Tallahassee Higgins by Mary Downing Hahn Read Free Book Online Page A

the ticket soon. Then you'll never have to see Aunt Thelma again."
    ***
    One night, while we were sitting at the dinner table, Aunt Thelma gave me a hard time about moping. She said I should try thinking about somebody besides myself.
    "After all," she said, "you have a roof over your head and three meals a day. That's more than some children have." Pointing her fork at my plate, she added, "Eat your spaghetti. You need to put some meat on those bones. Do you want to stay little and skinny all your life?"
    I poked at the mess on my plate, trying to eat the meat sauce without touching the noodles. "I don't like spaghetti," I said.
    Aunt Thelma frowned, but the phone rang before she could really get going on her favorite topic, the importance of cleaning your plate. "It's probably a salesman," she said as she went to the kitchen to answer it. "They always call at the most inconvenient times."
    As I rearranged my spaghetti, I heard Aunt Thelma say, "Well, it's about time you called. Somebody has been very worried about you."
    Leaping from my chair, I ran to the kitchen as Aunt Thelma said, "Yes, you can speak to her, but I want to talk to you before you hang up."
    My heart was pumping so hard I thought I might die of cardiac arrest. "Liz, Liz!" I yelled into the phone.
    "Talley, honey, how are you?" Liz sounded like she was calling from across the street.
    "I'm fine, but why haven't you written to me? You promised you'd write every day!" I shouted.
    "I'm sorry, Talley, but you know me. I kept meaning to write and then forgetting."
    "Are you sending the ticket soon?"
    "Oh, honey, things haven't worked out quite as well as Bob and I hoped they would. We don't even have a decent place to stay yet, just a room in a motel, sweetie."
    She paused, probably to light a cigarette. "Bob found a job in some pokey little photography shop, and I'm waiting tables in the Big Carrot, but we're looking every day for something better so we can get you out here. We miss you so much, Talley, we really do, but we can't have you come right now."
    "But what about the movies, Liz? What about those people Bob knows, the ones who were going to get you started?" I bit my lip and tried not to cry. What was she doing working in a restaurant? She didn't have to go all the way to California to be a waitress.
    "It takes time, honey, to get into films, but I'm working on it. And Bob's friends are sure I'll make it. All I need is the right break."
    "But can't I come out there now?" I clutched the phone and whispered into it. "I can't stand it here, Liz. Aunt Thelma hates me. She won't let me do anything. I can't even stay up late and watch TV." I snuffled hard and tried to keep my voice low, but I knew it was rising up to a real mosquito whine.
    "I don't care if it's just a motel, Liz," I babbled. "I'll sleep on the floor and I won't be any trouble at all. You won't even know I'm there. Just send me the ticket, please, Liz, please!"
    "Tallahassee, will you calm down?" Liz sounded cross. "I can't handle all this emotion right now. I told you I can't have you with me yet, and you're just going to have to accept that."
    "I don't think you even miss me!" I was angry now. "I'll bet you never think about me at all!" I yelled. "You probably go surfing and swimming and lie around on the beach all day while I freeze in Maryland. More than likely I'll come down with pneumonia and die and you won't even get here for my funeral!"
    "Don't be silly, Talley! You're just a child and you have no idea what it's like to be an adult and have to earn a living and worry all the time about important things like buying food and paying the rent, which isn't cheap even in this crummy place. It isn't like I left you with strangers or something. You're with your uncle in the house I grew up in."
    "You hated it here, and so do I! If you don't come get me soon, I'll do just what you did—I'll run away!"
    "Don't you dare talk to me like that! You'll stay there in Hyattsdale till I send for