Out of the Ashes Read Free

good?”
    I wondered why he’d answered so evasively and if changing the subject right afterward had been deliberate.I knew that Betts was thinking the same thing and that it would only make her more determined to find out anything she could about him.
    I suddenly wanted to rescue him from her prying and started talking about just about everything they had on the menu. He looked at me oddly, and I couldn’t blame him, as I raved about how nice and crisp their fries were, how juicy their burgers were, how I didn’t favour their chowders but their homemade soups were usually not bad, and on and on.
    Betts gave me a positively murderous look as I rambled endlessly. Greg just sat and stared and made an attempt to appear interested in each and every food item I talked about.
    The waitress came before I was finished, and he ordered a burger and fries. As she turned from the table he added, “Make that to go, please.”
    â€œAre you leaving?” Betts asked, with the look of someone who had been cheated.
    â€œUh, yeah, I have to get back to the house. I promised my dad I’d give him a hand with some bookcases tonight.”
    â€œBookcases?” Betts asked as though it was a new word to her.
    â€œWell, we have a lot of books to unpack, and he needs some of them right away, so I want to help him get them ready. We’ve been putting it off while we got settled in, but it can’t wait any longer.”
    Betts looked puzzled, as though she knew there was something she ought to ask about this urgent need for books but couldn’t quite figure out what the question should be.
    â€œWell, it’s nice that you’re helping your father,” I said. “My mom has a lot of books too. My dad keeps saying that if she keeps buying more, we’re going to have to build a few extra rooms just to hold them all.”
    â€œDo you read much yourself?” Greg asked me.
    â€œThat’s all she does,” Betts said before I could answer. She was rolling her eyes. “I keep telling her there are other things in life, but she’s always got her nose stuck in some silly book.”
    â€œYou think books are silly?” Greg asked her.
    â€œIt’s bad enough that your teachers make you read a bunch of stupid stories for school,” Betts replied. “I don’t know why anyone would waste their time reading stuff they didn’t have to.”
    â€œThere’s nothing wrong with reading.” I felt my face getting hot. “It makes me feel as though I’m sort of escaping for a while.”
    That sounded pretty dumb, even to me, and I knew Betts was going to poke more fun at me for saying it. But before she got the chance, Greg spoke up and said, “I know exactly what you mean, Shelby. I read a lot too. In fact, I’d rather read than watch television.”
    â€œOh, great, I’m here with a couple of freaks of nature,” Betts moaned. She looked around and with a teasing laugh, added, “Are there any normal people in here that I can go sit with?”
    Greg ignored this and said to me, “It looks like we have something in common. Maybe we can lend each other some of our favourite books.”
    I should have refused right then and there, but it seemed like a harmless suggestion, so I told him that would be nice. Just then the waitress came with his order, and he paid and left. As he went out the door he waved to me and called out, “Don’t forget!”
    In spite of the reminder, I soon forgot about his suggestion. How was I to know that something as innocent as swapping books was going to become a source of school gossip?

CHAPTER THREE
    When I got home that night there was a surprise waiting for me. It was a shelf unit Dad had made to hold all my stuffed animals, which had been piled all over the place. There were three sections: one in the middle, with two lower shelves on each side. It was really cool, painted blue with pale