Raven by V. C. Andrews Read Free Book Online Page A

breakfast as she usually did on Saturdays. Aunt Clara tried to get her to take me along, but she resisted and complained.
"She doesn't have the same friends I do," she moaned.
"What does that mean?" Uncle Reuben asked quickly, fixing his eyes on me sharply. "Who are her friends?"
Jennifer shrugged. "She hangs out with black people. I suppose because she's so dark."
"No," I said. "I hang out with people of color who happen to be nice and not phony."
"Oh, and that's supposed to mean my friends are?"
I shrugged. "Because I'm new in the school, everyone is warning me about them," I said as nonchalantly as I could.
Her face looked as if she was facing a wall of fire. Before she could stutter out a response, Aunt Clara spoke. "You two should get along," she said. "You're just about the same age."
"I don't want Jennifer hanging out with any troublemakers," Uncle Reuben said.
"I don't hang out with troublemakers," I insisted. "It's just the opposite."
"Why can't she go with Jennifer and be with young people, too?" Aunt Clara asked softly.
"It's all right. I'm fine," I said.
I don't know why Aunt Clara suggested I go along anyway. She knew that Uncle Reuben would be home and would be watching to make sure I did my chores.
Jennifer wouldn't lift a finger, and she certainly wouldn't have wanted to wait for me.
Shortly after Jennifer left, Aunt Clara and I began our weekly cleaning of the house. William wanted to help with the vacuuming, but Uncle Reuben chastised him.
"That's woman's work," he growled. "Let them do it. Why don't you go play baseball or football instead of spending all your time in your room?" he complained, which only sent William back to his room.
I gazed at Aunt Clara to see if she would speak up for William, but she looked away quickly and continued to clean. We went upstairs to start on the bedrooms, and I began as usual with Jennifer's mess. It was worse than ever, now that she knew I had to do most of the cleaning. Aunt Clara felt sorry for me and joined me in Jennifer's room. She started with making the bed. When she lifted the pillow, she stopped and stared down. I kept picking up clothes that had been flung about with apparent glee. A blouse actually dangled off the top of the vanity mirror.
"What's that?" Aunt Clara asked.
"What?"
I turned and watched her put the pillow down and then pluck the joint between her fingers. She smelled it and looked at me. I approached and leaned over to smell it, too. Then I looked at her, my eyes wide, my head shaking slowly.
"Is this what I think it is?" she asked.
"Yes," I said. "I'm afraid so, Aunt Clara."
"Oh, dear. Oh, dear me. Oh, no. I'll have to tell Reuben." She hurried out of the room and down the stairs. Moments later, I heard Uncle Reuben come charging up, his footsteps so hard on the steps the whole house shook.
"What's going on here?" he demanded.
I stepped out of the bathroom, my arms full of wet towels for the laundry.
"I don't know," I said.
"Who put this there?" he demanded. Aunt Clara came up behind him. I stared at him.
"I really don't know, Uncle Reuben," I said. "You didn't do it?"
"She was working on picking things up when I found it, Reuben. She didn't put it there," Aunt Clara said, and started to cry.
"And I suppose you don't know nothing about it?" Uncle Reuben followed.
I shook my head.
Uncle Reuben's eyes grew small and then widened. He gazed at Aunt Clara and then at me.
"We'll see about this when she gets home," he fired. He shot another angry look in my direction and then left the room.
"Oh, dear," Aunt Clara said. "Oh, dear, dear." She followed after him.
I set down the towels, looked at Jennifer's picture on her dresser, the one in which she had the most conceited grin on her face, and smiled myself.
Jennifer's reaction was predictable. As soon as she was confronted with the evidence, she burst into tears and pointed her right forefinger at me like a pistol.
"She did it. She did it to get me into trouble," she accused.
Uncle Reuben nodded. "I've