o 0df2dc86c31d22a8 by Unknown Read Free Book Online Page B

to class, you ran into Sunny, who looked worse than you. She was even more off-the-wall than usual — loud jokes, under-the-breath insults, sudden space-outs.
    Poor thing. Her mom’s really deteriorating. It’s hard to find out exactly how much. Sunny’s not giving any straight answers.
    But you were worried. So you tracked down Dawn after study hall and asked if she knew
    anything.
    “Sunny doesn’t confide in ME anymore,” she replied.
    Well.
    You wish they would patch thing sup. Sunny desperately needs a best friend.
    Don’t we all.
    Thursday
    There’s No Place Like Homeroom
    Who is DAD to lecture you about bedtimes and study habits?
    Now that they’re home — NOW you’re supposed to suddenly revert to childhood? Get into your jimmies and brush your toofies and kiss-kiss before the little hand reaches the nine?
    You tried to be calm about it. You ARE a reasonable guy. You explained that 10:45 wasn’t too late for a good night’s sleep, and you only had twenty more pages to read. And besides, you’d stayed up late OTHER nights this week.
    WHY the explosion? WHY?
    Something’s up. Mom and Dad are arguing behind closed doors — whispering, hissing.
    Maybe they’re still having trouble adjusting to the return.
    Welcome to the club.
    Soc stud
    You were walking head down through the main hall, lost in your own world, when you smelled cigarette smoke. You looked up, and you were in the mood to BLAST somebody, to ask the idiot if he could READ THE SIGNS — and you were practically face-to-face with Mrs. Snyder.
    She’d just walked through the front door and she was stubbing the butt out in an ashtray.
    “Hi,” you said.
    “Hi,” she said.
    You probably didn’t stand there very long. It just SEEMED that way because you felt so AWKWARD seeing her in the middle of the school day, so you just nodded and moved on while she disappeared into Mr. Dean’s office.
    Terrific. Alex has become an official Case.
    Reflections on a Lousy Day
    (Written at Winslow Books)
    He totally ignored you at the lockers.
    You sat with him at lunch. A half hour of slow chewing and window gazing.
    You mentioned you saw his mom. You asked if he saw her.
    Shrug. Shrug.
    Finally you asked, “Are you mad at me about something?”
    He didn’t answer. He stood up and left.
    How much of this can you take?
    Never give up?
    NEVER?
    Even Good Old Ducky has his limits.
    TGIF
    Because
    YNAW
    You Need a Weekend, that is.
    Your chemistry exam is a killer.
    English and French are no day at the beach either.
    In between, you eat lunch all by yourself. Alex is at another table.
    Fine.
    Unfortunately, Marco and a bunch of Cro Mags sit at the table next to you and start quacking and making stupid comments, turning your lunch into sheer misery.
    When the bell rings, you’re out of there. But as you’re rounding the corner to class, you feel two hands reach around your face and cover your eyes.
    Your lurch away. You HATE their idiotic pranks and you HATE the fact that ruining your lunch isn’t enough, that they have to follow you into the hallway and continue their torture — and you’re ready for anything, an egg shampoo, a ridiculous hat, a fight.
    But it’s Dawn. And behind her is Maggie, holding a flower. And Amalia, with a small box of chocolates.
    “Don’t EVER do that again!” Great, Ducky, dump on your pals. “I mean, you scared me.”
    Dawn looks shocked. “Sorry.”
    “We were going to hold you hostage,” Amalia explains. “Force you to endure flowers and chocolate.”
    “We thought you needed it,” Maggie adds.
    You feel like a total JERK. You try to smile, but it feels phony. “Thanks, guys.”
    “I mean, if you don’t LIKE chocolate, I’ll eat it,” Amalia says.
    It’s a joke. You tell yourself to LIGHTEN UP.
    “Whatever,” you say. “You can have it.”
    “Excuse ME, sir,” Amalia says, “what have you done with good old Ducky?”
    Good Old Ducky.
    Good Old, Used-up Ducky.
    Discovering Ducky:
    A Journey to the