The Upside of Ordinary by Susan Lubner

Author:Susan Lubner [Lubner, Susan]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780823426256
Publisher: Holiday House
Published: 2012-01-01T08:00:00+00:00

13

Losers Weepers

“I am so angry with you, Jermaine,” Mom shouts in my ear. It is less than ten minutes after Mom peeled out of the driveway that she calls me from Aunt Edie’s. “How could you do this to me?”

“I’m sorry,” I tell her. “I’m really, really sorry.” That last sorry barely makes it out of my throat, it’s so tight with shame.

“How could you bring that thing into our home when you know how I hate spiders? You know how I hate them, Jermaine! Ugh! I feel like something’s crawling over me!”

Before I have a chance to respond, Mom says: “I’m staying at Aunt Edie’s until you find that monster. I can’t imagine having that thing show up in my bed! You’re in big trouble, Jermaine! Big trouble!” she tells me.

“I’m sure it won’t go all the way upstairs to your bed, Mom,” I say hopefully, scanning the kitchen and then the staircase that leads to the bedrooms.

“You don’t know that, Jermaine! You do not know that! And I am not going to find out if it can or it can’t! Find that horrible thing, and get it out of the house, because I am not coming home until you do!”

“But what if …” I start to say. What if I never find it? Panic rattles through me when the thought crosses my mind.

“And tell your father to pack me a bag with my toothbrush and underwear … tell him to check the suitcase first, just in case … oh never mind! The spider could be setting up a nest in one of those suitcases right now! Who knows where that thing could be … it could be in my underwear drawer … oh no, it won’t lay eggs, will it? Oh please, Jermaine! Tell me it won’t lay eggs!”

That never occurred to me. Harry is a boy, but then again we have a hamster named Bernie with seven kids.

All I can think of to say is, “I don’t think spiders make nests.”

“Jermaine, get off the phone and help us find this spider!” Dad yells up from the basement.

“I’ll find him. Don’t worry,” I tell her.

“PLEASE, Jermaine. You find him, and then you find someone else to spider-sit, because your pet-sitting days are over! Do you understand?”

“Yes … I promise … I have to go, Mom,” I say. “Bye.” When I hang up, I realize that I have a missing Uncle and a missing spider and now Mom is gone, too.

Down in the basement Susie follows Dad around. Dad looks under the dryer, Susie looks under the dryer. Dad looks behind the sink, Susie looks behind the sink.

“We’re probably going to have to move,” Zelda says.

“Stop standing around and wasting time,” Dad commands. “It has to be around here somewhere.” I check under the Ping-Pong table. The hamsters are back in their cages. Susie comes over and sniffs at the floor.

After an hour or so of searching, we still haven’t found Harry. “Maybe he’s gone upstairs,” Dad says, looking up at the ceiling.

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