Trouble in the Trees by Yolanda Ridge

Author:Yolanda Ridge
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: JUV000000
Publisher: Orca Book Publishers
Published: 2011-04-30T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 12

I spent most of the weekend feeling sorry for myself. It was raining and I couldn’t climb, so I just stayed inside, feeling miserable and dirty.

On Sunday afternoon, I finally forced myself to go outside and find someone to play with. The sun had won its battle with the clouds, and I was starting to feel pathetic.

I found Ethan sitting under a big cherry tree in full bloom. He was reading again.

I sat down next to him. Right away I could smell soap. I sniffed the air to make sure it wasn’t just the cherry blossoms. Nope, definitely soap.

I didn’t want another confrontation like the one I’d had with Ashley. Ethan was my friend. But I needed to know what was going on.

“So,” I started gently, “what’re you reading now?”

“The Collected Papers of Albert Einstein,” he said, without looking up.

I waited a minute, wondering if he was going to stop reading. This was weird. Ethan was normally excited to see me.

“So,” I began again when it was clear that my silent strategy wasn’t working, “how do you think the protest is going?”

Ethan sighed and closed his book. “Don’t be mad, Bree.”

“What?” I asked, trying to sound innocent.

“Mom made me take a bath. For Church. It’s Palm Sunday, you know.”

“Oh.” My parents never took me to church. Mom said she was more spiritual than religious, and Dad said he just wasn’t interested.

“I really had no choice, Bree.” Ethan looked sad enough to cry.

“I know,” I replied. I couldn’t imagine what it was like to have Ms. Matheson as a mother, but I wasn’t surprised that she had forced Ethan into bathing. Really, it was more surprising that he’d lasted this long.

“So, what now?”

“I don’t know, Ethan. It’s not looking good.”

“No, it’s not.”

“As long as you are clean, your mom isn’t going to care that the rest of us are dirty and smelly.”

“There are other parents on the council who might care,” Ethan said hopefully.

“Maybe.”

We were both silent for a while.

“How’s your elbow?” I asked finally.

“Oh, it’s totally fine now,” said Ethan, stretching his arm out to demonstrate.

“I’m glad. Was it a really bad fall?”

“No. Not really. It was Mom’s reaction that was bad.”

“Yeah,” I said. “Does it make you think tree climbing is dangerous?”

“No.” Ethan didn’t even hesitate as he said this. “It was my own fault. I should have been more careful.”

“So you’d like to be able to climb trees again?”

“Yes! I’d love to be able to climb trees like you do, Bree. You make it look so easy and so fun.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

“Tell you what…,” I said slowly, trying to think of something that would make him feel better about the no-bathing thing. And then it hit me. “When this silly protest is over and the bylaw has been overturned, I’ll teach you to climb safely.”

“Really?”

“Really. Do you think your mom will let you?” I asked.

“If the bylaw is overturned, I think she could be convinced.”

“Okay, so we have a deal?”

“Deal,” Ethan said, looking happier than I’d seen him in a long time.

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