Most Precious Blood by Susan Beth Pfeffer Read Free Book Online Page B

and come home early. She knew that Bruno was already troubled by her actions, and even the smallest sign of rebellion would alarm him sufficiently to tell Connie, if not her father. Knowing all that made it easier for Val to act as though everything were normal. She couldn’t bear the thought of Bruno and Connie, both of whom had known all along about the deception, but even more than she hated them, she dreaded the idea of seeing her father.
    Rick, she thought to herself, as Bruno made the short drive to school. He isn’t my father at all. He’s just some man named Rick.
    Unless he was her father, and he had foisted his bastard child on Val’s mother to raise. But wouldn’t her mother have guessed? There was nothing in the letter to suggest that possibility, just how much she loved her husband, how grateful she was that he hadn’t left her for someone who could give him children.
    But if he wasn’t her father, how had he gotten her? Where did she come from?
    Kit met Val at the car door. “You’d better be prepared,” she whispered as Bruno drove off. “Everyone’s talking about you.”
    â€œAbout me?” Val asked. This was a nightmare she hadn’t anticipated.
    â€œA couple of the girls must have heard Michelle yesterday,” Kit replied. “Five of them have already asked me if it’s true. About the adoption, I mean. Most of the others edged over to hear my answer.”
    Val felt sick to her stomach. “I can’t go in,” she said.
    â€œDo you want to go back home?” Kit asked.
    Val shook her head. “I can’t go there either,” she said. “Give me a moment. I’ll be okay.” She stood absolutely still, then took a deep breath.
    â€œThey won’t bother you,” Kit said. “They won’t come up to you or anything. But you were bound to overhear, so I wanted you to be prepared.”
    Val remembered what it had been like the days after her mother had died. Half the girls had been overly concerned, the other half had avoided her. Right then, she favored avoidance.
    â€œWhat did you tell them?” she asked, suddenly curious about how Kit had handled things.
    â€œI told them Michelle was jealous because Larry DeVito asked you out and not her,” Kit replied.
    â€œBut that’s a lie,” Val said. “He never asked either of us out.”
    â€œI know,” Kit said, looking smug. “But they’re not about to run over to Sacred Heart to ask him. And it gets the gossip running in a whole different direction.”
    â€œYou are Jamey’s daughter,” Val said, and then those very words pained her. A spasm shook her body, and she buckled over.
    Kit grabbed her fast and blocked her from the other girls’ view. “Can you go through with this?” she asked.
    â€œI have to,” Val said, straightening up. “I’m sorry. I’m feeling kind of lost right now.”
    â€œWhat happened?” Kit asked. “Did your father say something?”
    â€œMy mother,” Val whispered. “She left me a letter. It’s all true.”
    The first bell rang. “I’m sorry,” Kit said. “I was hoping it wasn’t.”
    â€œYou and me both,” Val said. “Come on. I’ll talk to you later.”
    Kit nodded. She and Val walked into the school building together. Val was aware of all the eyes on them, and that made her just angry enough to stand tall and walk at an appropriate pace. She spotted Michelle in the school yard as they approached the door, but neither one said anything. Michelle didn’t look so great herself. Val hoped she was being plagued with questions about Larry DeVito, a boy who Michelle had had a crush on for going on two years.
    The morning wasn’t so bad. There was a trick Val had learned when her mother was dying of forgetting about everything except schoolwork, and concentrating completely on that. So