All
kinds
of things can happen to kids when their folks don't know where they are. I wish you boys hadn't got mixed up in that so-called experiment.”
“Well, don't worry,” Mrs. Hatford said, “because I've told them not to go over there anymore. Every time our kids and the Malloy kids get together, it seems there's trouble. Let the boys stay on this side of the river and the girls on the other, and maybe we'll have some peace and quiet around here.”
But on the way upstairs, Josh whispered to Wally, “I'm getting that Valentine's candy over to Beth no matter what.”
The following day, Sunday, after church, the Malloy girls stayed on their side of the river and the Hat-fords stayed on theirs. It was one of the most boring afternoons Wally could remember, and he realized with a jolt that the reason was because there was no point in wondering what the Malloy girls were up to, because the answer would be “nothing.” He consented to play Monopoly with Peter because there was nothing else to do. He even let Peter put a hotel on Park Place.
They were sprawled on the floor of Wally's bedroom, all Wally's money on one side of the board and Peter's on the other, when Josh stopped by.
“Hey, Peter,” said Josh. “Tomorrow's Valentine's Day, you know it?”
“Uh-huh,” said Peter. “We're having pink-and-red cupcakes at school.”
“Good for you,” said Josh. “I've got a problem, though. I bought a box of chocolates for Beth, and Mom doesn't want me to go over there. I'll give you a quarter to deliver it for me.”
Peter shook his head. “Mom doesn't want
me
over there either.”
“But
your
delivering the candy wouldn't be the same thing as
my
delivering it,” Josh said. “Mom wouldn't get mad if you just did what I asked you to do.”
“She'd get mad no matter who did it,” said Peter.
“Tell you what,” Josh went on. “All you have to do is take the box over to the Malloys’ and leave it on their porch, between the front door and the storm door. You don't even have to ring the bell or anything. Just leave it, okay? And I'll give you a quarter.”
“Okay,” said Peter.
He went downstairs and put on his coat and cap, pulled a mitten out of each pocket, then took the yellow box with the big red ribbon and looked it over. There was a handmade card in a handmade envelope taped to the box. It had pieces of red and pink and silver tissue paper pasted on it in unusual shapes, Beth's name in gold, and little red sparkles all over the envelope. Peter shook the box. He smelled it.
“Go, Peter!” Josh commanded.
Still studying the box in his hands, Peter slowly went down the front steps and across the road to the swinging bridge.
Eleven
Gift
B eth had baked two chocolate hearts, one for Josh and one for her father. Coach Malloy had eaten his, but Beth was going to wait until after dark, when no one would see her, then leave Josh's heart on his front porch and ring the bell.
“This is
boring
!” Caroline complained to her sisters as the girls sprawled on Eddie's bed, resting their chins on their hands. “If we can't have anything to do with the Hatfords again, we might as well go back to Ohio. I mean, what have we ever found to do in Buckman that's as exciting as hanging out with the boys?”
“That's the problem with us,” Eddie told them as they looked out the window toward the Hatfords’ house. “There's lots to do in Buckman—we just haven't gotten involved.”
“
I'v
e
been involved! I had a part in the communityplay!” Caroline said, failing to mention that she was sick the night of the performance. “But I
still
think doing stuff with the Hatfords—doing things
to
the Hatfords—has been the most fun of all.”
“So do I,” said Beth in a soft voice, a dreamy voice— and, Caroline noticed, a decidedly sad voice. “But there's got to be more than just leaving a chocolate heart on Josh's porch. I'm going to find a way to be with him if I have to run away to do
kinds
of things can happen to kids when their folks don't know where they are. I wish you boys hadn't got mixed up in that so-called experiment.”
“Well, don't worry,” Mrs. Hatford said, “because I've told them not to go over there anymore. Every time our kids and the Malloy kids get together, it seems there's trouble. Let the boys stay on this side of the river and the girls on the other, and maybe we'll have some peace and quiet around here.”
But on the way upstairs, Josh whispered to Wally, “I'm getting that Valentine's candy over to Beth no matter what.”
The following day, Sunday, after church, the Malloy girls stayed on their side of the river and the Hat-fords stayed on theirs. It was one of the most boring afternoons Wally could remember, and he realized with a jolt that the reason was because there was no point in wondering what the Malloy girls were up to, because the answer would be “nothing.” He consented to play Monopoly with Peter because there was nothing else to do. He even let Peter put a hotel on Park Place.
They were sprawled on the floor of Wally's bedroom, all Wally's money on one side of the board and Peter's on the other, when Josh stopped by.
“Hey, Peter,” said Josh. “Tomorrow's Valentine's Day, you know it?”
“Uh-huh,” said Peter. “We're having pink-and-red cupcakes at school.”
“Good for you,” said Josh. “I've got a problem, though. I bought a box of chocolates for Beth, and Mom doesn't want me to go over there. I'll give you a quarter to deliver it for me.”
Peter shook his head. “Mom doesn't want
me
over there either.”
“But
your
delivering the candy wouldn't be the same thing as
my
delivering it,” Josh said. “Mom wouldn't get mad if you just did what I asked you to do.”
“She'd get mad no matter who did it,” said Peter.
“Tell you what,” Josh went on. “All you have to do is take the box over to the Malloys’ and leave it on their porch, between the front door and the storm door. You don't even have to ring the bell or anything. Just leave it, okay? And I'll give you a quarter.”
“Okay,” said Peter.
He went downstairs and put on his coat and cap, pulled a mitten out of each pocket, then took the yellow box with the big red ribbon and looked it over. There was a handmade card in a handmade envelope taped to the box. It had pieces of red and pink and silver tissue paper pasted on it in unusual shapes, Beth's name in gold, and little red sparkles all over the envelope. Peter shook the box. He smelled it.
“Go, Peter!” Josh commanded.
Still studying the box in his hands, Peter slowly went down the front steps and across the road to the swinging bridge.
Eleven
Gift
B eth had baked two chocolate hearts, one for Josh and one for her father. Coach Malloy had eaten his, but Beth was going to wait until after dark, when no one would see her, then leave Josh's heart on his front porch and ring the bell.
“This is
boring
!” Caroline complained to her sisters as the girls sprawled on Eddie's bed, resting their chins on their hands. “If we can't have anything to do with the Hatfords again, we might as well go back to Ohio. I mean, what have we ever found to do in Buckman that's as exciting as hanging out with the boys?”
“That's the problem with us,” Eddie told them as they looked out the window toward the Hatfords’ house. “There's lots to do in Buckman—we just haven't gotten involved.”
“
I'v
e
been involved! I had a part in the communityplay!” Caroline said, failing to mention that she was sick the night of the performance. “But I
still
think doing stuff with the Hatfords—doing things
to
the Hatfords—has been the most fun of all.”
“So do I,” said Beth in a soft voice, a dreamy voice— and, Caroline noticed, a decidedly sad voice. “But there's got to be more than just leaving a chocolate heart on Josh's porch. I'm going to find a way to be with him if I have to run away to do
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