Weird Girl Read Online Free PDF Page B

James,
                Your daughter is one of the finest students
we have ever had at New Bridge. She continues to grow intellectually, and has
now reached an even higher level of the state curriculum. Her thirst for
knowledge is an inspiration to all who know her, and her most recent
dissertation on human reproduction is a stellar example of the work we have
come to expect from her.
               
                Therefore, we have decided to extend the
opportunity of a two week sabbatical in which Cleo can work on an independent
study project for her tutor. We feel that this time outside of the school
environment will prove invaluable to her research. There is no need for her to
return to our campus until the 29 th of this month.
     
                Cleo’s brilliance illuminates us all, and we
are certain that her project, which we ask her not to discuss at this early
stage, will have a profound effect on both the local and scientific
communities.
     
    Sincerely,
    Pamela Heinz
    Principal
    New Bridge Elementary School
     
     
    She bit her lip and tried not to squirm as her mother, and
then her father, read the letter. It had taken her all afternoon to
painstakingly duplicate the logo on the outside of the envelope, but she felt
that the effort was worth it to achieve that extra bit of authenticity.
     
    There was a moment of silence when her parents looked at one
another, and Cleo thought her heart would stop. She almost blurted out the
truth, but then her father smiled. They congratulated her, wished her the best
of luck, and then started eating. Cleo let her breath out slowly, and felt the
tension drift away. That had been easier than she expected. She smiled, and
began to eat her peas.

 
    4
     
    Some might call it trust. Others might call it neglect. Cleo
didn’t care what it was. Her parents believed the letter, didn’t ask questions,
and quickly returned to their own interests. The only problem was Vera. If Cleo
stayed in the house, Vera popped in to check on her. To bring her snacks. To
bring her a sweater. To frown and ask if this big project really had anything
to do with trying to put clothes on the taxidermy wildebeest in the foyer. It
was annoying. So, Cleo ventured out of the house in search of something to fill
her days.
     
    She packed a backpack with the following:
                -2 notebooks
                -2 pens
                -magnifying glass
                -binoculars
                -orange juice
                -2 apples
                -pocketknife (stolen from her father’s desk)
               
    At the last minute, she also dropped in a necklace made of
human teeth (because you never knew when you might have to barter with the
natives) and a shrunken human head. The head was just a conversation starter,
really. (Hi! Would you like to look at my shrivelly head?) Also, Cleo
occasionally talked to it, because Vera found this less weird than when she
talked to her dead sister. His name was Waldorf (after a matchbook that she
found in her mother’s underwear drawer). It seemed to suit him better than Big
Dick’s (from a matchbook found in her father’s underwear drawer).
     
    She let herself out the back door and decided to go left.
Her own backyard was pretty familiar to her by this point, so she headed
straight for the fence and squeezed through a space where two boards had fallen
down. For two beats, she stood still. In her entire life, she had never
ventured past her own yard. She had no idea what was in this forest, or beyond.
Cleo was thrilled.
     
    By late morning, she had observed birds, followed a garter
snake to its hole, counted ants, sketched twelve varieties of tree bark, and
attempted to document a day in the life of a crayfish in the stream. She then
spent fifteen minutes describing the surprising strength and grip of a crayfish
claw, and speculating on the evolutionary purpose of