The Magnolia League by Katie Crouch

Author:Katie Crouch
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: JUV000000
ISBN: 9780316126915
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Published: 2011-05-02T20:00:00+00:00

My grandmother picks up on the second ring. She pauses for a moment before answering my question. But when she does, I have to say, it’s the happiest I’ve ever heard her sound.

“Of course we’d love to have you back, dear,” she says. “Believe it or not, this is your home. All right. I’ll call Sybil directly. Use that credit card of yours and get yourself to San Francisco. No time for the bus—hire a car, darling. I’ll have her send Senator McPhillips’s plane today.”

18

Although I’ve been completely dreading my return—as well as my grandmother’s disapproval and the lecture I’m sure to receive—I feel a sense of relief when I finally see the house again. My body’s so weary that all I can think about is dropping onto my bed and falling asleep for a few hundred hours.

“Alex!” Josie says, pulling me to her chest. “What you did was evil and foolish, but bless your heart, we knew you’d come back.” She releases me and wrests my backpack out of my hands.

“Is she mad at me?”

“Your grandmother is just happy you’re not dead in a ditch somewhere,” Josie says, ushering me into the front hall. “Now go on in, because you’ve got company.”

“No way,” I say. But she’s not kidding. I can hear Madison’s unmistakable laugh bouncing off the black-and-white marble floor of the hallway.

“Surprise!” Hayes says brightly when I enter the living room. And there they all are: my grandmother, Madison, Hayes… and Thaddeus.

“Oh, my precious sweetheart. Look at you,” my grandmother says, rising and planting a regal kiss on my cheek.

“Hey,” I say. It’s about all I have the energy for.

“I should be furious with you, absolutely furious, but I cannot expend the energy. To be honest, it’s too hot to be angry, and it’s bad for my skin. I will say that I am glad you are safe. This country is full of serial killers and Internet predators and all sorts of trash who would just love to get their hands on a sixteen-year-old girl and leave her dead in a ditch.”

What is this obsession with death and ditches?

“Have a little sweet tea,” she says, pouring me a syrupy glassful. “Now, you’re just going to have to sit down and tell us every awful detail.”

“I’m not really in the mood.”

“Well, I suggest you get in the mood, because your friends are here and they were worried sick about you. It was extremely inconsiderate of you to just up and run off like that with no thought as to how it would make everyone else feel. So think of this as an intervention—but an informal one that doesn’t end with you being packed off to a ladies’ farm in New Mexico.”

“To be honest,” I reply, “it sucked. Reggie, my boyfriend—”

“Miss Lee,” Madison says suddenly, “I just remembered. My mother wanted to borrow that brooch from you. Is it upstairs?”

“Yes,” Miss Lee says, appearing unfazed by the interruption. “Just go on up. It’s on my dresser. And when you

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