Super Emma by Sally Warner

Author:Sally Warner [Warner, Sally]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781101567616
Publisher: Penguin Group US
Published: 2008-04-17T04:00:00+00:00

7

for No Reason

My mom pulls our car up under the big pepper tree in front of our school. She reaches over and twiddles with my hair. “Now remember, honey,” she says, “if things look like they are getting out of control with Jared, I want you to tell Ms. Sanchez—at once. Do you promise me?”

“Okay,” I say, crossing my fingers where she can’t see them. I straighten them for a second to undo my seat belt, and then I grab my backpack.

“I’ll be home all day,” Mom continues. “You call me if—if anything happens.”

She means if Jared gives me a bloody nose or something. “Nothing is going to happen,” I lie.

I know that I am telling a lie, because Jared is going to get even for sure. And for no reason, really, except that he is a boy who likes things to get all stirred up. But there’s nothing I can do about that. That’s just his nature.

Mom is still looking worried. She puts her hand on my sweater, as if her magic touch will keep me from leaving the safety of our red VW. “It’s just that Jared is so big, Emma—and you’re so tiny. He might hurt you by accident.”

I shake away her hand. “You make me sound like an elf or something,” I grumble. “I’m not that small.”

Mom gives me a nervous smile, the kind that doesn’t reach her eyes. “Of course you aren’t an elf, darling. But a big boy like Jared shouldn’t go around hitting a little girl, that’s all. A boy shouldn’t hit any girl. Or even another boy, for that matter.”

My mom can be very old-fashioned. As if a girl wouldn’t get in trouble at Oak Glen for slugging a boy—or another girl! This is an equal-opportunity school when it comes to getting in trouble.

“Oh, dear,” my mom says, “I think I should go into the school office and talk to someone. I can’t just do nothing, Em. I’m going to park this stupid car.”

“Well, you can’t park the car, not here in the loading zone,” I tell her. My heart is thunka-thunking underneath my sweater, because I just want her to go home. “You’ll get a ticket, and tickets are expensive,” I remind her.

“Oh, you’re right,” she mutters. She peers all around, looking for a regular parking place—which is impossible to find on a Thursday morning when school is just about to start.

“There’s Annie Pat waiting for me,” I say real fast, before Mom can come up with another terrible plan. “I’ll-be-okay-I-love-you-bye,” I say, and I jump out of the car.

“Bye,” I can see my mom’s mouth say through the closed window as she gives me a weak little wave.

I try to walk bouncy toward Annie Pat, exactly like a girl who does not know that today is going to be the worst day of her life. Because I’m pretty sure that Mom is still watching me.

But then I hear our car give its little cough and then start up again. She is pulling away from the curb, I think, picturing it.

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