Geena and
the locker. The object inside was still very clear. Jana smiled to herself as
Geena turned to show her profile and Jana snapped another picture. Perfect
evidence, she thought, and feeling suddenly professional, she took three more
pictures before returning the camera to the inside of her coat.
Jana watched as Geena slipped on an oversized jacket, which
probably had belonged to one of her brothers. Then she kicked defiantly at the
books lying on the bottom of her locker.
Well, Miss Geena McNatt, thought Jana, we'll see just how much
you can get away with now.
CHAPTER 12
After she left Bumpers, Jana dropped off the roll of film at
the one-hour photo shop. Katie and the others had agreed that the pictures of
the squirt-type catsup bottle sitting on the shelf in Geena's locker, along
with the testimony of Mona and Whitney about catsup being squirted into their
lockers, was pretty good evidence. Jana was going to call Marcie Bee about
testifying that she'd seen the catsup on Jana's jacket, too. All in all, Jana
was satisfied that she had covered all the bases. She was feeling so good that
she ran the last half block to her apartment.
There was a strange car sitting outside her apartment
building when Jana turned into the walk, but she dismissed it. Its driver could
be visiting anyone in the building.
As she hung up her coat in the hall closet, she could hear
her mother and a man talking in the living room. Curious, she picked up her
books from the table and went in to say hello.
But as Jana stepped into the living room, she froze in her
tracks. The smile on her face suddenly felt pasted there. Sitting on the couch
next to a very burly man was Geena McNatt.
"Come sit down, Jana." Her mother's stiff voice
broke the silence that had fallen over the room. "This is Mr. McNatt, and
I'm sure you know Geena."
Jana crossed the room cautiously, as if it were a pool
filled with piranhas and sat on the edge of the chair next to her mother.
"Mr. McNatt has been telling me about some trouble that
you and Geena have been having at school," her mother continued. "I
told him I was sure there is a logical explanation for it and that things could
be worked out." Everyone's eyes were on Jana.
Mr. McNatt's face was square, like the rest of his body. His
hair was light colored with flecks of gray and was cut short like Max's and Joe's.
In fact, he looked like Max, only grown up. His eyes pecked out of the puffy
flesh around them, but Jana was surprised to see that they didn't look all that
unkind.
"Geena says that you've been picking on her, Jana. She
says that you started a fight with her outside Bumpers and blamed her for Mona
Vaughn's having bubble mix in her purse, which she says she had nothing to do
with. She also says that you and your friends have been following her around
school."
"My brothers will tell you she started the fight, too!"
Geena interrupted.
Her father put his hand on her knee to quiet her as Jana's
mother continued, "As I told you, Mr. McNatt, I'm sure my daughter can
clear up the whole matter. Do you want to tell us what's happening, Jana?"
Jana felt as if she were sitting in a witness chair and
there were a spotlight centered right on top of her head.
"Geena did spill the bubble mix in Mona's purse.
Mona told me she did."
"Why did you automatically assume this other girl was
telling the truth and that my daughter did it?" Mr. McNatt asked in a
gravelly voice.
"I've known Mona for a long time, and she wouldn't
do something like that. Besides, I saw Geena knock Mona's books off her
desk," Jana said.
"So you've taken the side of a friend against someone
you don't know as well." Mr. McNatt stated it as if he were a judge ruling
on a criminal offense.
"No. That's not it at all," Jana protested,
looking to her mother for support. "Geena has been doing lots of bad
things to people. She took Whitney Larkin's homework, and she squirted catsup
in my and some other kids' lockers, and—"
"Did you see her do
the locker. The object inside was still very clear. Jana smiled to herself as
Geena turned to show her profile and Jana snapped another picture. Perfect
evidence, she thought, and feeling suddenly professional, she took three more
pictures before returning the camera to the inside of her coat.
Jana watched as Geena slipped on an oversized jacket, which
probably had belonged to one of her brothers. Then she kicked defiantly at the
books lying on the bottom of her locker.
Well, Miss Geena McNatt, thought Jana, we'll see just how much
you can get away with now.
CHAPTER 12
After she left Bumpers, Jana dropped off the roll of film at
the one-hour photo shop. Katie and the others had agreed that the pictures of
the squirt-type catsup bottle sitting on the shelf in Geena's locker, along
with the testimony of Mona and Whitney about catsup being squirted into their
lockers, was pretty good evidence. Jana was going to call Marcie Bee about
testifying that she'd seen the catsup on Jana's jacket, too. All in all, Jana
was satisfied that she had covered all the bases. She was feeling so good that
she ran the last half block to her apartment.
There was a strange car sitting outside her apartment
building when Jana turned into the walk, but she dismissed it. Its driver could
be visiting anyone in the building.
As she hung up her coat in the hall closet, she could hear
her mother and a man talking in the living room. Curious, she picked up her
books from the table and went in to say hello.
But as Jana stepped into the living room, she froze in her
tracks. The smile on her face suddenly felt pasted there. Sitting on the couch
next to a very burly man was Geena McNatt.
"Come sit down, Jana." Her mother's stiff voice
broke the silence that had fallen over the room. "This is Mr. McNatt, and
I'm sure you know Geena."
Jana crossed the room cautiously, as if it were a pool
filled with piranhas and sat on the edge of the chair next to her mother.
"Mr. McNatt has been telling me about some trouble that
you and Geena have been having at school," her mother continued. "I
told him I was sure there is a logical explanation for it and that things could
be worked out." Everyone's eyes were on Jana.
Mr. McNatt's face was square, like the rest of his body. His
hair was light colored with flecks of gray and was cut short like Max's and Joe's.
In fact, he looked like Max, only grown up. His eyes pecked out of the puffy
flesh around them, but Jana was surprised to see that they didn't look all that
unkind.
"Geena says that you've been picking on her, Jana. She
says that you started a fight with her outside Bumpers and blamed her for Mona
Vaughn's having bubble mix in her purse, which she says she had nothing to do
with. She also says that you and your friends have been following her around
school."
"My brothers will tell you she started the fight, too!"
Geena interrupted.
Her father put his hand on her knee to quiet her as Jana's
mother continued, "As I told you, Mr. McNatt, I'm sure my daughter can
clear up the whole matter. Do you want to tell us what's happening, Jana?"
Jana felt as if she were sitting in a witness chair and
there were a spotlight centered right on top of her head.
"Geena did spill the bubble mix in Mona's purse.
Mona told me she did."
"Why did you automatically assume this other girl was
telling the truth and that my daughter did it?" Mr. McNatt asked in a
gravelly voice.
"I've known Mona for a long time, and she wouldn't
do something like that. Besides, I saw Geena knock Mona's books off her
desk," Jana said.
"So you've taken the side of a friend against someone
you don't know as well." Mr. McNatt stated it as if he were a judge ruling
on a criminal offense.
"No. That's not it at all," Jana protested,
looking to her mother for support. "Geena has been doing lots of bad
things to people. She took Whitney Larkin's homework, and she squirted catsup
in my and some other kids' lockers, and—"
"Did you see her do
Similar Books
