you meet him you’ll understand.” I shivered and rubbed my hand over my jacket to make sure Radley was warm enough in there.
“No, I know what you mean,” said Jason. “That’s how it is with Ollie.”
“Who’s Ollie?”
Jason smiled. He kind of reminded me of Nick Montoya. Something about the way he just did his own thing without caring too much about what other people thought. “Ollie’s …” Jason started to explain. “Hey! You want to meet him? We’re almost at my house. It’s right on Townsend—the yellow one on the corner. And I don’t know about you … but I’m freezing!” He pulled his winterhat over his ears and blew on his hands. “My foster mom makes the best hot chocolate.”
I’d left my unfinished smoothie back at The Sweet Life, and something sweet like hot chocolate did sound tempting. “Totally!” I agreed. Then I remembered. “What about my dad? I don’t have a cell phone with me to tell him where I am.”
“You can use the phone at my house. And someone can give you a ride home for sure.”
“Deal,” I said. “Then tomorrow you can meet Marty!”
Jason smiled. We were right under a street lamp and with the light shining on his face, I noticed something. His eyes were really, really blue. Not regular blue like Maeve’s eyes, but light. Like the sky almost. In the dark they practically glowed.
“You know …” I started to say as we walked up Townsend Street.
“Yeah?”
I was about to tell him that he had the coolest eyes but then I realized how girly and weird that sounded. So I blurted out the first thing that popped into my head. “Blue’s my favorite color.”
Good one, Avery
, I thought.
“Okay,” Jason said. “Um, mine too …”
I bit my bottom lip and tried to think of something else to say. “Last one to your house is a rotten eggplant! I mean, egg. I mean … oh, whatever. Race you!”
“Huh?” Jason was so confused by the whole race thing that I had a major head start. I could have won no prob, but I slowed down a little. I had to be careful to hold Radley securely against my chest, and I wanted Jason to know thatAvery Madden was no cheater. Then just before we got to his fence,
he passed me
. No way! I picked up my speed again and caught up with him at the very last second. We were both laughing as we slapped his front door at exactly the same time.
“Hey, everybody,” Jason called as we opened the door. Radley poked his head out of my jacket the minute we stepped inside. “I’m back!” His house was cozy on the inside. It was full of little snowmen decorations and some kids’ pictures on the wall. There was only one of Jason though—a school picture. It must have been new.
Jason saw me checking out the photos. “They’ve had other kids stay here before, but right now it’s only me and Frankie. Frankie’s been here since he was four.”
We heard footsteps getting closer and a door swung open. “Hey! I know you,” said a cheerful voice. It was Bonnie from Fat Alley! She looked just as nice as always, except this time she was wearing jeans and a green fleece pullover instead of her Fat Alley uniform.
“Wow, Bonnie’s your foster mom?” I turned to Jason and back to Bonnie. “Hi! I like your house.”
“Thanks, Avery. Come on in. Make yourself at home. Can I get you some hot chocolate, extra marshmallows, hold the whipped cream? How about you, Jason?”
“Sure, Bonnie. Thanks!” I said. I took off my ear warmer, tucked it safely into my coat pocket, and settled into a comfy chair by the fireplace.
Bonnie pushed the door into the kitchen to go get the hot chocolate, but as she did, a little kid suddenly raced under her arm and into the room. He flew straight pastBonnie and grabbed Jason around the legs so tightly that Jason almost fell over. Bonnie laughed and continued into the kitchen.
The kid wouldn’t let go of Jason’s legs. “Hi, Jason! Hi, Jason! Where’s Radley? Can I hold him? Can I?”
“Hey there,
“No, I know what you mean,” said Jason. “That’s how it is with Ollie.”
“Who’s Ollie?”
Jason smiled. He kind of reminded me of Nick Montoya. Something about the way he just did his own thing without caring too much about what other people thought. “Ollie’s …” Jason started to explain. “Hey! You want to meet him? We’re almost at my house. It’s right on Townsend—the yellow one on the corner. And I don’t know about you … but I’m freezing!” He pulled his winterhat over his ears and blew on his hands. “My foster mom makes the best hot chocolate.”
I’d left my unfinished smoothie back at The Sweet Life, and something sweet like hot chocolate did sound tempting. “Totally!” I agreed. Then I remembered. “What about my dad? I don’t have a cell phone with me to tell him where I am.”
“You can use the phone at my house. And someone can give you a ride home for sure.”
“Deal,” I said. “Then tomorrow you can meet Marty!”
Jason smiled. We were right under a street lamp and with the light shining on his face, I noticed something. His eyes were really, really blue. Not regular blue like Maeve’s eyes, but light. Like the sky almost. In the dark they practically glowed.
“You know …” I started to say as we walked up Townsend Street.
“Yeah?”
I was about to tell him that he had the coolest eyes but then I realized how girly and weird that sounded. So I blurted out the first thing that popped into my head. “Blue’s my favorite color.”
Good one, Avery
, I thought.
“Okay,” Jason said. “Um, mine too …”
I bit my bottom lip and tried to think of something else to say. “Last one to your house is a rotten eggplant! I mean, egg. I mean … oh, whatever. Race you!”
“Huh?” Jason was so confused by the whole race thing that I had a major head start. I could have won no prob, but I slowed down a little. I had to be careful to hold Radley securely against my chest, and I wanted Jason to know thatAvery Madden was no cheater. Then just before we got to his fence,
he passed me
. No way! I picked up my speed again and caught up with him at the very last second. We were both laughing as we slapped his front door at exactly the same time.
“Hey, everybody,” Jason called as we opened the door. Radley poked his head out of my jacket the minute we stepped inside. “I’m back!” His house was cozy on the inside. It was full of little snowmen decorations and some kids’ pictures on the wall. There was only one of Jason though—a school picture. It must have been new.
Jason saw me checking out the photos. “They’ve had other kids stay here before, but right now it’s only me and Frankie. Frankie’s been here since he was four.”
We heard footsteps getting closer and a door swung open. “Hey! I know you,” said a cheerful voice. It was Bonnie from Fat Alley! She looked just as nice as always, except this time she was wearing jeans and a green fleece pullover instead of her Fat Alley uniform.
“Wow, Bonnie’s your foster mom?” I turned to Jason and back to Bonnie. “Hi! I like your house.”
“Thanks, Avery. Come on in. Make yourself at home. Can I get you some hot chocolate, extra marshmallows, hold the whipped cream? How about you, Jason?”
“Sure, Bonnie. Thanks!” I said. I took off my ear warmer, tucked it safely into my coat pocket, and settled into a comfy chair by the fireplace.
Bonnie pushed the door into the kitchen to go get the hot chocolate, but as she did, a little kid suddenly raced under her arm and into the room. He flew straight pastBonnie and grabbed Jason around the legs so tightly that Jason almost fell over. Bonnie laughed and continued into the kitchen.
The kid wouldn’t let go of Jason’s legs. “Hi, Jason! Hi, Jason! Where’s Radley? Can I hold him? Can I?”
“Hey there,
Similar Books
