Double Dutch Read Online Free PDF Page A

speak so softly that the teacher couldn’t hear me.”
    â€œOr you’d say you forgot your glasses.”
    â€œI never needed glasses.”
    â€œYou didn’t?” This time, Yolanda sounded genuinely shocked.
    â€œMy parents were worried when the second-grade teacher told them I was having trouble seeing the board. That was the last really good teacher we had. I could SEE just fine. I just couldn’t read it. So when they gave me the eye test, I pretended I couldn’t see very well, and I got glasses. Actually, they make everything worse!” Delia laughed as she sniffled.
    â€œDelia,” Yolanda said gently as she placed her hand on her friend’s shoulder, “I could, uh, maybe help you afterschool or something. We could, like, you know, get some, like, uh-”
    â€œBooks with bunnies and butterflies? Thanks, but no way. It’s too late.” Delia put her head in her hands.
    â€œHow’d you fool your parents?” Yolanda asked finally.
    Delia’s shoulders slumped. She said nothing to Yolanda for several minutes, thinking back to third grade, when her parents had fought every night. Her father, always coming home late from work, and her mother, fretful and distracted, waiting by the door. Nights were filled with arguments and accusations—yelling, crying, cursing. It was awful. They had tried to keep it in their bedroom, but Delia could hear everything. Delia found out later that her father had been seeing another woman and wanted a divorce.
    She could tell her mother was too unhappy to really notice her daughter. Sure, she made sure that Delia had clean clothes and a good dinner and lunch money and that sort of stuff, but she just didn’t have the energy to check homework or become involved in school activities. And when Delia was in fourth grade, her father had moved out and her mother was dealing with lawyers and trying to find a second job. Delia remembered that her mother had cried a lot. And she remembered trying to be brave and not wanting to bother her. She figured her mother had enough problems anyway.
    â€œDelia? You okay?” Yolanda asked gently.
    â€œYeah.” Delia sighed. “I guess I’m just dead meat.”
    â€œSpeaking of dead meat, here comes Randy,” Yolanda said, smiling at him. Randy grinned as he headed toward the two girls. He was carrying three cookies wrapped in plastic.
    â€œNow why you want to dis me like that? And I come bringin’ you fresh-baked cafeteria cookies!”
    â€œThe only thing fresh-baked from that cafeteria is the dirt!” Yolanda quipped. “And I’m the one who ought to be bringing you gifts. I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings in class yesterday.”
    â€˜Just to show you I forgive you, I’m gonna eat all these cookies myself!” Randy squeezed his large body between the two girls, unwrapped the cookies, and stuffed all three into his mouth at the same time. They laughed as he licked his fingers and the plastic wrap, too.
    â€œYou’re gross, Randy,” Delia said, giggling, glad for the distraction.
    â€œI saw this world record TV show where a man ate a hundred cookies at one time,” Yolanda began. “He choked and died right there on live TV.”
    â€œYou’re hopeless, Yolanda,” Randy said, laughing. “Everything you say is a lie!”
    â€œAt least I’m predictable!” Yolanda retorted. “Let’s go to class.” The bell rang, and the three of them headed back to the building. “You going to Double Dutch practice tonight, Delia?”
    â€œNo way I’m gonna miss it. I want to practice those new moves for the freestyle routine. It’s our last chance to get ready for the qualifying championships. City finals are Saturday, you know.”
    â€œBet we’ve got a good chance to go all the way this year.”
    â€œI’ll be there too,” Randy added. “Gotta watch you ladies