Missing Pieces Read Free

they’ve got this cute boy who’ll be in eighth grade with us next year.”
    Lunch was almost over when I noticed Mrs. Garcia closing up. I threw away my brown bag and turned, but someone blocked my way.
    “Hi, Skeeter,” I said.
    He was trembling. “I’m really sorry about your sickness.”
    “Thanks.”
    “Are you okay now?”
    “Yeah . . . I’ll be all right.”
    He held out a square envelope. “I couldn’t make it to the store last night.”
    “Okay,” I said.
    “I gotta go now. Hope you like the card.”
    “I’m sure I will.” I turned and saw Mrs. Garcia was gone. “I’ll read it in my next class.”
    I walked by Skeeter into the hall and could feel him still looking at me. When I got to my locker, I opened the card. On the front it said Happy Birthday! But there was a line through it, and Skeeter had written Get Well Son. I guessed he meant soon . Inside was a birthday poem, and at the bottom Love, Mom and Dad was scratched out and he had signed his name.
    Sweet. Low budget, but sweet.

Chapter 14

    Randy has a younger brother named Derek in sixth grade. He’s short with dark hair and glasses that make him look like a computer geek. I found him outside after lunch and sat beside him.
    “I’m Bryce. My sister and your brother are—”
    “I know,” Derek said.
    “How do you like her?”
    He shrugged. “Okay for a girl, I guess.”
    My thoughts exactly. “Who else does Randy hang out with?”
    Another shrug. “I guess some guys on his team. He plays in a softball league.” He finally looked up at me. “You should come to one of the games. There’s one tonight.”
    “I don’t think Leigh would like that.”
    “Dad makes Randy take me. We could hang out. It’d be fun.”
    I wasn’t so sure, but the chance to snoop around Randy’s friends and his house was too good to pass up. “Suggest it to Randy,” I said. “Maybe he can talk Leigh into it.”
    Derek smiled.

Chapter 15

    I told Bryce to go home without me after school. The teachers park in the back near the Dumpsters, and the door the cooks use is back there too. As I’d hoped, I found Mrs. Garcia lifting heavy bags of trash.
    “Can I help with that?” I called, taking off my backpack.
    She scowled, then realized it was me. “It’s okay, Ashley. I have it.”
    I hadn’t realized how strong she was. She lifted the bulging bags into the green bin and slammed the lid.
    “Any plans for the weekend?” I said cheerily.
    She sighed and leaned against the bin. “Just my other job. I work Saturday and Sunday this week. Then it’s back here on Monday.” She headed toward the kitchen, her head down.
    I had to ask now or I’d chicken out. “Mrs. Garcia, is something wrong? It’s none of my business, but you seemed really down today.”
    She stopped and turned, like someone was pulling her around with a chain. “How’d you know that?”
    I shrugged. “Just seemed like it.”
    She focused on the ground, and at first she didn’t say anything. Then, “Well, you’re sharp. I’ll give you that.” She pulled the hairnet from her head. “Today is sad for me. An anniversary I’d like to forget.”
    “An anniversary of what?”
    “I said I’d like to forget it,” she snapped.
    Sometimes people say they don’t want to talk about things when they really do. But I could tell Mrs. Garcia really didn’t want to talk about it.
    “Okay, have a good weekend,” I said, walking away.
    She hesitated at the door, then went inside.

Chapter 16

    I was playing video games in the exercise room in the barn when Leigh walked in. She doesn’t talk to me a lot unless she wants to get me to do her chores. I usually hold out for about twice what the chore is worth and tell her I’m studying to be an economist.
    Her look let me know this wasn’t about a chore.
    She leaned against the wall and crossed her arms. “How did you do it?”
    “Do what?”
    “Get Derek to ask Randy if you could come tonight?”
    I’ve tried to figure out