Ruby Lu, Brave and True by Lenore Look & Anne Wilsdorf

Author:Lenore Look & Anne Wilsdorf
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Published: 2004-08-28T04:00:00+00:00

And when Ruby finished her news conference with her friends on 20th Avenue South, a hush fell over the audience.

6 Everybody Needs a Blanket

On 20th Avenue South all the plums had fallen off the tree in Ruby and Oscar’s backyard.

All the moon cakes that Ruby’s pohpoh had made for the Midautumn Festival had been eaten.

Wally’s bonsai were growing like bushes.

Tiger was pushing the speed limit in his new sneakers.

Emma and Elwyn had returned to dog obedience school for a graduate-level course, Advanced Charm 505.

Sam added Mummy Foot in a Shoe Box to his repertoire.

Ruby’s mother was sewing costumes for trick-or-treating. Ruby and Ruby wanted to be beautiful twin lakes. Oscar wanted to be Elwyn. And Elwyn was going as Oscar.

And Ruby’s father was now learning four-letter words for Scrabble.

But most exciting of all, no other avenue had a bully with one foot in the grave. No other children felt as hopeful as those on 20th Avenue South that all bad things would soon come to an end. It was all they could do not to sing “Ding Dong the Witch Is Dead” in front of their parents.

Every day at school a different class made get-well cards and egg-carton-and-pipe-cleaner-tissue flowers for Christina. Grown-ups talked in hushed tones, or their voices crashed like plates to the floor. No one was allowed to sneeze. Or cough. And Christina’s mother’s station wagon was never home.

Somehow, Ruby’s Magic Madness was not the same either. Ruby seemed to move in slow motion. Even with Oscar’s help, something was missing. What was it? Was it that Christina’s untimely laughs and coughs and claps had added a touch of suspense to the show? Ruby could hardly help it—she wished her back. It was only a half wish, she told herself, so it didn’t really count.

But after Thanksgiving, Ruby’s half wish—gasp—came true.

Christina reappeared.

Were it not for the mermaid blanket wrapped around her, no one would have recognized Christina. She was not the same. She looked smaller than she had before. She waved from her bedroom window and smiled weakly.

Suddenly, Wally’s tooth hurt. Emma chewed the end of her pigtail. For the first time, Tiger did not smile or look Christina smack in the eye.

Sam held Emma’s hand.

Elwyn whimpered quietly.

And no one waved back.

Ruby didn’t feel so brave anymore either. She shut her eyes and wished her half wish back.

Just then, Christina’s mother opened the door.

“Thank you for all your cards and good wishes,” Christina’s mother cried out. “Christina never knew she had so many friends.”

Emma glanced at Ruby.

Ruby stood on one leg, then the other.

Before anyone could stop him, Oscar waved. And smiled. He jumped up and down. Christina waved back and began to laugh. But it was not her old laugh. This laugh made her look happy.

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