Fabulous Five 008 - The Runaway Crisis Page 4

  She turned and scooted down the hallway before anyone could say anything else. In addition to her embarrassment, her heart was bursting. Why was Tony always getting into trouble? Couldn't he see what it did to his reputation? That it kept everyone but her from understanding what he was really like? And now this. It was the worst thing he had ever done. How could she possibly level with her friends and admit that she had a date with him for Friday night? They'll never understand, she thought. Not only that, they're never going to let me live this down.

  In spite of all that had been happening, Katie had been keeping an eye out for Shawnie. She was going through the hall toward her first class wondering what to do about Tony when she saw Shawnie in the crowd ahead of her.

  "Shawnie!" she called. When Shawnie looked back over her shoulder, Katie said, "Wait for me."

  Shawnie nodded. At the next doorway she pulled away from the stream of students pushing their way along like a single wave. "Hi. Where have you been? I've been looking all over for you."

  "I'll explain later. What I want to know right now is how things went when you got home last night. Is everything okay?"

  "Sure," said Shawnie. "Well . . . mostly anyway. But it was worth it. Honest, it was. Thanks again for inviting me over."

  Katie could only nod. She was afraid that if she spoke, Shawnie would guess from the sound of her voice how angry she was with the Pendergasts. What had they done to Shawnie when she got home last night? It couldn't have been too bad since Shawnie had said it was worth it, and Katie couldn't see any new bruises. But still!

  "How often do you think your parents would let you come over?" Katie asked. "My mom would be glad to call as often as we want. Maybe we could say we're partners for a project or something, and that we need to work together every night."

  "Gosh, Katie. You'd do that for me? You're the most wonderful friend I've ever had. And your mom, too. I don't know what I'd do without you." Then her face clouded. "I'll have to feel out my parents about coming over very often, though. They might get suspicious and say I couldn't do it at all. I'll have to let you know."

  "You can count on me for anything," Katie assured her. Then she reached out and gave Shawnie's hand a squeeze. Shawnie smiled bravely, and Katie could see a tear shining in the corner of each eye. "Don't worry," Katie said softly. "Everything is going to be okay."

  Katie decided that the moment had come to change the subject, and she spent the next couple of minutes explaining about the march for hunger. "Do you want to make some posters?" she asked after Shawnie said she thought the march was a great idea.

  "Sure. I'll make some tonight after I finish my homework. And count me in for the march, too. I can't believe my parents wouldn't let me do something for charity. Especially since it's on a Saturday afternoon and won't interfere with school or homework."

  When the girls parted to go to their classes, Katie was feeling a lot better about Shawnie. She knew what she had to do now: encourage Shawnie to spend every possible moment at her house. She would get the rest of The Fabulous Five involved, too. After all, they had offered to come over when she invited Shawnie. It was just that there hadn't been time last night.

  Maybe Tony would help, too, she thought. He might know someone who could ask Shawnie out for Friday night and they could double. She frowned, remembering that Shawnie had said her parents wouldn't let her date. Not even for special occasions.

  Then the frown deepened as she remembered another conversation, one she had had with Tony a couple of days ago. She wasn't sure he would help anyway. Hadn't he warned her against becoming too friendly with Shawnie? And said there were things about her that Katie didn't know?

  CHAPTER 9

  For the next couple of days Katie and Tony were so busy organizing the march and conducting the sign-up that she had little time to concentrate on Shawnie. Mr. Bell kept his promise to help by inserting a notice about the march in the morning announcements that went around to every class during homeroom, and almost instantly both of them were besieged by kids wanting to sign up.

  They collected two hundred and fifty signatures at the sign-up tables in the cafeteria plus others from kids who stopped them in the halls or talked to them in classes, and the newspaper sent a photographer out to shoot a picture of the two of them to run with the article Willie had written.

  The only downer was the teasing Katie got from the other kids over Tony.

  "How's the sign-up going?" asked Alexis Duvall, who was walking with Lisa Snow between classes the second day.

  "Tony and I haven't had time to count all of them yet," Katie answered.

  "You and Tony, huh?" said Lisa, raising an eyebrow. "I've heard about rehabilitating criminals, but this is too much."

  "He isn't a criminal," Katie insisted angrily. "He's a very caring person, and he wants to help the hungry."

  "Sure he does," said Alexis, and the two girls went off down the hall giggling together.

  Katie fumed as she watched them go. It was going to take a lot of work on her part to convince everyone how much Tony had changed, but for now, she had other things to take care of. Making sure they got the march off to a good start, for one. And getting ready for her date with him on Friday night, for another.

  Everyone in Wacko Junior High seemed to be excited about the march for hunger, including The Fabulous Five.

  "I'm going to every single house in my neighborhood to get pledges," said Melanie.

  "Me, too," promised Jana. "And I might even call my grandmother in Morristown, New Jersey. She could always send a check in the mail."

  By the time the local newspaper was delivered Thursday evening with the article and Tony and Katie's picture in it, her confidence was soaring. Not one person she had talked to had anything negative to say about the march. It was going to be a terrific success, and she hoped it would convince everyone that Tony Calcaterra had changed. She cut the picture out and set it up against her dresser mirror. It was a terrific picture, especially of Tony, and she couldn't help looking at it every time she passed by.

  Friday morning before the bell Katie searched for Shawnie. She felt a little guilty about not inviting Shawnie over again after all the talking she had done about wanting to help her. But the march had been taking up so much of her time that she barely had time for meals and homework. And even though she had a hard time admitting it to herself, she had gotten in more than a little daydreaming time about Tony, too. When she couldn't find her friend anywhere on the school ground, Katie looked in the girls' bathroom. Still, there was no sign of Shawnie.

  She wasn't at her locker, and none of The Fabulous Five could remember seeing her when Katie asked them. By second period, when she hadn't seen Shawnie in any of the usual places between classes, Katie was convinced that she was absent.

  She's probably just home with a cold or something like that, Katie decided.

  Katie slipped into the media center after school for the weekly session of Teen Court. Garrett and Shane were arranging the tables end to end, and Daphne Alexandrou and Shelly Bramlett were each dragging up the last of the chairs.

  Katie had been dreading today's hearings ever since Tony told her that he would be appearing before the court. Of all the weeks for him to be in trouble, she thought and frowned. I certainly hope it won't make things awkward for our date tonight.

  When everyone was seated Miss Dickinson handed out pads of paper and pencils while Mrs. Brenner addressed the group. "We've got a fairly easy agenda this afternoon, people. We only have one case."

  Easy for you to say, thought Katie.

  "First, let's choose our senior judge and bailiff," Mrs. Brenner continued.

  Katie slid down in her seat. She remembered all too clearly the time she had been senior judge when Tony had come before the court for violating the school dress code by wearing an earring. And then, the very next time the court met, he had been back for spray painting "T.C. + K.S." on an outside school wall. Katie wouldn't let Mrs. Brenner choose her for senior judg
e this time.

  Mrs. Brenner's eyes passed over everyone, and when she came to Katie, she smiled. "I think D. J. Doyle should be senior judge this time," she said. Katie breathed a sigh of relief.

  "And Katie can be bailiff."

  "Yes, ma'am," Katie answered. "But I think, maybe, I ought to disqualify myself from voting," she said in a little voice. The other kids snickered and Shane Arrington buried his face in his hands. Garrett Boldt and Kaci Davis looked up at the ceiling. Katie felt her face burning and knew that she must look like a flashing red traffic light.

  "All right, Katie. I understand," Mrs. Brenner said.

  Great, thought Katie. Why do I let him get me into things like this? Well, it's better than having to be senior judge. I just get to lead him to the slaughter. I wonder if I'll have to take him to the gas chamber, too.

  Mrs. Brenner explained the case to the court. Katie didn't see any more hope for Tony, from what Mrs. Brenner said, than from what she had heard from Christie.

  "All right, Bailiff. Would you please bring in the complainant and defendant," said D. J., smiling knowingly at Katie. She felt all of them staring at her back as she left the room to get Tony and Mr. Bartosik.

  Things didn't go as badly as Katie had thought they might for Tony. When it was all over, he had been sentenced to help Mr. Bartosik clean up the bathrooms after school for one full week. If Tony could get paid for all the work he has to do from his sentences, thought Katie, he'd be rich.

  "How about I pick you up at six-thirty?" he asked.

  She whispered back, "I'll be ready."

  She was too nervous to eat supper, and Willie grinned sympathetically and said, "First-date jitters, huh?"

  Katie nodded. "You're going to like him, Mom. He gets into trouble sometimes, but he really is a nice person. I don't know why I'm the only one who understands that."

  "Well, it sounds to me as if you're able to bring out the best in him," said Willie. "Others may not understand now, but I'll bet they will eventually."

  Katie thought about her mother's words as she dressed for her date. Maybe she shouldn't have waited so long to go out with him. Maybe the more she was around him, the nicer he would get and the faster everyone else would be able to see it. After all, he had gotten excited about the march for hunger almost as soon as she had mentioned it. There was only one tiny thing that bothered her about Tony, his dislike for Shawnie.

  "I'm not going to mention Shawnie Pendergast one single time all evening," she vowed out loud as she brushed her hair. "And if her name comes up, I'll change the subject. I won't let anything spoil this date tonight."

  At six-twenty the doorbell rang. Surprised, Katie raced down the stairs calling out, "I'll get it, Mom." It had to be Tony, she thought, but why was he getting here ten minutes early?

  Katie stopped in the foyer and glanced in the mirror by the front door for one last look. Her red hair had been brushed into soft waves, and she had applied the perfect amount of lip gloss. She nodded approvingly to herself, took a deep breath, and opened the door.

  She blinked in surprise when she saw that it wasn't Tony. Instead, standing there on the front porch with a suitcase in her hand, was Shawnie Pendergast.

  She looked at Katie with pleading eyes. "Can I come in?" she asked. "I've run away."

  Katie couldn't say anything for a moment. She just stood there, staring at Shawnie in shocked silence and trying to comprehend what she had just heard.

  "You ran away?" she murmured finally. "What happened?"

  Shawnie nodded. "It's a long story, but believe me, I had to get out of there." She took a step toward the door. "Is it okay if I come in?" she asked again. "I don't have anyplace else to go."

  "Of course," said Katie. Then remembering the bruise on Shawnie's arm a few days before, she added, "Are you okay?"

  Shawnie didn't answer, and just as she entered the house and set her suitcase down in the foyer, Willie called out from her office, "Honey, I'll be there in a minute to tell you good-bye. I'm on the phone."

  Katie's eyes widened at the sound of her mother's voice. "It's okay, Mom," she called back. "He isn't here yet." Then she turned back to Shawnie and tried to hide an exasperated sigh. What was she going to do? Tony would be here any minute. But worse, what would her mother say if she walked out of her office and found Shawnie Pendergast standing there with her suitcase? "Come on," Katie whispered. "Let's go up to my room. Be quiet, though. I don't want Mom to hear."

  Shawnie nodded and picked up her suitcase, tiptoeing up the stairs behind Katie.

  "Thank you so much for letting me in. I was so scared. I've been walking around all day trying to figure out what to do." The words burst out, and her hands started trembling. "I can't go back home. Not ever. Can you hide me here until I figure out what to do?"

  Katie bit her lower lip and tried to think. It was six twenty-nine. Tony would be here any minute. There wasn't time for Shawnie to tell her what had happened at home. And she certainly couldn't call Willie. Not until she knew more about the situation, anyway. There was only one solution.

  "Do you think you can hide here in my room until I get back?" Then, seeing the puzzled look in Shawnie's eyes, she said, "I'm going to a movie with Tony Calcaterra, and he'll be here to pick me up any minute. You can't turn on a light or make any noise that Mom might hear. Okay?"

  Shawnie looked at her solemnly for a minute and then nodded. "I'll be as quiet as a mouse. I promise."

  "I know that's an awful thing to ask you to do," admitted Katie. "And I hate to fool Mom. But there's just no other way to handle it right now."

  "Promise you won't tell Tony or anybody else that I'm here," Shawnie insisted. "Not anybody."

  "You know I won't," said Katie just as the doorbell sounded again. "That's Tony. I have to go now. Remember, don't make a sound. As soon as I get back, you can tell me what happened at home, and then we'll figure out what to do next."

  Katie closed the door of her room behind her, thinking how dark it was in there and how frightened Shawnie would be staying in there all alone. If only I didn't have a date tonight and could stay with Shawnie, Katie thought. But she did have a date. She could hear her mother talking to Tony in the foyer. She would have to go, and she would have to spend the evening pretending that everything was normal. Sighing, she threw a worried look back up the stairs toward her room and went to meet Tony.

  CHAPTER 10

  "Hi, Tony," said Katie as she crossed the living room and entered the foyer. He looked so handsome that it almost took her breath away. "I see you've already met Mom."

  "I sure have," said Tony. "I was thanking her for that great article about the march in the newspaper."

  Katie looked at Tony with a feeling of pride as he stood there talking so politely to her mother and even thanking her for the article. She wished some of the kids at school could see how nice he could be when he wanted to. It made her furious just to think of how unfair they were. But most of all, she was pleased that Willie seemed to be impressed. Her mother could see that he was special, even if kids at school couldn't.

  "You two run along and have a good time," said Willie, and Katie could hear genuine warmth in her voice.

  "Thanks, Mom," she said. "We won't be late."

  "Mrs. Shannon, there's something I want to show you before we go," said Tony. He was grinning broadly.

  Curiosity flashed in Katie's mind, but before she could fully wonder what he was talking about, he whirled around.

  "Look at this," he said proudly, pointing to the back of his head where initials had been shaved into his close-cropped hair.

  Katie gasped as she read them.

  T.C.

  +

  K.S.

  Out of the corner of her eye, she could see her mother's smile waver as she cleared her throat and said, "Oh . . . well . . . that's very nice, Tony."

  "It's the latest style for boys," Katie interjected, trying to come to Tony's rescue. She didn't add that most of the boys who wore words or i
nitials shaved into their hair were punkers or rockers and not really the type of guys she would ever go out with. She could see that her mother was still trying to comprehend Tony's bizarre haircut so she added, "Come on, Tony. We'd better get going or we'll be late."

  As they left the house and got into Tony's father's car, she turned her face away so that he could not see her exasperated expression. Why did he always have to blow it just when someone was starting to see how great he could be? And if he was going to shave their initials into his hair, why on earth did he have to point them out to her mother?

  The drive to the movie theater was a short one, filled with polite conversation with Mr. Calcaterra. He had the same dark hair as Tony, without the initials shaved into it of course, and Katie noticed that the family resemblance was strong.

  There was a crowd on the sidewalk in front of the theater, and Katie recognized most of them as being from Wacko Junior High. Mr. Calcaterra pulled into the line of cars dropping off kids, and when their turn came, Katie said, "Thanks, Mr. Calcaterra," and got out.

  "Yeah, Dad, thanks," said Tony. "We'll call you to come after us later."

  They were immediately engulfed in the milling crowd.

  "Hi, Katie. Hi, Tony," shouted Dekeisha Adams. She and Dan Bankston were holding hands and walking toward the ticket line.

  Katie waved to Dekeisha and Dan and then to Jana and Randy and Beth and Keith, who were already in line.

  "Do you want to squeeze in with us?" Beth shouted.

  "Just a minute. I'll ask Tony," Katie shouted back.

  Just as she turned to talk to Tony, they were surrounded by a group of Tony's friends.

  "Hey, Tony," shouted Bill Soliday. "Let's see that haircut."

  Tony grinned and made a three-quarter turn so that everyone could see the initials shaved into the back of his hair.

  "Whoa!" veiled Joel Murphy. "That's cool!" A cheer went up from the rest of the boys standing around them.