Chapter
1
"We're
here," Mom said
as she stretched her neck from side to side. It had been a long drive for both
of us.
I got out of the car and
stared at the huge Victorian house my grandmothers call home. It's three
stories and has a little room perched on top. The paint was peeling and the
yard was overgrown with weeds. All the other houses on the block had pretty
flowers and mown lawns.
"This place looks
haunted," I said, kicking at a dandelion growing through the cracked
sidewalk. "And it's not even dark."
"It does not," Mom
said. "How many times have I told you, Jessica, to not judge a book by its
cover. The yard just needs a little work. I wonder what happened to the
gardener?" She began pulling suitcases from the trunk. "Tomorrow you
can prove how grown-up you are and mow. Here," she said and handed me a
green suitcase. "You can start being helpful by unloading the car."
"This is supposed to be
my vacation," I reminded her. I grabbed the bag and almost dropped it. I'd
forgotten that I'd packed my digital camera, printer, photo paper and scrapbook
supplies.
"A little work won't
hurt you, so stop complaining. You'll have plenty of free time."
I half smiled. At least this
was an Olympic year and I could watch the swimming events. "Do you think
they have the sports channel?"
"No," Mom said as
she lifted another suitcase and set it on the sidewalk. With all the luggage
lined up along the walk, it looked like we were staying for a year.
"It's been a long time
since you were here. You've forgotten that Gram and Grandma Charlotte are a
little old-fashioned. They don't have cable television. In fact- "
"We can pay for
cable," I interrupted. "You can take it out of my allowance."
Mom shook her head.
"Why not?"
"They don't own a
television." Mom closed the trunk with a gentle slam.
"What!" I glared
at her. "They don't have TV? What am I supposed to do? You've dragged me
up here where I don't know anyone, expect me to work, and there's not even a
TV. This is going to be the worst
summer ever! Can't I go home?"
"Stop complaining and
think of someone other than yourself for a change. You'll survive."
I rolled my gray-blue eyes.
"Easy for you to say. You're entire summer hasn't been ruined," I
muttered under my breath.
I ran my fingers through my
tangled dark red curls. I had my car window rolled down for most of our trip
north and I could just imagine what I looked like, but I didn't care. I wasn't going to see any of my friends
for two long months.
Mom climbed the slightly
crooked steps to the front porch. I followed and dragged two bags over the
rough concrete.
So what if I scratched them.
"Jessica, just take one
bag at a time and carry it."
I made a face. Why couldn't
I have stayed home with my dad? At almost thirteen, I could take care of myself
while he was at work.
Besides, I was supposed to
meet Todd at the skating rink on Friday night. Most of the boys in my class are
shorter than me except for Todd. He's really cool. Mom didn't even give me a
chance to call him and tell him I wouldn't be there. I would have called him on
my cell, but Mom had confiscated it.
Kelsey and I probably
wouldn't even be able to talk on Gram’s landline, because it's long distance.
That meant Todd wouldn't call me either. If I stayed gone too long, he'd find
someone else to skate with.
He's not my boyfriend, but
he might be. Could be, if we got to spend time together. Kelsey said she just knew Todd wanted
to ask me to go out and she should know. She's had three boyfriends and has
experience. I've never had a real boyfriend and I wasn't going to if I had to
spend all summer up north.
It just wasn't fair!
Be sure and come back next week to find out what happens in
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