Panic by Sharon M. Draper Read Free Book Online Page A

all the exact details, but somehow her father had ended up being the driver while two of his friends robbed a convenience store—and one of them was armed. He swore he didn’t know what they had planned to do, but the jury didn’t believe him, and he’d been plucked from her life.
    Mercedes, noting her friend’s sad face, slung her arm across her shoulders. “Dance tonight for your daddy,” she whispered.
    â€œThanks, girl,” Layla told Mercedes. “I got this now. Let’s do it.”

9
MERCEDES, Saturday, April 13 6 p.m.
    â€œÂ â€˜She thinks we have lost the way’ . . . ‘and she is rather frightened.’ ”
    â€”from Peter Pan
    Miss Ginger clapped her hands together to get everyone’s attention. “Circle up, guys. It’s almost time.” She sat down on the floor between Zizi and Jillian. Justin, Mercedes noticed, had positioned himself between Layla and Jillian. Almost twenty-five young dancers between the ages of fourteen and seventeen joined the circle.
    â€œI can’t find the sash to my costume, Miss Ginger,” Tara Picassa whined.
    Her twin sister, Tina, said, “You’re sitting on it, silly.” The fourteen-year-olds were the youngest performers in the spring showcase, and they seemed to wear their nerves on their slender shoulders.
    â€œOMG! What if I forget my dance?” Zizi cried out.
    Mercedes shook her head. Who but Zizi would actually talk in text? She wasn’t sure if Zizi was exaggerating like she usually did or if the stress was really getting to her.
    â€œYou won’t, Zizi. Just relax, all of you,” Miss Ginger said in what the girls called her calming voice. “Breathe deeply. Silence. Breathe again.”
    â€œHave you heard anything more about Diamond?” Elizabeth Flemming asked.
    â€œNo, Lil Bit. I haven’t. But I have faith in my prayers.”
    Although she was fifteen, Elizabeth was pixie-tiny and looked like she was eleven or twelve. She couldn’t have weighed more than eighty-five pounds. Everybody, including her teachers, called her Lil Bit.
    She’s perfect for the part of Tinker Bell, Mercedes thought appraisingly.
    â€œI feel all messed up inside,” Layla admitted to the group. Everyone seemed to nod in agreement.
    â€œMaybe we should cancel the show,” Lil Bit suggested quietly. “It doesn’t seem right somehow.”
    Miss Ginger looked carefully at the dancers circled around her. “I’m listening. Does anyone feel strongly about not dancing tonight?”
    The group was silent for a moment, then Justin spoke up. “We’re all sorta nervous, but we really don’t know anything bad has happened.”
    â€œDiamond might even show up in a few minutes, making crazy excuses about being late,” Zizi suggested.
    â€œOr maybe she won’t,” Layla added ominously.
    â€œStop that!” Mercedes cried out. “We need to dance because Diamond would expect us to!”
    â€œAre we all agreed?” Miss Ginger asked.
    A quiet chorus of yeses responded.
    â€œWe’re going to include Diamond in our prayer,” Miss Ginger said. “Praying is all I’ve been doing since I heard about her disappearance.”
    â€œDo you think it will be on the news ?” Zizi said dramatically. “I’ve never known anybody from an Amber Alert before. I think it would be cool to have your name used in an official police capacity.”
    â€œChill, Zizi. The child who had Amber Alert named after her did not survive,” Miss Ginger explained, her tone serious.
    â€œOh.” Zizi looked stricken. “I didn’t know. Sorry.”
    â€œI’m not sure if they will post an Amber Alert. There’s so much we just don’t know at this point,” Miss Ginger told them.
    Mercedes wrapped her arms around her head and squeezed. This was so hard!
    â€œThis is not on you ,” Layla