Letters from the Heart Read Online Free PDF Page B

all need to have?
    â€œHow serious?” she asked, suddenly curious.
    Her mom wasn’t going to talk about it now, though. That much was clear. “Maeve, it’s time for school. You’ll be late! We’ll talk this weekend,” she said.
    Not really reassuring, Maeve thought. She could’ve just said No, nothing serious , and Maeve would’ve been relieved, and that would be that.
    Now she had to go off to school wondering what on earth was the matter. Parents could be so frustrating sometimes.
    D AYDREAMS AND P RIZES
    Isabel, Maeve, Katani, Charlotte, and Avery met at their lockers before homeroom to discuss plans for the big “Marty-Drop.” The girls were going to bring Marty to Avery’s house on Friday evening. “We’ll meet you at your back door andhelp you get him set up in the carriage house,” Katani said.
    â€œI’ve got all his stuff to bring, too. His water bowl, his leash…” Charlotte began.
    â€œBut we’ll have to hide him in something in case anyone’s around,” Maeve pointed out.
    â€œPut him in my soccer bag,” Avery instructed.
    â€œWon’t he suffocate in that thing?” Isabel demanded.
    â€œI didn’t mean to zip it up,” Avery retorted, laughing.
    Finally, they had a plan: that evening the four girls would bring Marty and his things over. Marty, the little stowaway, would be hidden in Avery’s soccer bag—unzipped. Meanwhile Avery would set up a warm spot for him in the carriage house, and with any luck, Avery’s mother would be none the wiser—no sneezing or hives, no trace of dog.
    The homeroom bell rang, and everyone made their way into Ms. Rodriguez’s classroom, still talking about Marty and how to keep a hyper dog out of sight for a whole weekend. Avery was so excited she could hardly contain herself for the rest of the day. Maeve slid into her desk, taking out her laptop. She was having a hard time concentrating. She was getting more and more preoccupied by what her mom had said. The big family discussion planned for Saturday seemed to be weighing on her mom’s mind. And suddenly it was weighing on Maeve’s, too.
    What could be going on?
    Maeve fiddled with her pen. It was her favorite—bright pink, with a long feathery plume. Maybe she was the problem. Maeve and her mother hadn’t been getting along so well lately. Maeve’s grades had suffered this year. Seventh grade was so much harder than sixth! It seemed that one week she would do really well in history and then the next week she would forget an assignment. And lately, there’d been friction at homeover her grades. Her mom wanted her to be more organized. Her dad, on the other hand, thought Maeve’s mom was too hard on her. He thought—
    â€œMaeve,” Ms. Rodriguez said, with the gentle firmness that suggested it wasn’t the first time she’d said her name. “Are you with us?”
    Maeve sat bolt upright, knocking her pen off her desk and onto the floor. A few people laughed, including Anna and Joline. Maeve could feel her cheeks redden. “Uh, sure. I’m—I was just…” Maeve sat up straighter. “Could you repeat the question?” she asked, trying to ignore the superior glance that Betsy was giving her. Betsy Fitzgerald, of course, would never daydream in class. Maeve snatched her pen by its feathery plume, ignoring Betsy’s frown.
    â€œI was just saying,” Ms. Rodriguez continued with a smile, “there is a community service award being given in Brookline. They’re looking for nominations for students who have made special contributions to their communities. And I wanted to let you and the whole class know, Maeve, that you’ve been nominated. Project Thread has made a real difference for the children at Jeri’s Place, and the seventh-grade teachers at Abigail Adams have selected you and your project to represent our