Finding Cassidy Read Online Free PDF Page A

ahead of ourselves,” Mom told me.
    “Well, then, I’ll wait here until we get that third test back,” I said.
    “No.” My parents spoke in unison.
    I crossed my arms. “I want to talk to the doctor.”
    “You need to go back to school,” Mom insisted.
    “Don’t shut me out!”
    “Calm down, Cassidy.” Dad glanced at the door. “Lower your voice.”
    “I deserve to know what’s going on!”
    A weighty silence hung between us. “Of course you do.” Dad picked up the tuna sandwich, stared at it, put it back down again. “I’ll tell you what, Cass. You go back to school, get through the day, and tonight we’ll tell you everything we know. How’s that?”
    I looked at Mom. “You guys promise?”
    “We promise,” they said.
    That was the thing about my parents, I thought as I said goodbye and made my way to the elevator. They could shut me out with a single glance, but they always kept their promises.

THREE
Ostriches are the only birds that stick their heads in the sand. They are not trying to hide from stuff. They are looking for water.
    Cassidy MacLaughlin, Grade Four Science Project
    T here was a bad accident on the highway going back to town; traffic was snarled. I pulled into the school lot as the lunch bell rang. Not bad timing, I reflected as I went inside. School finished at two o’clock on Friday, and Jason had a spare after lunch; I planned to grab him and leave. At my locker, I talked briefly with Jasmine, who detailed the homework assignment for English and gave me a few helpful tips on where I could find the information I needed to complete it. Jason appeared as we finished up.
    “Can I buy you lunch?” I asked.
    He gave me a quick peck on the cheek. “Nice offer,but Mike’s got a chemistry exam at one and he’s stuck on something. I promised I’d help him.” Leaning against my locker, he asked, “How’s your dad?”
    Not trusting myself to speak, I simply shook my head. One careful look at my face and Jason said, “I’ll tell Mike he’s on his own.”
    We left my car at school and took Jason’s instead. After grabbing fast food at the local drive-through, we headed up Mount Tolmie, where we sat on a bench overlooking the city. The wind had picked up; the forecaster was predicting a storm. I zipped up my jacket and watched Jason rummage through the bag of food.
    He pressed a burger into my hand.
    “Eat,” he said.
    “I can’t eat at a time like this.” I’d managed to disclose a few details of what Dad faced while we waited in line for our food, but whenever I went into specifics, I got overwhelmed.
    “You have to,” said Jason the practical. “Grease coats the brain cells. Makes it easier to think.”
    This is why I’d fallen for Jason. Because even though he was bossy-stubborn and a party animal, he was one of the few truly decent guys left on the planet. Plus he was a year older, and way more mature than guys my own age.
    He bit into his burger. When I made no move to unwrap mine, he jiggled my wrist. “Eat,” he ordered again.
    At least if I ate, I wouldn’t have to talk. Operating on autopilot, I managed to choke down half the burger. When I offered the rest to Jason, he polished it off before attacking his french fries.
    I sat and watched the bushtits swoop and dive on the wind. The sight took me back to my trip to Mexico with Grandpa Hunt. I’d been ten. We’d seen the unusual black-eared bushtit there. Grandpa had indulged me something ridiculous when he was alive. Called me his precious jewel. Taken me on so many bird-watching trips that I could now boast a list of 642 different species viewed. A lot of them I couldn’t even remember anymore.
    “I think this is the quietest you’ve been in nine months,” Jason teased. He handed me a cup of coffee.
    Normally I’d be all over a comment like that. Instead I took the warm cup, cradled it between my palms and stared out over the cityscape. He was right. I didn’t do quiet—not willingly. This afternoon,