The Lost Lullaby by Jason Segel

Author:Jason Segel
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Published: 2016-09-13T04:00:00+00:00

Neither of the Laird boys had taken a single bite of their tofu surprise. Jack was constructing a fortress with the white cubes, while Charlie was mashing his tofu into a nasty white paste.

“Traitor,” Charlie mumbled under his breath.

“Jerk,” Jack replied under his.

Andrew Laird put down his fork. “Okay, that’s enough. You guys want to tell me what the heck is going on?” he demanded.

“They’re just having a spat,” said Charlotte, who knew the whole story and had refused to take sides, much to Charlie’s frustration. “Something about a girl at school.”

“The argument needs to end now,” Andrew Laird said. “We don’t call each other names like that in this house.”

Just then the phone rang and the lecture ended as Charlie’s dad stood up to answer it. “Hello?” he said. “Yes, this is he.” For the next thirty seconds, Charlie watched the expression on his father’s face change from confusion to surprise and then finally settle on anger.

“That was interesting,” he told his family as he took his seat at the table. “Your principal just called, Charlie. She wanted to apologize for suspending you this morning. Seems the teacher who accused you and your friends of vandalism confessed that she hadn’t actually caught any of you in the act. She’s resigned from her position.”

Charlie sat up straight in his chair. That wasn’t what they’d planned at all. Ms. Abbot wasn’t supposed to resign. Ollie was going to take credit for his artwork, his mom would probably pay to have the school repainted, and everything would be perfectly fine.

“And while I’m glad to hear that you aren’t a vandal,” Andrew Laird continued, “I do have one question for you: where exactly did you go when you were sent home at eight-thirty this morning?”

Charlie couldn’t help it. He glanced at Charlotte.

“I picked Charlie up from school,” she confessed.

“That’s what I thought,” Andrew Laird said. “And you didn’t bother to tell me because…?”

Charlie could tell Charlotte was nervous. The fork in her hand was shaking so hard that a lump of tofu fell off it. “Because I knew Charlie was innocent, and I didn’t want to upset you,” she said, sticking fairly close to the truth.

“Well, it didn’t work. I am upset,” Andrew said as Charlie watched in horror. He’d never seen his father and stepmother argue like this before. “I don’t like being excluded from important family business as if my opinion doesn’t matter.”

“I’m sorry, Andy,” Charlotte said. Charlie wished she could sound a little more convincing. “I should have called you.”

“He’s my son,” Andrew told her. “I’m glad you two have gotten so close, but the secrets have to stop. If Charlie’s suspended from school, I need to know.”

Charlie stood up from the dinner table and dropped his napkin on his plate. “Don’t get mad at her. It was all my fault,” he said. “I’ll punish myself. I’m going to my room.”

“Charlie!” his dad called as Charlie rushed up the stairs. “Come back and eat your dinner!”

But Charlie couldn’t face it.

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