"Look at the SHS website, and call me back," Alan replied mysteriously.
My dad started calling me at that moment. "Look, I've got to go, but I definitely will do that. Later," I said.
"Later," Alan replied, and hung up.
I walked back into the kitchen in a day. "Why did Alan call you on the family line, Claudia?" Dad asked, looking more than a little peeved.
"Because he knew we'd be eating dinner and he wanted to reach me," I answered, going back to my roast beef.
"It is common courtesy to _not_ call people during dinnertime," Janine said.
"Janine's right," Mom said. "Tell him to not to do that again."
"Well, apparently, I won something or another. He was calling to congratulate me," I said.
"That's nice, sweetie. What did you win?" Mom said distractedly.
"I don't know yet."
Janine raised her eyebrows. "Mysterious. Pass the potatoes, please."
Okay, so my family didn't seem all that excited. But whatever. _I_ was excited. But there was something else on my mind.
"So Mom," I said brightly. "What's for dessert?"
"Luckily for you, Claudia, we had a going-away party for Miss Feld today and there's some cake left over."
"Mmm, what kind?" I asked.
"Devil's food."
"It's your lucky day, Claudia," my fathered teased me.
Miss Feld. Thinking of her made me get all nostalgic for the good old days of the BSC, where we'd plan things for the children to do. The library was involved with many of them, and Miss Feld was always very supportive. She was even my boss when I'd worked in the library over the summer with my friend Erica.
"I'm a little sad that Miss Feld's leaving, though," my mother said, as if she could read my thoughts.
My parents and Janine began a spirited discussion about the changes Miss Feld had brought to the children's room at the Stoneybrook Public Library. I, however, was on my own train of thought.
It may have been reading too much into things, but I couldn't help thinking that Miss Feld's leaving was sort of symbolic of the way things were going in my life. Kristy's caught in a compromising situation, the BSC is definitely over, and now someone who helped the BSC with so many do-gooder kinds of projects is off for Texas.
Once dinner--and dessert--was over, I headed off to my bedroom. Kicking aside the usual mess, I turned on the computer. Logging onto the SHS website, I saw immediately what Alan was talking about. There was a headline that said, "CONGRATULATIONS CLAUDIA KISHI FOR WINNING FIRST PRIZE IN THE STUDENT ART SHOW!"
I screamed. I couldn't believe it. I had entered the first sculpture I'd done in my art class, just for kicks. I had never expected to win anything, much less first place, when I'd been competing with people older than me, some by as much as four years.
"Claudia! What on earth is the matter?" Janine rushed into my room, looking incredibly concerned.
"Nothing's the matter, Janine," I laughed. "I'm just happy."
"Oh?" she said. "Does this have to do with the mysterious dinnertime phone call?"
"Yes," I answered, smiling. "I won first prize in this art show!"
Janine smiled and gave me a hug. "Congratulations, little sister."
My dad started calling me at that moment. "Look, I've got to go, but I definitely will do that. Later," I said.
"Later," Alan replied, and hung up.
I walked back into the kitchen in a day. "Why did Alan call you on the family line, Claudia?" Dad asked, looking more than a little peeved.
"Because he knew we'd be eating dinner and he wanted to reach me," I answered, going back to my roast beef.
"It is common courtesy to _not_ call people during dinnertime," Janine said.
"Janine's right," Mom said. "Tell him to not to do that again."
"Well, apparently, I won something or another. He was calling to congratulate me," I said.
"That's nice, sweetie. What did you win?" Mom said distractedly.
"I don't know yet."
Janine raised her eyebrows. "Mysterious. Pass the potatoes, please."
Okay, so my family didn't seem all that excited. But whatever. _I_ was excited. But there was something else on my mind.
"So Mom," I said brightly. "What's for dessert?"
"Luckily for you, Claudia, we had a going-away party for Miss Feld today and there's some cake left over."
"Mmm, what kind?" I asked.
"Devil's food."
"It's your lucky day, Claudia," my fathered teased me.
Miss Feld. Thinking of her made me get all nostalgic for the good old days of the BSC, where we'd plan things for the children to do. The library was involved with many of them, and Miss Feld was always very supportive. She was even my boss when I'd worked in the library over the summer with my friend Erica.
"I'm a little sad that Miss Feld's leaving, though," my mother said, as if she could read my thoughts.
My parents and Janine began a spirited discussion about the changes Miss Feld had brought to the children's room at the Stoneybrook Public Library. I, however, was on my own train of thought.
It may have been reading too much into things, but I couldn't help thinking that Miss Feld's leaving was sort of symbolic of the way things were going in my life. Kristy's caught in a compromising situation, the BSC is definitely over, and now someone who helped the BSC with so many do-gooder kinds of projects is off for Texas.
Once dinner--and dessert--was over, I headed off to my bedroom. Kicking aside the usual mess, I turned on the computer. Logging onto the SHS website, I saw immediately what Alan was talking about. There was a headline that said, "CONGRATULATIONS CLAUDIA KISHI FOR WINNING FIRST PRIZE IN THE STUDENT ART SHOW!"
I screamed. I couldn't believe it. I had entered the first sculpture I'd done in my art class, just for kicks. I had never expected to win anything, much less first place, when I'd been competing with people older than me, some by as much as four years.
"Claudia! What on earth is the matter?" Janine rushed into my room, looking incredibly concerned.
"Nothing's the matter, Janine," I laughed. "I'm just happy."
"Oh?" she said. "Does this have to do with the mysterious dinnertime phone call?"
"Yes," I answered, smiling. "I won first prize in this art show!"
Janine smiled and gave me a hug. "Congratulations, little sister."