On the Loose Read Online Free PDF Page A

wherever the couch was.
    “Can you believe it? No school ’til next week.” Frances plops down on my bed, fanning her books in front of her.
    “You’ll probably have withdrawal. Hey, speaking of zany, wild fun. Want to go camping with us?”
    “Who’s us?”
    “Me, James, Millie . . .” I turn my back and watch a bird out the window. My voice barely a whisper, I add, “And Maxine.”
    “No, way.”
    “Come on, Frances! It will be fun. You, me . . .” I pause, trying to think of why camping might be a good time for someone. “The lake. Burgers . . .” Flies, mosquitoes, snakes. “Nature. Getting some sun . . .” Suffocating in a sleeping bag, sunscreen in your eyes, a five-mile hike to the loo.
    “It does sound fun.” Frances grins, warming up to the idea. “And I had considered researching the Brazilian free-tailed bat for the science fair, so it might be a great opportunity to study their habits over the week and see if it’s a project worthy of pursuing.”
    “Right.” I nod. “And I’ll study the effects of consuming mass amounts of S’mores.”
    “So . . . any word on Millie yet?”
    I leave my spot at the window and flop onto Maxine’s bed. “No. James called earlier, and Millie was still with the doctor. He said it will be a few days before we know anything.”
    “I’m sure everything will be okay.”
    “Yeah.”
    “My whole family is praying for her.”
    It does make me feel better to think people are praying for Millie. I even had a small conversation with God last night myself. When I wasn’t begging him to muffle Maxine’s snoring, I asked him to please let Millie be all right. My prayer was pretty short though. I couldn’t concentrate with all the noise.
    “Are you scared?” Frances shoves aside her science books and focuses on me.
    “Nah.” I grab a People and flip through the first few pages. “I mean . . . I don’t know . . . maybe.”
    “Breast cancer is very treatable, you know. If you’d like, I could gather some research for you. Maybe create a visual presentation with the information.”
    I laugh. “No, but thanks.” I twist my hair around my finger. “It’s just . . . what if something does happen to Millie? Where will I go?”
    “Why would you go anywhere? You’d stay here.”
    “I doubt it. I think Iola Smartly would come and get me.”
    Mrs. Smartly is my caseworker and director of Sunny Haven Home for Girls. I still talk to her all the time. In fact, she makes me write her letters detailing my life with James and Millie. Letters. Not e-mails. She’s so outdated.
    “Well, then you’d live with me.” Frances seems proud of her idea.
    But I don’t want to live with Frances. I think she’s the best friend ever, and it would be great to raid her closet daily, but I’m just now settling into life with James and Millie. I haven’t gotten in any major trouble in the last five months. They totally make me walk the line. Without James and Millie, I could go back to my wild ways and end up in jail. Like my mom. And I’d lose my identity. Instead of being called Katie, I’d be something like Inmate 2046.
    And . . . I kind of like these people. A lot. They’ve become like family to me.
    Even Maxine.
    Frances throws a confetti pink pillow my way. “It’s gonna be fine. Really.”
    It better be. I can’t go back to Sunny Haven. Sleeping next to Maxine is nothing compared to bunking next to Trina, who liked to show me her secret knife collection on an all-too-regular basis.
    I hang my head. “I don’t know, Frances. I feel so lost. So sad.” I sniff. “It’s like I need some hope, you know? I just wish . . .” I shake my head.
    “Yes?” Frances’s voice is all concern. “You just wish?”
    My head shoots up, and I shoot the pillow across the room at Frances. “I wish my friend would go camping with me!”
    And then we’re both laughing. And I forget about Millie.
    And cancer.
    And bears that might eat me in my