Upstander by James Preller

Author:James Preller [Preller, James]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

24

[crystals]

Mary was happy when her mother knocked on her door with the offer to make blueberry pancakes.

“Do we have chocolate chips?” Mary asked, instantly perking up.

Ernesto wasn’t around that morning. A friend’s tree had fallen, knocking down a fence, and he went over first thing with his tools and pickup truck. “He loves that chainsaw more than me,” Mary’s mother said, still wrapped in a scarlet bathrobe, flipping pancakes while bacon sizzled in the iron griddle. Mary gulped down a glass of orange juice, slowly waking to the smells of Saturday morning.

“I was wondering if you’d like to go shopping today? Do you have free time?” Mrs. O’Malley asked. “I saw they came out with the back-to-school lists. Lord knows I’ve already purchased enough folders to last a lifetime. And you do need some new clothes. Growing too fast.”

Free time was something that Mary had in excess these days. Alexis and Chrissie were both trying out for cheerleading—they’d make it, easy—and, besides, Mary still wasn’t completely over the icky feeling she got the last time they were together. She’d seen photos on Instagram last night of a six-girl sleepover–slash–birthday party at Tamara Agee’s. It didn’t make Mary jealous—honestly, the party didn’t look like all that much fun, except for the cupcakes, and she wasn’t that tight with Tamara, so it was all understandable—but it still left Mary feeling detached.

A floating-alone-in-the-clouds feeling.

The chocolate chip pancakes with warm maple syrup helped.

As far as the plot against Chantel, Mary decided to do nothing. She wouldn’t participate. She’d stand by and let whatever happened, happen. Which was probably nothing, she told herself. Chantel would be fine. It was nice to think so.

Mary’s mom had this habit that when she drove, she put on a big show about putting away her phone. You know, modeling positive behaviors! But if it dinged, she always reached for it. “I’m just glancing,” she’d say, aware of Mary’s disapproval. “I’d never send a text.”

“I’ve seen you do it,” Mary said.

“At red lights, stop signs, maybe,” her mother said.

It dinged and Mary said, “Want me to read it?”

“No, no, that’s fine,” Mrs. O’Malley insisted. She grabbed the phone and held it in her right hand for the rest of the trip, as if she were protecting it from desperadoes.

Mary found the mall a humorous place. She liked eating in the food court (an unexplainable weakness for Arby’s) and watching the people. She still remembered watching an entire family—mother, father, and three children—all in matching L.L.Bean jackets. The bubbly kind. Same color, same everything. Even better, they were each eating Auntie Anne’s pretzels. People were weird, and there was nothing like the mall to drive that message home.

“Hold on, I have to take this,” Mrs. O’Malley said, indicating the phone. She walked to a less trafficked area and leaned against the wall, her back to Mary. Ten minutes later, she was back—and Mary was annoyed.

“I thought you wanted to do this,” Mary said. “It was your plan.”

“I know, but—Mary, you have no idea.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.