating in the peace and quiet.
Suddenly she heard a loud knocking sound.
"Hey! Anybody home?" a voice shouted. "Ya better hurry or you're gonna miss your plane!"
Plane? Kate thought as she started to wake.
Oh, no! Kate sat straight up in bed and stared at Peter in wide-eyed terror.
"We did it again!" They screamed simultaneously.
In a flash they burst out of bed and started to wake the others. Moments later the three-story house was a mass of hysteria as the McCallisters dressed and got ready to leave. Still pulling on a blouse and slacks, Kate ran to the bottom of the third-floor stairs.
"Kevin!" she shouted.
Kevin opened the door from the third floor and rubbed his sleepy eyes. "Yeah?"
"Get dressed!"
Kevin just smirked. Typical, he thought, and then turned to leave.
"Stop, Kevin!" Kate shouted.
"If you walk out of here, you'll sleep in the attic!" his father yelled.
Kevin looked back at them and shrugged. "So what else is new?"
December 22
The Third Floor
9 P.M.
Kevin laid on the fold-out couch and stared up at the attic rafters. How could they ever believe Buzz? he thought angrily. What a bunch of jerks.
He heard footsteps on the stairs. That would be his mother, of course, coming up to yell at him.
A moment later Kate opened the door and entered the room. Kevin stared straight up at the rafters and ignored her.
"The last time we all tried to go on a trip, we had a problem that started just like this," Kate said.
"Yeah," Kevin said bitterly. "With me getting dumped on."
Kate crossed her arms firmly. "That isn't what happened last time and it isn't what's happening now. Your brother Buzz apologized to you."
"And when you couldn't see, he wiggled his retainer at me," Kevin said. "He didn't mean what he said. He was just kissing up to you."
"I'm sorry, Kevin, but I don't believe that," Kate replied. "You've been so negative lately. I wish you'd be more cooperative. Now, we're all getting on that airplane at ten o'clock tomorrow morning. Your father's spending a lot of money to take us to Florida."
"Great," Kevin snapped. "We're going to spend three and a half hours cooped up in an airplane just so we can see a bunch of palm trees and old people with bony legs."
It was obvious to Kate that her son wasn't ready to cooperate. "All right, Kevin. You sit up here for a while and think about it. When you're ready to apologize to Buzz and the rest of the family—"
"I'm not apologizing to Buzz," Kevin shouted. "I'd rather kiss a toilet seat."
"Then you can stay up here for the rest of the night."
"Fine," said Kevin. All the anger he was feeling spilled out. "I don't want to be down there anyway. I can't trust anybody in this family. And you know what? If I had my own money, I'd go on my own vacation. By myself. Alone. Without any of you guys. And I'd have the most fun of my whole life."
"You got your wish last year," Kate warned him. "Maybe you'll get it again this year."
"I sure hope so!" Kevin yelled at her.
Kate gazed helplessly at her young son. She didn't understand what was troubling him. Maybe he just had to be left alone. She turned and went back down the stairs.
Kevin watched his mother leave. Then he looked up at the rafters. Someday I'm going to go away all by myself, he thought. No one will bother me, no one will make fun of me, no one will cause me any trouble.
December 23
Oak Park
9 A.M.
The morning sunlight peeked through the bedroom curtains. Kate lay under the covers, dreaming that she was lying on a large rubber raft in a clear blue pool. On a terrace beside her, Peter sat at an umbrella table, wearing a thick white robe, sipping freshly squeezed orange juice, and reading the paper. The children had gone to the beach for the day, and Kate was luxuriating in the peace and quiet.
Suddenly she heard a loud knocking sound.
"Hey! Anybody home?" a voice shouted. "Ya better hurry or you're gonna miss your plane!"
Plane? Kate thought as she started to wake.
Oh, no! Kate sat straight up in bed and stared at Peter in wide-eyed terror.
"We did it again!" They screamed simultaneously.
In a flash they burst out of bed and started to wake the others. Moments later the three-story house was a mass of hysteria as the McCallisters dressed and got ready to leave. Still pulling on a blouse and slacks, Kate ran to the bottom of the third-floor stairs.
"Kevin!" she shouted.
Kevin opened the door from the third floor and rubbed his sleepy eyes. "Yeah?"
"Get dressed!"
Similar Books
Sally Boy
P. Vincent DeMartino
Princess
Ellen Miles
Let Me Just Say This
B. Swangin Webster
Rich in Love: When God Rescues Messy People
Irene Garcia, Lissa Halls Johnson
Breach (The Blood Bargain)
Macaela Reeves
Screaming in the Silence
Lydia Kelly
Vampires Are Forever
Lynsay Sands
Creators
Tiffany Truitt
Silence
Natasha Preston