Dirt Bike Runaway by Matt Christopher

Author:Matt Christopher [CHRISTOPHER, MATTHEW F]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780316095525
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Published: 2009-12-19T05:00:00+00:00

8

They rode to church on Sunday, Mr. MacKenzie driving his blue, two-door Buick and Mrs. MacKenzie sitting beside him. Giff, D.C., and Peter sat in the back seat.

None of the five said a word all the way to church, which was about a mile and a half from their home. Most of the talking had taken place earlier, while they were getting ready to go.

Mrs. MacKenzie had asked Peter if he cared to attend Mass with them, and he’d said yes. He used to go to church every Sunday with the Bentleys. They were also Catholic. He was a Baptist, he said, but he didn’t mind going to church with them if they didn’t mind it, either. Giff had found an old suit he had outgrown, and it was no trouble for Peter to put on a size 15½ shirt, even though his regular size was 14½.

Last night Mr. MacKenzie had said to Peter that he thought the Bentleys should be notified of Peter’s staying with the MacKenzies. It would relieve the Bentleys of worry and assure them that Peter was all right, but that, as of now, he preferred not to go back to them.

“If you think it’s the right thing to do,” Peter had said.

“It is, Peter,” Mrs. MacKenzie had cut in calmly. “Mr. MacKenzie and I talked quite a bit about you and your situation. We’re sure it’s best for everyone concerned.”

So the phone call had been made, much to the Bentleys’ appreciation and relief. To Peter’s surprise, they didn’t mind it one bit that he wanted to stay with the MacKenzies a few days to give him time to think things over. Maybe the MacKenzies would help him come to a right decision on what to do with himself. He’d been afraid that the Bentleys would want him to go back.

In the car he noticed that D.C. had edged up closer to her brother instead of sitting directly in the middle between them. He had moved as close as he could to the side of the seat, too, leaving a space of about two inches between himself and D.C.

Despite her coolness toward him, he couldn’t help noticing how pretty she looked. She was wearing her brown hair back over her left ear and letting it dangle loosely over her right ear, which he thought was funny because it hid one of her white cameo earrings. Her dress was yellow and silky, with short, fluffy sleeves and a narrow white belt. She wore high-heeled shoes, but not the spiky type that made women’s ankles wobble when they walked. Hers seemed to be just right. And he liked her perfume.

He wished she’d change her mind about him.

They stopped at a restaurant after church, had breakfast, then returned home. The day was hot and sunny again, and it was about a hundred degrees inside the garage when he got to work on the bike that Giff had told him about.

It was a Muni 125 LC, red-fendered, with twin carburetors.

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