Hailey hadn't gotten any sleep. She kept thinking about her grandpa being a thief. He was always so nice and thought about others so why would he steal? What happened to make him change?
Hailey was putting her books in her backpack when her grandpa came in the room. At first she ignored him and pretended she didn't hear him come in. When all of her things were together she knew she couldn't ignore him any longer.
"Do you want me to take you to school?"
"No, I always walk to school."
"I can give you a ride just once."
"I'm meeting my friends at the street corner." Then Hailey walked passed him.
"Are you all right?"
"Just fine."
Then she left the house leaving Cecil to wonder what was wrong with her.
On the walk to school and for the rest of the morning Hailey was quiet. She couldn't stop think about her grandpa. She knew she couldn't avoid him forever so she decided that when she gets home from school she is going to confront him. Maybe this whole thing was a misunderstanding.
By lunch time her friends were worried about her."
"What's going on with you?" Evan asked.
"Nothing I'm fine."
"You've been quiet and you are never quiet."
"The only time you are quiet is when you're sick." Alexis said. Alexis put her hand on Hailey's forehead. "Are you sick?"
Hailey slapped her hand away. "No, I'm not sick. I just have a lot on my mind."
"Do you want to share?"
Hailey sighed. Maybe she would feel better if she talked about it.
"Well, I just found out that my grandpa is a thief. He stole from the museum."
"How did you find that out?" Evan asked.
"The people at the museum told me."
"How did they tell you?"
""Oh well, I'm friends with the night guard there. He was working when my grandpa tried to steal from there."
"Have you talked to him about it?"
"I'm going to when I get home."
"I hope everything works out."
"Well, on to a happier note, I asked Karissa Marshall to the dance and she said yes." Evan looked pleased with himself.
"She actually said yes?" Alexis asked not believing it.
"Why do you sound so surprised?"
"Is this the same Karissa Marshall that said she would rather have a root canal then go out with you?"
"Yes."
"So how did you convince her?"
"I just asked her and she said yes."
"He had to have done something." Alexis whispered to Hailey; Hailey just nodded in agreement.
The day seemed to drag on and all Hailey's teachers kept looking at her like she was planning something. They knew her too well. She was never quiet so they thought she had to be up to something, but at the end of the day she didn't do anything and everyone was surprised. They wondered if she was sick or cleaning up her act. They quickly pushed that thought away since they knew she wasn't going to straighten up.
On the way home Alexis and Evan were talking about the dance. Evan was still boasting that he got a date. Alexis said she was going to get up the courage to ask someone out tomorrow. Hailey wasn't paying attention to their conversation. Who wanted to go to a stupid dance any way?
When they got to the corner Hailey said bye to her friends then headed for her house. She walked slower then usual since she was nervous confronting her grandpa. She was hoping this was all a misunderstanding, but she knew that it was true. Jededaiah had made that clear.
Hailey arrived at her house and looked around. No one seemed to be home. She thought that she might have to talk to him later, but when she walked into the kitchen she saw him sitting at the table reading a book.
Cecil looked up when he heard her walk in. "There's my little Firefly. What's wrong? You look sad."
"I am."
"Come talk to me about it?"
Hailey stood where she was and took a deep breath. "I heard something last night at the museum and I want to know if it's true."
Cecil tensed up. He knew there was only one thing she could have heard to make her look that sad. She was bound to find out sooner or later, but he was hoping it would be later.
"Did you steal from the museum and try to frame Larry for it?"
Hailey braced herself or what she was going to hear.
Cecil sighed. "Yeah it's true. I was hoping you wouldn't find out this way."
"When were you going to tell me? Were you even going to tell me?"
"Yes I was when the time was right."
"When the time was right? When would that be?" Hailey was getting angry and with each word she spoke she got louder.
"Can we talk about this later?"
"No, I want to talk about it now. Why did you do it? I thought you were better then that."
"Things change, Hailey, people change."
"But I never thought…I wouldn't imagine you…I want to know why."
"I told you why."
"People change is not an answer. You don't go from a nice guy one day and a thief the next."
"Hailey, it's complicated."
"Only because you're making it that way."
Hailey rushed up to her room and slammed the door. She slid down to the floor and started crying. How could he do this to her? He was the only one that cared and now he is a thief. Why couldn't he just say why he did it? Was it really that hard?
"Hailey, please open the door."
"Go away!"
"Hailey-"
"I said go away! I don't want to talk to you."
She heard his footsteps recede. Hailey thought that when her grandpa came her things would be better. She thought that she could go live with him and she would be happy. She was such a fool. Why couldn't things go right for her? Why couldn't she have one happy thing in her life? Maybe she was just meant to be alone and miserable.
Hailey didn't go to the museum that night. She didn't feel like facing everyone. Her grandfather stole from them and they might look at her like she's the same. Actually Jededaiah does think she is the same. She couldn't go back to them.
At the museum Larry was making his rounds and everyone was playing new game called basketball. Nick had taught them how to play, but instead of hoops they used trash cans that they had hung on the wall.
Ahkmenrah was in his tomb pacing. He had been in the lobby many times, but he hadn't seen Hailey. He asked Larry if he had seen her and he hasn't. He wondered if Hailey was avoiding him for what he told her. Maybe she is mad at him. If he could have avoided telling her he would have, but she had to know the truth.
The young pharaoh wondered if she would ever come back. Even though they hadn't known each other for very long he enjoyed her company and he would miss her if she did not return.
