In the Image of Grace Read Online Free PDF Page B

know if
there was any more anywhere. Shaggy hair kid was there again. He
was sitting behind the circulation desk staring at a computer
screen. He had the tip of his pointer finger in his mouth and
looked like he was deeply concentrating. His eyes were fixed on the
screen and didn’t seem to move. I didn’t want to interrupt him, but
I really needed to use the internet again.
    “Excuse me,” I said softly.
    He took his finger out of his mouth and held it up,
so I patiently waited. About ten seconds later he looked up. “Oh,
it’s you again.”
    “And I see that it is you.”
    He smiled. His right bicuspid, or canine tooth if you
will, caught the edge of his bottom lip. “What did you need?”
    “Are there any other computers besides the ones over
there?”
    He looked in the direction of the computers. “No
that’s all. You know you can sign in at the computer lab if there’s
not a class in there.”
    “Oh, I don’t have time for that now. This is very
important.”
    “Research paper?”
    “Something like that.” I paused and looked back at
the computers and hoped somebody had gotten up. “Shoot.” I drummed
my fingers on the circulation desk.
    “Need to use the internet?”
    I nodded.
    “Do you want me to look something up for you?”
    I just wanted to jump over that counter and give him
a hug. “That would be fantastic.”
    I asked him to search the name Grace Fernando. Barely
anything came up besides blocked x-rated sites. My face instantly
dropped.
    “Well, who is she. Is this for a paper?”
    “No,” I said. “It’s somebody I’m looking for, I
think.”
    “You think?” He asked me pushing up his glasses with
his pointer finger.
    “Oh, I honestly don’t know.”
    “Do you live near a library? They have computers
there too, so if you have to do more searching.”
    “I think I do, but that might not work either.”
    “What going to the library?”
    “You don’t even know the half of it,” I replied in a
very sullen tone.
    “Is it because you need help? I could meet you there
if ya want me to, to help you out,” he volunteered leaning back in
his chair and crossing his arms over his chest.
    “I guess I could make something up and phone home.
Would it be possible for my sisters to come along?”
    “Stuck babysitting, is that what it is?”
    “Oh no, they’re teenagers also, but this pertains to
all of us.”
    “Okay,” he snickered bobbing his head. “My name is
Jeremy by the way.”
    “Well nice to meet you. I am Charlotte Ann
Schlobohm.”
    He was snickering again.
    I pursed my lips together. I knew what he was trying
to contain his laughter about.
    “Seriously, where are you from?” He asked.
    We made arrangements to meet by the main entrance and
we would all take the bus together. He said he lived in that
direction anyways, so it wasn’t putting him out or anything. He
claimed he really didn’t mind. I had to call Ms. Dunderfeltz and
tell her we wouldn’t be home right away. Generally we were expected
to be home right after school. Ms. Dunderfeltz was to buzz us in
and then we were to stay in and do our homework all night. We
didn’t have house keys or anything like that.
    ……………………………….
    Isabelle and Clarissa were waiting for me at the main
entrance. I quickly told them that we were going to the library
with Jeremy. They knew what it was for, so they were okay with it.
I also told them that I called Ms. Dunderfeltz.
    I saw Jeremy walking down the hall towards us. He
slouched even when he walked. He did a double take when he saw the
three of us.
    “Triplets?” He asked.
    “No, we’re actually each a year apart,” I revealed
then introducing him to Isabelle and Clarissa. The four of us left
and walked across the expansive front lawn of the school towards
the bus stop. We waited for traffic to clear and crossed the
street. Our school sat at the corner of an intersection for two
busy streets, so there were always cars and trucks and such
whizzing