out
on paper. There are plenty of kids whose parents work and can't drive them to
school but who also live too close to school to be on a bus route. They need
transportation, and I'm going to provide it with the new van. I'm even having a
sign made for the side of the van. It's going to say EDWARDS'S TEEN TAXI. Isn't
it exciting?"
Melanie exchanged horrified looks with her friends. But
Mom! she tried to say, but even though she formed the words with her lips,
no sound came out. She felt as if she were shrinking, and her whole life passed
in front of her eyes in a blinding flash. A taxi driver for kids at Wacko
Junior High? Her own mother? She would be so embarrassed that she'd die!
CHAPTER 2
"I can't believe your mom is really serious about
running a taxi service for kids at Wacko," said Beth when Melanie met her
friends at their regular spot by the school fence the next morning.
Melanie nodded. "Oh, brother. Is she ever serious. She
says that the school district changed the bus routes this year to cut expenses,
and now they include only kids who live more than two miles from school instead
of one mile, the way it used to be. She says now lots of kids whose parents
work are stranded with no way to get to and from school."
"That's true," said Katie. "Or else they have
to come really early, before the school is open, so they can catch a ride with
their parents. Shawnie Pendergast's mother drops her off on the way to her job.
She says she gets here at the crack of dawn and hangs around by the front door
until the custodian comes and lets her in."
"I'll have to admit that it's a good idea," said
Melanie. "But why does my mother have to be the one to do it? I
mean, how will it look having our beautiful new van pull up to school with a
sign on the side saying EDWARDS'S TEEN TAXI? And kids paying her for a
ride home? I'll get laughed right out of school."
"Maybe not," said Christie, but Melanie could tell
by the tone of her voice that she wasn't convinced.
"I can hear the jokes now," Melanie went on. "I
mean, why couldn't she just get a regular job? And it isn't as if she has
nothing to do at home, either. Jeffy only goes half-days to kindergarten. And
then there's Rainbow and the puppies. They need to be let in and out during the
day."
"I think you've just answered your own question,"
said Jana. "She can't get a regular job because she's needed at home."
Melanie squirmed, knowing Jana was right, and glanced off
toward the school building, hoping she would see something interesting to take
her mind off her new problem. Naturally the first place she looked was in the
direction of a group of boys near the gum tree. They were eighth-graders, and
her heart leapt when she saw Garrett Boldt's head above the others. Garrett was
one of the tallest boys in school, as well as one of the cutest, and Melanie
had been trying for a long time to figure out how to get a date with him. While
she was watching, he nodded and said something to the others and then walked
off alone, concentrating on juggling his books, his camera, and a camera bag as
he went.
Melanie waved a quick good-bye to her friends and hurried
after him. "Hi, Garrett," she called. "It looks as if you could
use some help."
"Hi," he said with a big grin. "You're right.
I always manage to have about three times more stuff than I can handle. On top
of that, the strap on my backpack is broken so I have to carry all these things
separately. Would you hold this a minute while I get organized?"
Garrett handed her the camera bag, and Melanie giggled as
her knees buckled under the surprising weight. "What do you have in here?"
she teased. "A bowling ball?"
"Naw. Just lenses and stuff. If you think that's bad,
you should be with me when I'm shooting pictures for The Wigwam. Sometimes I have my tripod, or if it's an indoor shot, I might even have some
portable lights. What I could really use is an assistant to help me carry all
that junk."
"An assistant?" Melanie tried to control
on paper. There are plenty of kids whose parents work and can't drive them to
school but who also live too close to school to be on a bus route. They need
transportation, and I'm going to provide it with the new van. I'm even having a
sign made for the side of the van. It's going to say EDWARDS'S TEEN TAXI. Isn't
it exciting?"
Melanie exchanged horrified looks with her friends. But
Mom! she tried to say, but even though she formed the words with her lips,
no sound came out. She felt as if she were shrinking, and her whole life passed
in front of her eyes in a blinding flash. A taxi driver for kids at Wacko
Junior High? Her own mother? She would be so embarrassed that she'd die!
CHAPTER 2
"I can't believe your mom is really serious about
running a taxi service for kids at Wacko," said Beth when Melanie met her
friends at their regular spot by the school fence the next morning.
Melanie nodded. "Oh, brother. Is she ever serious. She
says that the school district changed the bus routes this year to cut expenses,
and now they include only kids who live more than two miles from school instead
of one mile, the way it used to be. She says now lots of kids whose parents
work are stranded with no way to get to and from school."
"That's true," said Katie. "Or else they have
to come really early, before the school is open, so they can catch a ride with
their parents. Shawnie Pendergast's mother drops her off on the way to her job.
She says she gets here at the crack of dawn and hangs around by the front door
until the custodian comes and lets her in."
"I'll have to admit that it's a good idea," said
Melanie. "But why does my mother have to be the one to do it? I
mean, how will it look having our beautiful new van pull up to school with a
sign on the side saying EDWARDS'S TEEN TAXI? And kids paying her for a
ride home? I'll get laughed right out of school."
"Maybe not," said Christie, but Melanie could tell
by the tone of her voice that she wasn't convinced.
"I can hear the jokes now," Melanie went on. "I
mean, why couldn't she just get a regular job? And it isn't as if she has
nothing to do at home, either. Jeffy only goes half-days to kindergarten. And
then there's Rainbow and the puppies. They need to be let in and out during the
day."
"I think you've just answered your own question,"
said Jana. "She can't get a regular job because she's needed at home."
Melanie squirmed, knowing Jana was right, and glanced off
toward the school building, hoping she would see something interesting to take
her mind off her new problem. Naturally the first place she looked was in the
direction of a group of boys near the gum tree. They were eighth-graders, and
her heart leapt when she saw Garrett Boldt's head above the others. Garrett was
one of the tallest boys in school, as well as one of the cutest, and Melanie
had been trying for a long time to figure out how to get a date with him. While
she was watching, he nodded and said something to the others and then walked
off alone, concentrating on juggling his books, his camera, and a camera bag as
he went.
Melanie waved a quick good-bye to her friends and hurried
after him. "Hi, Garrett," she called. "It looks as if you could
use some help."
"Hi," he said with a big grin. "You're right.
I always manage to have about three times more stuff than I can handle. On top
of that, the strap on my backpack is broken so I have to carry all these things
separately. Would you hold this a minute while I get organized?"
Garrett handed her the camera bag, and Melanie giggled as
her knees buckled under the surprising weight. "What do you have in here?"
she teased. "A bowling ball?"
"Naw. Just lenses and stuff. If you think that's bad,
you should be with me when I'm shooting pictures for The Wigwam. Sometimes I have my tripod, or if it's an indoor shot, I might even have some
portable lights. What I could really use is an assistant to help me carry all
that junk."
"An assistant?" Melanie tried to control
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