Holly's Heart Collection Two Read Online Free PDF Page A

different.
    When I finally arrived home, the gray van was gone, which meant only one thing: Carrie was right about Uncle Jack spending big bucks on the family. I loved to ski, but somehow I couldn’t picture Mom on the slopes. Guess Uncle Jack was opening new horizons for her.
    Instead of going into the house, I hopped on the city bus. With any luck I’d link up with my family at the sporting goods store.
    On the bus I spotted Mrs. Martinez seated near the front.
    “Hello there, Holly!” she called.
    I hurried to take a seat beside her. “Andie told me about the guest you have coming next weekend.”
    She smiled. “We’re excited about having Christiana in our home. From her letters, she seems like a lovely young lady.”
    And I’m not? The resentful thought jagged across my mind. I forced it out of my head. “Sounds like fun,” I lied.
    “Andie has been wanting to do something like this for quite some time now.”
    Funny, she hadn’t told me about it.
    “She hopes to learn from Christiana while she’s here, and if things work out, Andie may spend some time in Austria next year.”
    So Mom guessed right. Why was I not surprised?
    “Well, tell Andie hi for me.” I stood up when I saw the doughnut shop next to the sporting goods store. “Here’s where I get off.”
    “Nice seeing you, Holly,” she said.
    “You too, Mrs. Martinez.” I hurried off the bus and headed into the sporting goods store. Sure enough, my family was there. All of them.
    Carrie and Stephie were modeling matching ski outfits, completely ignoring the price tags. Mom was trying on ski boots, and the boys were off in another corner of the store, checking out the most expensive skis.
    This bothered me. A lot. There were tons of starving children in the world, and here we were spending zillions on ski gear.
    “Holly, I’m glad you found us,” Mom said, looking up as she buckled the shiny ski boots. “What do you think?” She held her foot up.
    “I can’t believe you’re actually going to hit the slopes.” I was laughing. But not at the pricey boots she wore.
    Uncle Jack sat next to her, wrapping his arm around her. “She’ll have plenty of time now for sports and leisure activities,” he said with a twinkle in his eye.
    “Mom’s quitting work, right?” I said gleefully. All this money in the family had its advantages, after all.
    “Yep, and she’s going to join a health club to get back in shape,” Carrie announced.
    “She’s not that much out of shape,” I defended Mom.
    “Thanks, Holly-Heart,” Mom said, touching my hand.
    Uncle Jack led me to the shelf displaying boots my size. I picked up the cheapest pair.
    “Those might make it down the hill twice.” Uncle Jack chuckled. He picked up another pair. “Now, here’s something that’ll last a good long time.”
    Eyeing the price tag, I said, “But they cost so much!”
    Uncle Jack sat me down near Mom and helped me slip on the boots. “It’s better to pay a few more dollars and have them last for several seasons,” he explained. “Besides, your feet have stopped growing. Who knows how long you’ll be stuck wearing these.”
    I could see his point. Still, I couldn’t get that picture of the starving child out of my mind.

SECOND-BEST FRIEND
    Chapter 6
    Wednesday in science class, Andie was so engrossed in taking notes she scarcely noticed me. After class, she stayed to talk to Mr. Ross, our teacher. A major switcheroo.
    I waited as long as I could at her locker. Finally giving up, I headed off for English. Miss Wannamaker looked thinner, like she was losing weight. I was curious about that. Was she trying to impress Mr. Ross?
    Jared slid into the desk across the aisle. “Hey, Holly-Heart. Got your homework done?” He flashed that wonderful warm smile.
    “It’s right here.” I patted my school bag.
    “I hear we’re having a visitor from Austria.”
    “Yep. That’s all Andie’s talking about.” I searched for my English book in my bag. Miss W was