Letters from the Heart Read Online Free PDF

Henry, who was standing on the other side of the lab bench.
    Nick gestured to everyone in the hall to be quiet.
    â€œHenry,” Mr. Richardson said. “I think you need to apologize to Anna.”
    â€œI don’t want an apology. I want to sue him. He’s such an idiot. Everyone knows you were supposed to make sure the water was level!” yelled Anna.
    â€œNo name calling, Anna. Henry made a mistake. He needs to be more careful about his lab procedures. But first, he needs to apologize and then clean up this mess. Go ahead, Henry. Apologize to Anna.”
    Henry mumbled, “Sorry.” He didn’t sound like he meant it.
    â€œThat’s not an apology,” scowled Anna. “He’s faking it.”
    â€œI agree, Anna.”
    There was a collective gasp in the room. Mrs. Fields had suddenly appeared and was sending all the kids who were peering into the room away.
    The Beacon Street Girls were already in the room so they had to wait to file out. That meant they got to see and hear everything.
    â€œHenry,” continued Mrs. Fields. “I want to hear a real Abigail Adams apology.”
    Henry looked up. Nobody messed with a Mrs. Fields order. It just wasn’t done. Resigned, Henry managed to squeak out, “Sorry, Anna, for spilling water on your head and making weird black streaks run down your face.”
    Both Mr. Richardson and Mrs. Fields looked like they swallowed something sour.
    â€œNow Anna, you need to apologize to Henry for the name calling.”
    Anna put her hand on her hips and looked at Mrs. Fields with disbelief. She looked like she was about to say “No way.” But Mrs. Fields’s raised eyebrow seemed to make her change her mind.
    In a sickeningly sweet voice she said, “I am sorry, Henry, for calling you an idiot. It’s not your fault that you can’t follow directions and get your act together.”
    Mr. Richardson sent Henry on his way, and Mrs. Fields took Anna to her office for cleanup. As Henry walked down the hall, everyone chanted in low tones, “Yurt, Yurt, Yurt.” Henry Yurt would now and forever remain a legend at Abigail Adams Junior High.
    CHAPTER 3
Nominated
    A.M. W EIRDNESS
    Maeve’s mom was acting strange on Friday morning. Usually, she was the only one in the Kaplan-Taylor household who had much energy before eight o’clock. But this morning, she was just sitting with the newspaper spread out in front of her at the kitchen table, looking blankly at the headlines without really reading them. Sam and Maeve were running around trying to get ready, but she wasn’t jumping up to help them the way she always did. Not even when Sam freaked out about where he’d left his homework.
    â€œWhere’s Daddy?” Maeve asked, pouring herself some cereal.
    â€œStill asleep,” her mother said absently. “He had a film festival that ran late last night.”
    Maeve glanced at her mother. Her voice sounded weird—kind of muffled and distant, like she was thinking about something else. Not her mother’s style at all.
    â€œMaeve? Sam?” her mother said, as Maeve and her little brother were trying to cram everything they could rememberthat they needed for school into their book bags. “Your dad and I want to take some time this weekend to have a family talk. Can you be sure to be around on Saturday, around dinnertime?”
    Maeve stared at her mom. Since when did they make family plans on a Saturday evening? Wasn’t that prime time for hanging out with friends?
    â€œUh…I don’t know, Mom,” she began. But she stopped when she saw the look on her mother’s face. Clearly this was something serious.
    â€œNobody’s sick, are they, Mom?” asked Maeve nervously.
    â€œNo, honey. No one is sick. But we all need to talk.”
    â€œOkay,” Maeve said. Whatever this was, it sounded non-negotiable.
    But what could be going on? What kind of talk did they