said. “Nobody believed me, but I was right. So why can’t I go?”
“Because you still haven’t been taking this trip seriously,” said Mrs. Martin. “You haven’t been the least bit cooperative.”
Stevie opened her mouth, about to argue with Mrs. Martin, but then she realized that if Mrs. Martin knew what she had
really
been doing, she would be introuble for life. “I guess you’re right,” she said miserably.
Mrs. Martin looked down at the tickets in her hand. “It’s true that Skye Ransom is your friend, Stevie. Without you we never would have gotten these tickets. If you like, I can return them to Mr. Ransom.”
“No way!” Stevie said. “His play sounds fantastic. There are thrills. There are chills. Plus, Skye is a great actor.”
“You’re a nice person, Stevie,” said Mrs. Martin. “You’re generous and sweet. But you have no discipline. You have no inner fiber. You’ll never get anyplace unless you change.”
“She will,” said Ms. Dodge, putting her arm around Stevie. “I know she’ll do better.”
“But Ms. Dodge will have to stay and watch me,” Stevie groaned. “It’s really not fair. She’s going to miss two plays in a row. I’m single-handedly wrecking her trip to New York.”
“I don’t mind staying,” Ms. Dodge said. “It will give us a chance to spend some time together.”
If only Ms. Dodge weren’t so nice
, Stevie thought. She was making Stevie feel miserable.
“We’ll have a good time,” Ms. Dodge said to Stevie. “We’ll order dinner from room service and then we’ll watch TV.”
Stevie crumpled. This did
not
sound like a fantastic evening. “I’ve always wanted to go backstage at a Broadway show,” she said to Mrs. Martin. “It’s a lifelong dream. I promise …”
Mrs. Martin shook her head. “I’m sorry, Stevie.”
When the class had gone, Ms. Dodge got the room service menu and said, “What would you like, Stevie?”
“Bread and water,” Stevie said miserably.
“Don’t be like that,” said Ms. Dodge with a smile. “Take a look at the menu.”
On the menu there were good things like hamburgers and fries. And there was an array of tempting desserts. But Stevie knew that somehow or other she had to get herself under control. No way was she going to wander off in the park again. Maybe eating right would help.
“What are you having?” she asked Ms. Dodge.
“The sautéed filet of sole looks scrumptious,” said Ms. Dodge.
“Totally,” said Stevie.
Ms. Dodge waggled her fingers over the menu as if she were having trouble deciding. “How about some broccoli to go with that fish?”
“Fantastic,” Stevie said. Until this moment, she would rather have died than order broccoli.
Half an hour later, a man wheeled a table into their room. The plates were covered with metal domes to keep the food warm.
“Let’s dig in,” Ms. Dodge said happily.
When the waiter whipped the cover off her plate, Stevie nearly fainted. There was a slab of white fish, a
huge
pile of broccoli, and a sprig of parsley.
Well
, Stevie figured,
I can eat the parsley.
But Ms. Dodge was so nice that Stevie didn’t want to hurt her feelings. She scooped up a forkful of broccoli. She closed her eyes. She opened her mouth. She inserted the broccoli. She chewed. The broccoli didn’t have a lot of taste, but it wasn’t that bad, either. She opened her eyes with relief.
“Most kids don’t like broccoli,” said Ms. Dodge.
“I’m building my inner fiber,” said Stevie with a chuckle.
“I’m glad you can laugh,” said Ms. Dodge. “To tell you the truth, I was afraid this evening was going to be grim.”
“This is the best broccoli I ever ate,” Stevie said. “And to tell you the truth, it’s the first broccoli I ever ate.”
Ms. Dodge giggled. It was a very nice sound. Somehow it made Stevie feel better.
Stevie ate half the broccoli—she figured that eating more would be overdoing it. And then she looked atthe fish. The aunt who lived
“Because you still haven’t been taking this trip seriously,” said Mrs. Martin. “You haven’t been the least bit cooperative.”
Stevie opened her mouth, about to argue with Mrs. Martin, but then she realized that if Mrs. Martin knew what she had
really
been doing, she would be introuble for life. “I guess you’re right,” she said miserably.
Mrs. Martin looked down at the tickets in her hand. “It’s true that Skye Ransom is your friend, Stevie. Without you we never would have gotten these tickets. If you like, I can return them to Mr. Ransom.”
“No way!” Stevie said. “His play sounds fantastic. There are thrills. There are chills. Plus, Skye is a great actor.”
“You’re a nice person, Stevie,” said Mrs. Martin. “You’re generous and sweet. But you have no discipline. You have no inner fiber. You’ll never get anyplace unless you change.”
“She will,” said Ms. Dodge, putting her arm around Stevie. “I know she’ll do better.”
“But Ms. Dodge will have to stay and watch me,” Stevie groaned. “It’s really not fair. She’s going to miss two plays in a row. I’m single-handedly wrecking her trip to New York.”
“I don’t mind staying,” Ms. Dodge said. “It will give us a chance to spend some time together.”
If only Ms. Dodge weren’t so nice
, Stevie thought. She was making Stevie feel miserable.
“We’ll have a good time,” Ms. Dodge said to Stevie. “We’ll order dinner from room service and then we’ll watch TV.”
Stevie crumpled. This did
not
sound like a fantastic evening. “I’ve always wanted to go backstage at a Broadway show,” she said to Mrs. Martin. “It’s a lifelong dream. I promise …”
Mrs. Martin shook her head. “I’m sorry, Stevie.”
When the class had gone, Ms. Dodge got the room service menu and said, “What would you like, Stevie?”
“Bread and water,” Stevie said miserably.
“Don’t be like that,” said Ms. Dodge with a smile. “Take a look at the menu.”
On the menu there were good things like hamburgers and fries. And there was an array of tempting desserts. But Stevie knew that somehow or other she had to get herself under control. No way was she going to wander off in the park again. Maybe eating right would help.
“What are you having?” she asked Ms. Dodge.
“The sautéed filet of sole looks scrumptious,” said Ms. Dodge.
“Totally,” said Stevie.
Ms. Dodge waggled her fingers over the menu as if she were having trouble deciding. “How about some broccoli to go with that fish?”
“Fantastic,” Stevie said. Until this moment, she would rather have died than order broccoli.
Half an hour later, a man wheeled a table into their room. The plates were covered with metal domes to keep the food warm.
“Let’s dig in,” Ms. Dodge said happily.
When the waiter whipped the cover off her plate, Stevie nearly fainted. There was a slab of white fish, a
huge
pile of broccoli, and a sprig of parsley.
Well
, Stevie figured,
I can eat the parsley.
But Ms. Dodge was so nice that Stevie didn’t want to hurt her feelings. She scooped up a forkful of broccoli. She closed her eyes. She opened her mouth. She inserted the broccoli. She chewed. The broccoli didn’t have a lot of taste, but it wasn’t that bad, either. She opened her eyes with relief.
“Most kids don’t like broccoli,” said Ms. Dodge.
“I’m building my inner fiber,” said Stevie with a chuckle.
“I’m glad you can laugh,” said Ms. Dodge. “To tell you the truth, I was afraid this evening was going to be grim.”
“This is the best broccoli I ever ate,” Stevie said. “And to tell you the truth, it’s the first broccoli I ever ate.”
Ms. Dodge giggled. It was a very nice sound. Somehow it made Stevie feel better.
Stevie ate half the broccoli—she figured that eating more would be overdoing it. And then she looked atthe fish. The aunt who lived
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