A Magic Crystal? Read Online Free PDF Page A

me.”
    Casey glared at him. Her face said,
If you leave now, you’ll be really, really sorry!
    He turned and went down the stairs. He got his basketball out of the garage and headed back to Nick’s house.
    The whole way there, Marvin thought about Casey. There was no way he would tell her he “missed hearing her sweet voice.” He was willing to say he was sorry. If that wasn’t good enough, well, too bad!
    “What took you so long?” Stuart asked when Marvin finally made it back to Nick’s house.
    “C’mon, let’s play knockout,” said Nick.
    Marvin looked at his basketball. He suddenly realized something. How couldLinzy know he had to say he “missed hearing her sweet voice” unless Casey told her?
    Casey couldn’t have written it for her, because Linzy couldn’t read! That proved it. Casey must have talked.
    “I have to go home,” he said.
    “But you just got here,” said Stuart.
    “I got stuff I have to do,” Marvin said.
    “What kind of stuff?” asked Nick.
    “Just stuff,” said Marvin. He couldn’t tell them about Casey being at his house. They wouldn’t understand. They might think he liked her.
    He turned and hurried home.
    He tapped the red post for luck, then went inside.
    Linzy, Jacob, and Nate were playing cards on the floor of the family room. Thatsurprised Marvin almost as much as seeing Casey earlier. Jacob and Nate never played with Linzy.

    “Nate, do you have any sevens?” Linzy asked.
    “Hey, Mar,” said Jacob.
    Linzy laughed as Nate angrily threw a card at her.
    “Where’s Casey?” Marvin asked.
    “Your girlfriend went home,” said Nate.
    “She’s not my girlfriend,” said Marvin.
    “She’s really, really mad at you,” said Linzy.
    Marvin shrugged. “I don’t care.”
    “She hates you,” said Linzy.
    “So?” said Marvin.
    He took his basketball through the laundry room and out to the garage. He tossed it into the ball box, but it bounced out and hit his bicycle, which crashed to the ground.
    Marvin grumbled, then picked up his bike. He looked around for the basketball. It had rolled under the van.
    He got a broom off the wall, then lay down on the floor of the garage. Using the broomstick, he knocked the ball out from under the van.
    “I hate her, too,” he said.

9
Her Sweet Voice
    Marvin tried to read his book,
A Thousand Cats
, but couldn’t concentrate. He kept glancing at Casey.
    It was Friday, two days since he wished she would shut up. She still wasn’t talking. He wondered how long she could go on pretending.
    Casey caught him looking at her. She glared back at him, as if to say,
What are you looking at?
    Marvin didn’t look away.
You’re going to have to talk sometime
, he thought.
You can’t keep this up forever.
    That’s what you think!
replied Casey’s face.
    You’ll get in trouble
, thought Marvin.
Mrs. North will find out you don’t have laryngitis!
    I may never talk again
, Casey shot back.
    Good!
thought Marvin.
I’m sick of hearing your ugly voice.
    Well, I’m sick of your stupid, ugly face!
Casey silently replied.
    And I’m sick of your stupid, ugly ponytail!
thought Marvin.
    Casey angrily turned away.
    Marvin looked down at his desk. Even though he was mad at Casey, he felt bad about what he had just said. He knew she was very proud of her ponytail.
    “You are all working so nice and quietly,” said Mrs. North. She dropped three marbles into the marble jar, filling it to the top. “Let’s go to Lake Park!”
    Everybody cheered—except Casey, who couldn’t, and Marvin, who didn’t feel very cheerful.
    Lake Park was three blocks from Marvin’s school. Everyone had to walk with a buddy. Marvin’s buddy was Stuart. Nick and Warren walked right behind them.
    “Look, there’s Casey,” Marvin said. “Watch. I bet you she’ll talk.”
    Casey was buddies with Judy.
    “I don’t care,” said Stuart.
    “I don’t care either,” said Marvin.
    Mrs. North started out at the front, but then she drifted back until she was