Frankie and Amelia by Cammie McGovern

Author:Cammie McGovern
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2021-08-14T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nineteen

“I FINALLY TALKED TO YOUR DAD last night,” Connie says the next morning. “He’s very sorry about yesterday. He had a fight with Sandy, so you can probably guess—he got distracted, and by the time he remembered what day it was, he was in a bleak mood and didn’t think you’d want to see him. He promises he’ll make it up to you. He really does feel terrible, honey. Maybe I can ask him to stop by and help with your math this week?’

Amelia sighs and rolls over in bed. For the first time since I got here, I slept on her bed last night, not in my cardboard box bedroom. I made sure I didn’t crowd Amelia. I never like getting touched in my sleep and I suspect she doesn’t either.

Now I step closer. Maybe now’s the time to tell her that you don’t like math, I suggest.

She doesn’t say anything.

“I have a surprise that I hope you’ll like,” Connie says. “I called Sara and asked if she and Gus and Chester could stop by on Tuesday afternoon. She said yes, which means we have to clean up before they come. All these papers and books need to be put away. But you’d like to see them, right?”

Amelia doesn’t say anything, so I fill in. That’s great news! Chester’s coming! I can tell him my problems and maybe some of Amelia’s problems, too. Maybe he’ll have some ideas on how Amelia can get along better with other kids.

Even as I think this, though, I look around the room. There are a lot of papers and books. I think it might take a long, long time to clean up this room.

On Monday, Amelia comes home from school in a fast-talking, wound-up, pacing mood. I haven’t seen her quite this riled up before. “The mathletes don’t want me on their team anymore. They say I get too mad and I overreact, but the only time I get mad is when Trevor says, ‘Time’s up, Amelia! Time’s up!’ even though we’re practicing without a timer, so how does he know my time’s up?”

“Take a breath, baby.”

“I don’t want to take a breath! I want to quit the math team!”

Connie’s eyes go wide. Amelia’s never said this out loud before, even though I’ve been thinking it a lot so that maybe she would.

For her mom, this is a surprise. “You can’t quit, sweetheart. The Olympiad is in two weeks. They need you. You’re an important part of the team.”

“No, I’m not! I can’t do anything except mental math! I don’t understand ratios or geometry or any of those other things.”

I’ve heard this before, but apparently Connie hasn’t. “Ms. Winger says you’re so good at math. You’re the best fifth grader in the school.”

“Compared to other fifth graders, maybe, but not compared to other mathletes! They try to teach me those other topics, but I don’t really care so I don’t learn them. I’m NOT good, I’m bad and they hate me! All of them!”

For a long time, Connie doesn’t say anything.

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