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Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781496958471 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | AuthorHouse |
| Publication date: | 01/08/2015 |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 310 |
| File size: | 187 KB |
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No-See-Me and the Amazing Crimson Stick
By Mary Verdick
AuthorHouse
Copyright © 2015 Mary VerdickAll rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4969-5848-8
CHAPTER 1
They had just finished breakfast, but before he left for work Ben casually asked if she'd heard anything new from her publishers. The author of a popular young adult series entitled, No-See-Me and the Amazing Crimson Stick, Meggie had written the first book years ago, almost as a joke, and no one was more surprised than she when it took off. Now, with Ben's encouragement — he'd believed in her from the start — she turned out two or three books a year, and the series had developed into a profitable cottage industry. Her editor routinely updated her on sales and her position on the New York Times best seller list, and she told Ben now that at last count they'd sold another 200,000 copies. The phenomenal sales of the books still shocked her, and she felt secretly that there must be some mistake. But Ben took it all in stride.
"Not surprised. You're a publishing sensational, darling," he said, with his sweet, endearing grin. Then getting to his feet he put his arms around her and hugged her. "Shall we go out tonight and celebrate?"
"Fine with me," she said. And just then the phone rang. She was expecting a call from her editor, who wanted to discuss some changes she'd made in her last story. She picked up the phone. "Hello." But it wasn't her editor.
"Hello, brat," a voice said, and immediately twenty-five years vanished in the wink of an eye. She began to tremble uncontrollably.
"Josh?" She grabbed the back of a straight-back chair to keep from falling. "Is that you? Is it really you?"
"In the flesh," he said. "Got back to New York couple of months ago, and I'm coming to a conference in Hartford this afternoon. I was wondering if I could drop by to see you and Ben, hash over old times."
"Of course. That'll be great," she said, swallowing. Turning to her husband she mouthed the words, "Josh Hawkins," and saw his eyes widen in surprise — or was it shock? "Ben and I would love to see you, Josh. How long you going to be in town?"
"Oh, just a few hours. I've rented a car, and if I start now I could be there by ten-thirty or so, if that's convenient."
"Perfect. If you have any trouble finding the house —"
"Oh that won't be a problem. The car's got a GPS."
"Good. We'll look forward to seeing you then."
"Me, too," he said. "It's been a long time, Meggie, girl."
Another lifetime, she thought. Murmuring, "Good-bye," she hung up. Then turning back to Ben, who was looking slightly nonplussed, she said again, "Josh Hawkins. Can you believe it? He's in New York and is coming to Hartford." "When did he leave Africa?"
"Who knows? Mom didn't say anything about it, and I think they still keep in touch."
"Wonder why he's coming here?"
She shrugged. "Some sort of conference apparently. Want to come home for lunch to see him?"
"Can't." Ben shook his head. "Big corporate meeting this morning — they've got me down for a speech. How 'bout you ask him to dinner?" He gave her a quick kiss and went out to his car.
Standing in the window Meggie watched him drive off. Then glancing down at herself — she was wearing jeans and a T-shirt, her usual at-home attire — she decided that simply wouldn't do. Going to her bedroom she opened her closet and started scanning its contents. What should she wear? She wanted to look nice, but not like she was trying to impress him or anything — not that Josh would even notice what she had on probably. He'd never paid much attention to her clothes, although that wasn't quite true. If she wore something a little too tight, or cut somewhat low in the neck, he never hesitated to tell her what he thought.
"Why flaunt it?" he'd said one night when she was wearing a white silk sheath and pearls that showed off her creamy skin to perfection. The dress was strapless, but not particularly daring, yet Josh acted as if she were half-naked. "I hope you're taking along a shawl to cover that thing up."
"Oh, you!" she wailed, shaking her head. Her light brown hair, shot through with golden threads, fell to her shoulders in waves, and her eyes, big and sparkly, seemed to change color as you looked at them, green to gray and back again. She was a very pretty girl, although she seemed totally unaware of it, which only added to her charm. "What's wrong with this dress?"
"Nothing," Ben Brown said. Ben was short and solid, like his name, with a sprinkling of freckles across his nose and cheeks and a mop of bright red hair. He was officially Josh's friend, but he often took Meggie places when Josh was busy or didn't want to go. Like the party tonight at Mary Beth Evans.
Meggie had a suspicion that Mary Beth, an older girl, had invited her and Josh only because she had a crush on Josh and hoped to snare him by pretending an interest in his little sister. Only Josh was on to her and decided to pass on the invitation.
"But I want to go!" Meggie protested. "Mary Beth has this fabulous house, I've been told, with a dance floor that pops up right over the pool and underwater lights and all. It'll be fun — but I can't go by myself. You know I can't!"
"Than I'll ask Ben to take you. He won't mind."
And being Ben he didn't. "Always glad to do a favor," he said. "And, hey, you look really great in that dress, Meg. Why you'll be the best looking gal at the party I bet. Don't listen to your stuffy old brother."
"He's not really my brother," she said. Of course she and Josh had lived in the same house for years, ever since her mother had married Josh's father when Meggie was eight and Josh eleven. And their folks might never have gotten married, she thought, if it hadn't been for No-See-Me and the Amazing Crimson Stick. Not that she was totally convinced of the Stick's magic. It was just an inanimate object after all, and yet, and yet — as long as she lived she'd never forget the first time the Stick had intervened on her behalf.
She'd been walking to school with Timmy Wysocki, her next door neighbor, who was small and frail, and got picked on a lot. Meggie was aware of her little friend's vulnerability, but she'd never felt particularly protective of him. Until that morning, a glorious, clear cold day when the trees were showing off their autumn colors, fiery reds and newly minted gold and every shade of green imaginable. It was the kind of day when you felt happy just to be alive, and Meggie loved the smell of autumn in the air. But when they reached the school yard they came face to face with big, hulking Cy Barnes, the school bully. Meggie knew of Cy's reputation as king of the hill and had successfully avoided him since school started. But suddenly today there he was, planted squarely in front of them, blocking their path.
"Okay, po'-boy," he sneered at Timmy. "How much dough your sweet mama give you for lunch today?" And he stuck out his palm. "Gimme gimme, hand it over."
To Meggie's astonishment, Timmy, with a look of resignation, reached in his pocket and pulled out several one-dollar bills, which the older boy lost no time grabbing. Well, this was just too much for Meggie. "What's with you, Barnes?" she said. "Just who do you think you are?" And she lunged toward him, only to trip over something lying in her path. It was a stick about a foot long and of a bright crimson color, and as she grabbed it, to keep from falling, it began to shake and a strange exciting tremor started coursing through her body.
"Give Timmy back his money," she ordered Cy, "and leave him alone, you creep. Or I'll report you to the principal and you'll be kicked out of school."
At these words the older boy's face blanched and he said in a small, chastened voice, "Okay, Meg. Gotcha. Okay." He wet his lips, and with shaking hand returned Timmy's money. "Didn't mean no harm," he muttered. "Sorry, Tim, old boy."
"Well, you ought to be," Meggie snapped. "And don't let it happen again or you'll regret it." And amazingly Timmy, and the rest of Cy's victims, had no more trouble with him after that. It was almost as if he became a reformed character.
Of course Timmy told everyone of Meggie's bravery, and when word got around she was treated with a new respect by her peers. But, although she didn't understand it, Meggie knew it was the Stick, which was always capitalized in her mind after that, that had brought about the miracle. So she carefully tucked it inside her book bag and carried it everywhere she went, and if she needed help, and who didn't at times? the Stick was always there. She had privately christened it No-See-Me because it was a secret that nobody could see but her, and she never ceased to be amazed at the accuracy of the Stick's intuition. It was almost scary at times the way it seemed to know right from wrong, and guided her in the right direction, and she firmly believed it had intervened to help her mother.
CHAPTER 2Her mother was a pretty oval-faced woman with a good figure and a sweet generous smile, but in repose her face often looked pinched and helpless. Especially when her husband and Meggie's father, Jack Dawson, cheated on her, which he did on a regular basis. Jack was extraordinarily handsome with jet black hair, that he wore a bit long, and laughing green eyes. His smile was charming and somehow wistful, and when he engaged you in conversation you had the feeling that he thought you were the most important person on earth. Of course it didn't take Meggie long to discover that her dad gave everyone that impression, and she caught on to him at a very young age.
Which isn't to say that she didn't love him, or didn't enjoy being in his company. Everything took on a special brightness when he was around, and he made every moment she was with him a big adventure. He took her places and bought her things her mom said they couldn't afford, and he had no scruples about charging them to her mom's account. And when the bills came in and there was no money to pay them, and things had to be returned, there were always tears and promises to do better. But he never changed his extravagant ways, and he never stopped loving the ladies.
"I don't think Jack's ever seen a pretty face whose owner he didn't want to bed," Meggie heard her mom telling her friend, LaVern, one day. She put up with his infidelities for quite a while, but finally couldn't take it any longer and divorced him. And Jack was saddened, shocked.
"Oh, Christ!" he said. "You don't mean that, Sally. I'll change."
Mom smiled sadly. "When pigs fly, Jack — as my dad used to say."
It was hard being completely on her own, but Mom made the best of it, and squaring her shoulders carried on. Until she started having trouble with her teeth. She was in a lot of pain and should have gone to the dentist right away, but because money was so tight she kept putting it off.
"Guess I can survive a little longer," she told Meggie, as she clutched her jaw. "Oh, God — if only your dad would send this month's check on time."
Meggie knew that was wishful thinking since her dad was already three months late with his child support payments and had a new girl friend, Maribelle, to boot. Maribelle was a nineteen-year old blond, whose clothes were a little too tight and who had a way of wiggling her hips when she walked, and although Meggie was annoyed with her dad for letting her mom down again, she secretly liked Maribelle. The girl was giggly and fun and always coming up with new ideas.
"Hey, Jack-o," she said one day when Meggie's dad had gotten a sales commission he hadn't expected and had picked Meggie up after school to celebrate. "Instead of splurging at MacDonald's, big spender, why don't you take me and the kid here to Disneyland with all that dough?" She poked Meggie in the ribs. "That sound good to you, honey?"
Did it ever! She'd been dying to see the Magic Kingdom and Cinderella's castle ever since her favorite homeroom teacher, Mrs. Collins, had invited several of the girls in her class to accompany her to Orlando during spring vacation. Mrs. Collins said she'd drive everyone there in her new station wagon and they could bunk at her brother's, who lived there. But the girls would have to pay for admission to the park every day and buy their own meals, and when Meggie heard that she knew it was impossible. Her mom had recently gotten a new job, a better paying job as assistant to the boss in a law firm downtown, and she was very happy about it. The boss' name was Clive Hawkins, and he was a widower with an eleven-year-old son, and he was strictly business in every way, she told Meggie. He was the kind of man who kept his nose to the grindstone and didn't go in for any hanky-panky, that she'd had to put up with from previous employers. She was hopeful, and felt certain this time things would work out. But there were still old bills to pay. And her teeth, neglected so long, still had to be fixed. But Dad seemed to like Maribelle's suggestion.
"Not a bad idea," he said. And turning to Meggie, with one of his gorgeous smiles, he added, "So-o — is old Disneyland in the cards for us this year, baby-doll?"
Golly gee, I hope so! Meggie thought, thrilled to her toes. But almost unconsciously she opened her book bag and touched the magic Stick, and it immediately began moving in her hands. It started jumping up and down at a furious rate, vibrations coursing through her, and before she knew it she heard herself saying, "I'd like nothing better than going to Disneyland with you and Maribelle, Dad. But Mom's having a tough time right now, you know, making ends meet, and it just occurred to me that if you'd take the money you'd spend on my airline ticket and stuff we'd buy there, and give it to Mom — since you're already a bit late with the check — it might be better for all concerned."
"What?" Her dad flushed and looked embarrassed, especially in front of Maribelle. But he recovered quickly and blustered, "Well, okay, sweetie, if that's the way you feel. So be it."
And no more was said about Disneyland. But a few days later Mom got her check, and an extra hundred dollars as a bonus for the check being late. "Miracle of miracles!" Meggie heard her telling her friend, LaVern. "I don't know how it happened, but I'm not going to look a gift horse in the mouth."
But Meggie knew how it had happened. She firmly believed that the Stick had pointed her in the right direction, telling her what she should do. And although it was a disappointment not seeing Disneyland when Mom cashed Dad's check and happily made her dental appointment at long last, the look of relief on her face was payment enough for Meggie.
The dentist said they'd start with a root canal and go on from there, and Mom, who'd waited so long, was actually looking forward to it. But one morning she awoke with an abscess on a back tooth and in terrible pain. She had been working overtime on a brief for her boss, bringing work home from the office and laboring far into the night, and she'd finally finished — when disaster struck!
"Oh, dear," she said to Meggie. "Now what am I going to do? I promised Mr. Hawkins I'd have this on his desk by ten today, and what's he going to think of me when I let him down? He seems like a very nice man, considerate, but I have a hunch he has no patience with people who renege on their promises. So call LaVern for me, will you, honey? and explain the situation. Ask her to take the brief over for me; she won't mind."
And Meggie was certain LaVern wouldn't have minded, good friend that she was, but when she called her there was no answer. She tried calling several times but no one picked up the phone, and finally, in desperation, she decided to take the brief to Mr. Hawkins herself. She knew from things her mom had said that her new boss was a stickler for punctuality and she didn't want her to get in trouble for not delivering what she'd promised on time. She knew the address of the Hawkins' law office, but not how to get there on the bus and decided she'd have to take a taxi.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from No-See-Me and the Amazing Crimson Stick by Mary Verdick. Copyright © 2015 Mary Verdick. Excerpted by permission of AuthorHouse.
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