The Wicked Cat by Christopher Pike Read Free Book Online Page A

don’t care. I don’t want to do this anymore.”
    â€œThis is what you’ll be doing all year, every night for five or six hours.”
    She was shocked. “You’re kidding?”
    â€œI told you algebra was hard. When school is on, you don’t do anything but study.”
    â€œBut what if you don’t want to take algebra?”
    Adam shook his head. “Then you’ve got to take calculus, which is a real killer. When you take calculus you don’t even have the weekends free. You sleep and eat calculus,” Adam lied.
    Jessie was upset. “But we didn’t used to have all these hard subjects.”
    Adam shrugged. “It’s tough being a kid these days. And if you should flunk algebra, or any class for that matter, then they make you go to summer school. And that runs from six in the morning till ten at night—three months in a row.”
    Claire, their waitress, arrived She had her pen and pad ready.
    â€œMay I take your order, please?” she asked.
    Jessie grabbed the menu and quickly studied it. “Yes. I’ll have your fish sandwich. Cooked lightly, no mayonnaise.”
    â€œI’m sorry,” Claire said. “We have no fish sandwiches today.”
    Jessie was annoyed again. “Why not?”
    Claire shrugged. “We just don’t have any. What can I say?”
    Jessie studied the menu some more. “Then I’ll have your halibut steak. Cooked rare with no sauce.”
    Claire shook her head. “We’re out of halibut.”
    Jessie blinked. “You’re kidding?”
    â€œI don’t kid, miss. Is there something else you would like?”
    â€œHow about the swordfish?” Jessie asked.
    â€œHow about it?” Claire asked, clearly enjoying her role.
    â€œDo you have it?” Jessie growled.
    â€œYes.”
    â€œI’ll have it with—”
    â€œBut it’s old,” Claire interrupted. “We’re about to throw it out.”
    Jessie looked ready to kill. “Are you saying you have no fish at all?
    â€œYes.”
    â€œWhy didn’t you say that as soon as you walked up to the table?” Jessie yelled.
    Claire smiled. “You didn’t ask. May I get you something else?”
    Jessie threw the menu down. “I’ll have the chicken.”
    â€œI’m sorry, we just ran out of chicken five minutes ago.”
    Jessie was livid. “What do you have to eat then?”
    Claire frowned. “Not much. Would you like a banana?”
    Jessie turned to Adam. “I want to go somewhere else and eat.”
    â€œThis is the best place in town,” Adam said. “If they don’t have fish or chicken here, you won’t find it within a hundred miles of this town.”
    Jessie fumed. “I’ll have a bowl of milk then.”
    â€œYou can have the bowl,” Claire said. “But we’re out of milk as well.”
    â€œHow can you be out of milk?” Jessie screamed.
    Claire put her hands on her hips. “Really, younglady, if you’re going to carry on like this I’m going to have to ask you to leave.”
    Jessie jumped up. “We are leaving. There’s nothing here for me to eat.”
    Adam stood. “You’re just going to have to learn to eat new things.” He added, “Or else you’re going to starve to death.”

9
    A dam took her to the community swimming pool next, the last place he figured Jessie would want to go. He knew how much cats hated the water. And Jessie did in fact look pretty miserable on the walk over.
    â€œYou can’t go to school unless you take PE,” Adam said. “And the only PE class offered this year is swimming.”
    Jessie was aghast. “For the whole year?”
    â€œYeah. Well have to swim every morning for an hour. And I’ve heard the pool at school is worse than the community pool. It’s not heated In the winter you have to break the ice before you can