Operation Yes Read Free Page A

Force. He bent the toast triangle in half, lined it with a triple row of pickles, and stuffed the whole grenade into his mouth. Explosions of sour juice went off as he chewed. School: No loud noises. No cool moves. No making things up. It was all toast and no pickles.
    The official phone rang again.
    â€œBesides,” said his dad as he got up to answer it, “Gari’s going to get here, and she’ll be plenty out of sorts. I don’t want you setting a poor example.”
    Bo swallowed his last bite of pickle grenade. He didn’t think Gari was going to be fooled if he said he was in love with school. And if that tree branch he remembered was any clue, she could handle herself fine. But his dad was looking at him, waiting for a response before he picked up the phone.
    â€œYes, sir.”
    His dad nodded his approval.
    â€œColonel Whaley,” he said crisply into the phone. “Yes, yes. Well, bad news doesn’t get better with age. Tell me now.”
    He started out onto the deck, realized it was pouring, and headed into his home office.
    His dad, Bo thought, always said yes. He wished he didn’t have to do the same.

Gari crept out of bed and grabbed her cell phone. She punched 2 for Tandi’s home number. It was late, but Tandi would be up. Gari’s mom said school had started today in North Carolina, but it hadn’t yet in Seattle, at least not for all the good private schools, like Seattle Junior Academy.
    â€œIt’s for sure now.” Gari jumped right in. “The stupid Army needs nurses. They want my mom back. Yeah. A hospital in Iraq. ”
    She settled under her covers. It was getting cold again at night. She could hear the rain against her window, pattering quietly. Everything was normal on the outside.
    â€œShe said the hospital’s on an American base, where she’ll be safe. I said, What about the shooting and the rocket attacks and the people who hate us? Is the news just making that up?”
    She listened.
    â€œI know. None of it makes sense. And why her?”
    She closed her eyes in the dark. Then her eyes were open again. She sat all the way up.
    â€œNo, she can’t. She CAN’T.”
    She listened again and then hugged her knees to her chest. Did Tandi want her mom to go to jail?
    She said in a fierce whisper, “Well, YOU don’t know one thing about the Army, and neither does whoever said that.”
    She could feel her voice rising but she couldn’t stop it.
    â€œWhen the Army says, Jump! you’re supposed to say, How high? Not: Wait a sec while I tie my shoe and would you mind if I didn’t JUMP AT ALL? ”
    Gari flopped back down on her pillow. The back of her neck felt damp, as if she’d left the window open and the rain had come inside. Why didn’t Tandi get it?
    â€œSorry. Sorry. Are you still there?”
    She changed the subject.
    â€œLook, I can still be your campaign manager. You will be class president. I’ve got these amazing posters planned —”
    She forced herself to focus on her great idea for Tandi’s posters. She couldn’t give a speech for Tandi — the thought of that made her palms sweat. She’d rather eat a bathtub of worms. But she could make the best posters anyone at SeaJA had ever seen.
    Â 
    Vote for Tandi Starr — a light as bright as day!
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    Wouldn’t that look great in phosphorescent paint, glowing on signs all over the school? She’d sketch some plans to show Tandi she was serious.
    Her mom might have to jump for the Army, but Gari didn’t have to.
    â€œDon’t worry. I’ll talk to my mom tomorrow. She’s got to let me stay.”
    I’ll make it work out. I will.

It was the next day, the second day of school. The Taped Space (the Theatrical Space, the Temporary Stage) was still there. Waiting.
    Bo didn’t say a word to the rest of the class about Gari coming. What’s she like? they would ask. And he