Dexter the Tough by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Author:Margaret Peterson Haddix
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Chapter 11

“Dexter, I am so excited to see what you wrote,” Ms. Abbott said, beaming at him.

Dexter blinked up at her.

“Huh?” he asked.

He was in a daze today. He kept wondering what time Daddy was starting the experimental treatment. Why hadn’t Dexter asked? Maybe right this very minute Daddy was being wheeled into an operating room, or hooked up to some nasty medicine that would make him throw up and sweat and shiver even worse than ever. Dexter had seen Daddy get sick from medicine so many times before. Maybe this time he would even . . .

“Your story” Ms. Abbott said, grinning and flipping a strand of her long, honey-colored hair over her shoulder. “Remember?”

Today, being in the same room with Ms. Abbott felt like staring into the sun. She glowed so brightly it hurt to look. Today Dexter belonged in a dark room, with all the shades drawn. Last night at bedtime Grandma had turned out the lights and sat on the edge of Dexter’s bed. She’d clutched his hand and prayed, over and over again: “Lord, please be with your son Thomas, Dexter’s daddy. Please wrap this whole family in your love. Please guide the doctor’s hands. Please, God, Dexter and his momma need Thomas here. . . . ”

And lying in the dark, listening to Grandma pray, Dexter had felt that maybe there was still some hope. He’d fallen asleep listening to Grandma talking to God.

But then this morning Grandma had to go to work and Dexter had to go to school, like usual. Like nothing important was happening today. And in the sunlight, Dexter couldn’t hold the sound of Grandma’s prayers in his head anymore.

“Dexter,” Ms. Abbott said. “You did write another version of your story, didn’t you? Telling Robin’s side of things?”

A stern tone had crept into her voice. She had her hands on her hips.

“Yeah,” Dexter said dully. He remembered Grandma putting the paper in his backpack. “I’ll get it.”

He went to the cubbyhole where he’d stored his backpack. Unzip the backpack, pull out the paper, walk back to Ms. Abbott . . . everything seemed to take an extra effort.

Ms. Abbott was watching him, her eyebrows squinted together.

“Thank you,” she said, sounding puzzled now. She took the paper and let him sit down in the chair by her desk.

Dexter watched Ms. Abbott read. What had he written? Oh, yeah, about how Robin saw the fight.

Suddenly Ms. Abbott’s eyes got really big and her eyebrows arched up toward her hair.

“He was already crying?” she asked. “Before you hit him?”

“Yeah,” Dexter said.

“You hit Robin Bryce when he was crying?”

Dexter shrugged. Ms. Abbott put down the paper and stared at him, her mouth hanging open, like she didn’t know what to say. That look broke through Dexter’s daze.

Oh, no, Dexter thought. Grandma was praying so hard for Daddy, telling God I need my daddy alive. Why would God want to do something nice for me? I’m a terrible person. I beat up Robin. I beat him up when he was already crying.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.