The Rock and the River by Kekla Magoon Read Free Book Online

tomorrow,” she said quickly. She pulled her bare hands up inside the sleeves of her coat. “I gotta go.” She started to walk away. I swallowed hard. Now or never.
    â€œI got something for you,” I said. The words came out mumbled like I was clearing my throat or something. She would never go for me.
    â€œWhat did you say?” She turned back to me and wrinkled her forehead.
    â€œThis is for you,” I said, holding out the paper bag.
    â€œYeah?” she said. “For me?” She stood there looking at me, looking at the bag.
    I shifted my feet. “Yeah. I thought they were—nice. I mean, I knew you didn’t have—I thought you’d like them.” It was maybe thirty degrees outside, but I stood there sweating.
    I shook the bag until she took it and peeked inside. The corners of her mouth shot up, and she gave me a bewildered, wide-eyed look.
    Maxie slid her hands into the mittens. Then she smiled as big as I’ve ever seen her smile. “Thanks, Sam. What’s it for?”
    What’s it for? “Uh, for you,” I said. So you’ll let me walk you home. “No reason.”
    Maxie grinned again. “Well, come on, then,” she said. She skipped down the stairs and strode across the schoolyard. I stood stuck in place. I couldn’t believe it. In the middle of the yard, she turned around. “Sam! Are you coming, or what?” she yelled.
    I ran and caught up with her at the edge of the schoolyard. She snapped her fingers at me. Well, she tried, anyway. The mittens made it tricky, but I knew what she was doing, so I laughed.
    â€œGotta keep up, man,” she said. She grinned. I grinned back. It didn’t get any better than that.
    We started toward her house. She walked fast for a girl, I thought. Like she had places to be and nothing could keep her from getting there. I liked that. I wanted to go places too.
    She didn’t say a word to me as we walked, but I was too happy to care. She looked up at me once, though, as we passed the last intersection before the long stretch of projects began.
    I studied buildings a lot, partly to get ideas for theblock tower. It struck me odd, each time I thought about it, how buildings could have such personalities. The stores and apartments Maxie and I walked past had seen sad times, and looked as if they’d taken much of the sadness upon themselves. They reminded me of children lined up in an orphanage—seen but abandoned, together but alone. Unloved.
    I almost reached for Maxie’s hand right then, but I feared it was too much too soon. As we approached the corner of her street, she slowed. We turned onto her block, and she walked even slower. In front of her building she stopped altogether and turned to me. “Well, this is it,” she said, staring at her toes.
    â€œOkay,” I said. I already knew where she lived, but I wasn’t about to tell her that.
    She raised her head and looked straight at me with a strange light in her eyes. “And?” she said, her tone daring me to comment.
    I looked up at the building, at its eight rows of windows, like worried eyes gazing down upon the street. I shrugged. “And what?”
    She blinked and smiled. “Never mind. Nothing.” She shook her head. “Aren’t you cold?” she asked.
    â€œNah, it’s not so bad,” I said, trying not to shiver. My face was freezing, but I didn’t care. If Maxie wanted tostand out here and talk to me, I wasn’t going to complain.
    She nodded and tugged her hat down over her ears. She half smiled up at me. She was so cute, I had to look away so she wouldn’t think I was some kind of freak, staring at her. She cupped her hands and blew into her new mittens.
    â€œWarm,” she said, flashing me that great half-smile again. “Feel.” She put her hands on my cheeks. Warm was an understatement.
    She pulled her hands away, and we stood there for a few