Takeoffs and Landings by Haddix Margaret Peterson

Author:Haddix, Margaret Peterson [Haddix, Margaret Peterson]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Young Adult, Contemporary, Childrens
ISBN: 9781442457799
Goodreads: 13544895
Publisher: Simon Schuster Books for Young Readers
Published: 2001-09-01T07:00:00+00:00

Chuck forgot to eat lunch.

He would have forgotten about meeting Mom at four, too, except that at three forty-five polite chimes echoed through the art museum and a classy-sounding voice announced, “We regret to inform the patrons of the High Museum of Art that we will be closing early today, due to our air-conditioning problems.”

Chuck hadn’t even noticed that they were having air-conditioning problems.

But the announcement forced him to look at his watch, then he took off running. Fifteen minutes. Could he get back to the hotel in fifteen minutes?

He got turned around leaving the art museum and went the wrong way for three blocks. Fortunately, the round top of the hotel stuck up high above the buildings around it, so he navigated his way back looking up the whole time.

His watch said 3:57 when he stepped onto the elevator. He was going to make it!

Of course, Lori would probably tattle on him, anyway, for not staying with her. He gulped. He never got in trouble with Mom. But the art museum had been worth it. He closed his eyes briefly, and visions swam before his eyes—colors and strokes, portraits that revealed more than photographs, landscapes that made him long to travel everywhere.

The elevator dinged on his floor and he hurried to the room. The door was just swinging shut.

Mom was already back.

He rushed in behind her, wondering how he could explain. How he could counter whatever Lori had already told Mom.

Mom had her back to Chuck.

“Where’s your brother?” she was asking. “Don’t tell me you two got separated. I thought I very specifically said—”

Lori looked past Mom to Chuck.

“Couldn’t you find the ice machine?” she said. “It’s right down the hall.”

“Um—um—,” Chuck sputtered.

“Oh, you forgot the ice bucket. Stupid!” Lori’s voice was teasing. But she flashed a defiant look at Mom.

Chuck tried to figure out what was going on. Wasn’t Lori going to tell on him?

Mom turned and looked back apologetically at Chuck.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “I was jumping to conclusions. I never said you had to tie your wrists together just to go get ice.”

She slid out of her high-heeled shoes and collapsed onto the nearest bed.

“I am all talked out,” she moaned. “How was your day? What did you two do?”

“Just looked around some,” Lori said. “Saw the city.”

Chuck squinted at Lori in confusion. She was covering for him. Why? She flashed him a look that very clearly said, Keep your mouth shut. Mom didn’t even notice because her eyes were closed.

“Hmm,” Mom said. “Where did you eat lunch?”

“Wendy’s,” Lori said smoothly.

Chuck had never known Lori was such a good liar. Maybe she wasn’t lying. Maybe she really had eaten at Wendy’s. Only, she was making Mom think Chuck had been there with her.

His stomach growled.

“After lunch, it was so hot, we just came back here and swam in the pool,” Lori said.

Lori looked him straight in the eye, daring him to contradict her.

She knew.

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