Fabulous Five 008 - The Runaway Crisis (4 page)

Somehow being around Tony was easier once Katie had accepted
a date with him, and they spent the rest of the time before the bell rang
sitting on the front steps together planning the march.

"We'll have to start talking it up to all our friends
and to everybody in our classes," said Tony. "And I'll bet Mr. Bell
will let us put sign-up sheets on the main bulletin board beside the office."

"That might not be such a good place," said Katie.
"Without someone watching, kids might sign up other people as a joke."

Tony nodded. "Or Pee-wee Herman. Or Rambo."

"Or worse," conceded Katie.

"I've got a better idea," said Tony. "Why don't
you and I sit at a table in the cafeteria every day and collect signatures
there. We could get a small table from the custodian and set it up by the
cashier where everybody would see us."

"Terrific idea," said Katie. She hoped her voice
sounded normal or that she didn't look fidgety. She was having a hard time
sitting still now that he had not only asked her to go to a movie with him but
had suggested that they have lunch together every day, too.

". . . and we can take the sign-up sheets to Bumpers
after school and talk to kids on the school ground before the bell every
morning," Tony was saying. His eyes were sparkling, and Katie could hear
excitement growing in his voice.

A shiver ran through her. Things were moving awfully fast.
She supposed she would take some flak from people such as Laura McCall and her
crowd about being seen with Tony, especially after all the noise they had made
when Teen Court first started. Laura had accused Katie of letting Tony off easy
and giving Laura's friends tough sentences. Katie even dreaded explaining her
change of heart to the rest of The Fabulous Five. They suspected, of course,
but she had hoped she would have until Friday night to think of something
convincing. Something that would explain why someone like herself would fall
for someone like Tony. But now, if the two of them were going to be together
all the time getting kids to sign up for the march, she would have to think of
something quickly when she didn't even understand it herself.

When the bell rang, Katie agreed to meet Tony in the
cafeteria at noon and headed for her locker. The rest of The Fabulous Five were
waiting for her in the hall.

"We saw you with Tony yesterday at Bumpers and this
morning on the steps," said Beth, grinning broadly. "Did it take all
that time to make plans for the march for hunger?"

"Or is it going to be a march for love?" teased
Melanie.

"Okay, you guys. Knock it off. This is serious,"
Katie warned. She tried to sound annoyed, but she could tell by the way her
friends were looking at her that she wasn't succeeding.

"So, are you really going to have the march?"
asked Christie.

Katie nodded. "Tony and I talked to Mr. Bell a few
minutes ago, and he thinks it's a terrific idea. We're going to have sign-up
sheets in the cafeteria during lunch period and at Bumpers after school."

"
You and Tony
are going to have the sign-up
sheets?" Jana asked knowingly. "How romantic!"

"I just can't believe it, Katie," said Christie,
shaking her head. "You and Tony are such opposites. I mean, how can you,
of all people, be organizing a march for hunger with
him
?
Especially after what he did yesterday."

"What are you talking about?" Katie demanded. She
swallowed hard, trying to ignore the prickly feeling on the back of her neck as
she remembered his mentioning that he would be back in Teen Court this week.

"You mean you haven't heard?" asked Beth. "Wow.
Wait until you hear this. You know the girls' bathroom in the hall past the
cafeteria? Well,
someone
sneaked into the custodian's office and got a
sign that said: KEEP OUT—MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL AT WORK. Then that
someone
propped open the door with a bucket and hung the sign on the door, and for
three whole hours nobody could go in."

"Right," interrupted Melanie. "Just think.
Three
whole hours.
Some girls were so desperate that they tried to get to the bathroom
at the other end of the school, and most of them ended up being late for class
and getting tardy slips."

"Finally, Mr. Bartosik, the custodian, walked down the
hall and noticed the sign," said Christie. "He knew that nothing was
broken in there and that nobody had called the maintenance people, so he took
the sign down and notified the office."

"And now I suppose everybody just assumes that Tony did
it because he's in trouble so much," Katie said angrily. "Is that it?"

Beth shook her head. "No, somebody saw him carrying the
sign through the halls just before the last bell tang and ratted on him."

Katie knew that her face must be turning red because she could
feel steam rising from under her collar. "Oh," she mumbled, trying to
hide her embarrassment by looking at the floor. "I'll see you guys later.
I have to go to my locker."

She turned and scooted down the hallway before anyone could
say anything else. In addition to her embarrassment, her heart was bursting.
Why was Tony always getting into trouble? Couldn't he see what it did to his
reputation? That it kept everyone but her from understanding what he was really
like? And now this. It was the worst thing he had ever done. How could she
possibly level with her friends and admit that she had a date with him for
Friday night? They'll never understand, she thought. Not only that, they're
never
going to let me live this down.

In spite of all that had been happening, Katie had been
keeping an eye out for Shawnie. She was going through the hall toward her first
class wondering what to do about Tony when she saw Shawnie in the crowd ahead
of her.

"Shawnie!" she called. When Shawnie looked back
over her shoulder, Katie said, "Wait for me."

Shawnie nodded. At the next doorway she pulled away from the
stream of students pushing their way along like a single wave. "Hi. Where
have you been? I've been looking all over for you."

"I'll explain later. What I want to know right now is
how things went when you got home last night. Is everything okay?"

"Sure," said Shawnie. "Well . . . mostly
anyway. But it was worth it. Honest, it was. Thanks again for inviting me over."

Katie could only nod. She was afraid that if she spoke, Shawnie
would guess from the sound of her voice how angry she was with the Pendergasts.
What had they done to Shawnie when she got home last night? It couldn't have
been too bad since Shawnie had said it was worth it, and Katie couldn't see any
new bruises. But still!

"How often do you think your parents would let you come
over?" Katie asked. "My mom would be glad to call as often as we
want. Maybe we could say we're partners for a project or something, and that we
need to work together every night."

"Gosh, Katie. You'd do that for me? You're the most
wonderful friend I've ever had. And your mom, too. I don't know what I'd do
without you." Then her face clouded. "I'll have to feel out my
parents about coming over very often, though. They might get suspicious and say
I couldn't do it at all. I'll have to let you know."

"You can count on me for anything," Katie assured
her. Then she reached out and gave Shawnie's hand a squeeze. Shawnie smiled
bravely, and Katie could see a tear shining in the corner of each eye. "Don't
worry," Katie said softly. "Everything is going to be okay."

Katie decided that the moment had come to change the
subject, and she spent the next couple of minutes explaining about the march
for hunger. "Do you want to make some posters?" she asked after
Shawnie said she thought the march was a great idea.

"Sure. I'll make some tonight after I finish my
homework. And count me in for the march, too. I can't believe my parents wouldn't
let me do something for charity. Especially since it's on a Saturday afternoon
and won't interfere with school or homework."

When the girls parted to go to their classes, Katie was
feeling a lot better about Shawnie. She knew what she had to do now: encourage
Shawnie to spend every possible moment at her house. She would get the rest of
The Fabulous Five involved, too. After all, they had offered to come over when
she invited Shawnie. It was just that there hadn't been time last night.

Maybe Tony would help, too, she thought. He might know
someone who could ask Shawnie out for Friday night and they could double. She
frowned, remembering that Shawnie had said her parents wouldn't let her date.
Not even for special occasions.

Then the frown deepened as she remembered another
conversation, one she had had with Tony a couple of days ago. She wasn't sure
he would help anyway. Hadn't he warned her against becoming too friendly with
Shawnie? And said there were things about her that Katie didn't know?

For the next couple of days Katie and Tony were so busy
organizing the march and conducting the sign-up that she had little time to
concentrate on Shawnie. Mr. Bell kept his promise to help by inserting a notice
about the march in the morning announcements that went around to every class
during homeroom, and almost instantly both of them were besieged by kids
wanting to sign up.

They collected two hundred and fifty signatures at the
sign-up tables in the cafeteria plus others from kids who stopped them in the
halls or talked to them in classes, and the newspaper sent a photographer out
to shoot a picture of the two of them to run with the article Willie had
written.

The only downer was the teasing Katie got from the other
kids over Tony.

"How's the sign-up going?" asked Alexis Duvall,
who was walking with Lisa Snow between classes the second day.

"Tony and I haven't had time to count all of them yet,"
Katie answered.

"You and Tony, huh?" said Lisa, raising an
eyebrow. "I've heard about rehabilitating criminals, but this is too much."

"He isn't a criminal," Katie insisted angrily. "He's
a very caring person, and he wants to help the hungry."

"
Sure
he does," said Alexis, and the two
girls went off down the hall giggling together.

Katie fumed as she watched them go. It was going to take a
lot of work on her part to convince everyone how much Tony had changed, but for
now, she had other things to take care of. Making sure they got the march off
to a good start, for one. And getting ready for her date with him on Friday
night, for another.

Everyone in Wacko Junior High seemed to be excited about the
march for hunger, including The Fabulous Five.

"I'm going to every single house in my neighborhood to
get pledges," said Melanie.

"Me, too," promised Jana. "And I might even
call my grandmother in Morristown, New Jersey. She could always send a check in
the mail."

By the time the local newspaper was delivered Thursday
evening with the article and Tony and Katie's picture in it, her confidence was
soaring. Not one person she had talked to had anything negative to say about
the march. It was going to be a terrific success, and she
hoped
it would
convince everyone that Tony Calcaterra had changed. She cut the picture out and
set it up against her dresser mirror. It was a terrific picture, especially of
Tony, and she couldn't help looking at it every time she passed by.

Friday morning before the bell Katie searched for Shawnie.
She felt a little guilty about not inviting Shawnie over again after all the
talking she had done about wanting to help her. But the march had been taking
up so much of her time that she barely had time for meals and homework. And
even though she had a hard time admitting it to herself, she had gotten in more
than a little daydreaming time about Tony, too. When she couldn't find her
friend anywhere on the school ground, Katie looked in the girls' bathroom.
Still, there was no sign of Shawnie.

She wasn't at her locker, and none of The Fabulous Five
could remember seeing her when Katie asked them. By second period, when she
hadn't seen Shawnie in any of the usual places between classes, Katie was
convinced that she was absent.

She's probably just home with a cold or something like that,
Katie decided.

Katie slipped into the media center after school for the
weekly session of Teen Court. Garrett and Shane were arranging the tables end
to end, and Daphne Alexandrou and Shelly Bramlett were each dragging up the
last of the chairs.

Katie had been dreading today's hearings ever since Tony
told her that he would be appearing before the court. Of all the weeks for him
to be in trouble, she thought and frowned. I certainly hope it won't make
things awkward for our date tonight.

When everyone was seated Miss Dickinson handed out pads of
paper and pencils while Mrs. Brenner addressed the group. "We've got a
fairly easy agenda this afternoon, people. We only have one case."

Easy for you to say, thought Katie.

"First, let's choose our senior judge and bailiff,"
Mrs. Brenner continued.

Katie slid down in her seat. She remembered all too clearly
the time she had been senior judge when Tony had come before the court for
violating the school dress code by wearing an earring. And then, the very next
time the court met, he had been back for spray painting "T.C. + K.S."
on an outside school wall. Katie wouldn't
let
Mrs. Brenner choose her
for senior judge this time.

Mrs. Brenner's eyes passed over everyone, and when she came
to Katie, she smiled. "I think D. J. Doyle should be senior judge this
time," she said. Katie breathed a sigh of relief.

"And Katie can be bailiff."

"Yes, ma'am," Katie answered. "But I think,
maybe, I ought to disqualify myself from voting," she said in a little
voice. The other kids snickered and Shane Arrington buried his face in his
hands. Garrett Boldt and Kaci Davis looked up at the ceiling. Katie felt her
face burning and knew that she must look like a flashing red traffic light.

"All right, Katie. I understand," Mrs. Brenner
said.

Great, thought Katie. Why do I let him get me into things
like this? Well, it's better than having to be senior judge. I just get to lead
him to the slaughter. I wonder if I'll have to take him to the gas chamber,
too.

Mrs. Brenner explained the case to the court. Katie didn't
see any more hope for Tony, from what Mrs. Brenner said, than from what she had
heard from Christie.

"All right, Bailiff. Would you please bring in the
complainant and defendant," said D. J., smiling knowingly at Katie. She
felt all of them staring at her back as she left the room to get Tony and Mr.
Bartosik.

Things didn't go as badly as Katie had thought they might
for Tony. When it was all over, he had been sentenced to help Mr. Bartosik
clean up the bathrooms after school for one full week. If Tony could get paid
for all the work he has to do from his sentences, thought Katie, he'd be rich.

"How about I pick you up at six-thirty?" he asked.

She whispered back, "I'll be ready."

She was too nervous to eat supper, and Willie grinned
sympathetically and said, "First-date jitters, huh?"

Katie nodded. "You're going to like him, Mom. He gets
into trouble sometimes, but he really is a nice person. I don't know why I'm
the only one who understands that."

"Well, it sounds to me as if you're able to bring out
the best in him," said Willie. "Others may not understand now, but I'll
bet they will eventually."

Katie thought about her mother's words as she dressed for
her date. Maybe she shouldn't have waited so long to go out with him. Maybe the
more she was around him, the nicer he would get and the faster everyone else
would be able to see it. After all, he had gotten excited about the march for
hunger almost as soon as she had mentioned it. There was only one tiny thing
that bothered her about Tony, his dislike for Shawnie.

"I'm not going to mention Shawnie Pendergast one single
time all evening," she vowed out loud as she brushed her hair. "And
if her name comes up, I'll change the subject. I won't let anything spoil this
date tonight."

At six-twenty the doorbell rang. Surprised, Katie raced down
the stairs calling out, "I'll get it, Mom." It had to be Tony, she
thought, but why was he getting here ten minutes early?

Katie stopped in the foyer and glanced in the mirror by the
front door for one last look. Her red hair had been brushed into soft waves,
and she had applied the perfect amount of lip gloss. She nodded approvingly to
herself, took a deep breath, and opened the door.

She blinked in surprise when she saw that it wasn't Tony.
Instead, standing there on the front porch with a suitcase in her hand, was
Shawnie Pendergast.

She looked at Katie with pleading eyes. "Can I come in?"
she asked. "I've run away."

Katie couldn't say anything for a moment. She just stood
there, staring at Shawnie in shocked silence and trying to comprehend what she
had just heard.

"You ran away?" she murmured finally. "What
happened?"

Shawnie nodded. "It's a long story, but believe me, I
had
to get out of there." She took a step toward the door. "Is it okay if
I come in?" she asked again. "I don't have anyplace else to go."

"Of course," said Katie. Then remembering the
bruise on Shawnie's arm a few days before, she added, "Are you okay?"

Shawnie didn't answer, and just as she entered the house and
set her suitcase down in the foyer, Willie called out from her office, "Honey,
I'll be there in a minute to tell you good-bye. I'm on the phone."

Katie's eyes widened at the sound of her mother's voice. "It's
okay, Mom," she called back. "He isn't here yet." Then she
turned back to Shawnie and tried to hide an exasperated sigh. What was she
going to do? Tony would be here any minute. But worse, what would her mother
say if she walked out of her office and found Shawnie Pendergast standing there
with her suitcase? "Come on," Katie whispered. "Let's go up to my
room. Be quiet, though. I don't want Mom to hear."

Shawnie nodded and picked up her suitcase, tiptoeing up the
stairs behind Katie.

"Thank you so much for letting me in. I was so scared.
I've been walking around all day trying to figure out what to do." The
words burst out, and her hands started trembling. "I can't go back home.
Not
ever.
Can you hide me here until I figure out what to do?"

Katie bit her lower lip and tried to think. It was six
twenty-nine. Tony would be here any minute. There wasn't time for Shawnie to
tell her what had happened at home. And she certainly couldn't call Willie. Not
until she knew more about the situation, anyway. There was only one solution.

"Do you think you can hide here in my room until I get
back?" Then, seeing the puzzled look in Shawnie's eyes, she said, "I'm
going to a movie with Tony Calcaterra, and he'll be here to pick me up any
minute. You can't turn on a light or make any noise that Mom might hear. Okay?"

Shawnie looked at her solemnly for a minute and then nodded.
"I'll be as quiet as a mouse. I promise."

"I know that's an awful thing to ask you to do,"
admitted Katie. "And I
hate
to fool Mom. But there's just no other
way to handle it right now."

"Promise you won't tell Tony or anybody else that I'm
here," Shawnie insisted. "Not
anybody
."

"You know I won't," said Katie just as the
doorbell sounded again. "That's Tony. I have to go now. Remember, don't
make a sound. As soon as I get back, you can tell me what happened at home, and
then we'll figure out what to do next."

Katie closed the door of her room behind her, thinking how
dark it was in there and how frightened Shawnie would be staying in there all
alone. If only I didn't have a date tonight and could stay with Shawnie, Katie
thought. But she did have a date. She could hear her mother talking to Tony in
the foyer. She would have to go, and she would have to spend the evening
pretending that everything was normal. Sighing, she threw a worried look back
up the stairs toward her room and went to meet Tony.