CHAPTER THREE
Melissa woke up the next morning in a sweat. Her heart was racing as she looked at her alarm clock. 12:14. Mr. Crochet had probably already driven to the hospital to pick Callie up.
In just ten minutes, Melissa was downstairs. She kissed her mom and asked, "Did Dad go to pick up Callie already?"
"Just a few minutes ago," was her mother's answer.
Suddenly, the doorbell rang. Melissa rushed to the door and saw Brittany waving at her.
"Sorry I'm so early," Brittany said as she stepped through the doorway. She looked around curiously and asked, "Do you think I should be here while your sister comes home? I don't want to barge in on anything."
"Oh, you're fine," Melissa said to her. "It's Josie and Erica that's bothering me. They wouldn't think twice about Callie coming home. You know them."
Brittany nodded-and jumped as the door hit her back. Gasping, she moved away from the door.
"Dad! Callie!" Melissa rushed to her sister and father and hugged her dad. She was about to hug Callie, but she imagined what would happen if she did, so she stepped back. It felt weird to back away from her sister.
"Who're they?" Callie asked, pointing to Melissa and Brittany.
"I had to take lots of time convincing her that I was her father," Mr. Crochet explained. Callie was still staring at Melissa.
"I'm your sister Melissa," Melissa said, sticking her hand out. But Callie drew back.
"I don't have a sister," Callie said. Melissa felt very hurt.
"And I'm Brittany," Brittany said cheerfully. Callie smiled and said, "I'm Callie. Dad, can I...um...do whatever it's called with Brittany?"
"Play?" Melissa suggested. Callie beamed. "Yeah, that word. Hey, you want to...ply with us, Mel...is...a?"
"Sure," Melissa said. She smiled at her father, and the three of them went outside.
"Let's play a word game, Callie," Brittany said. Callie frowned and asked, "What's a word game?"
Melissa opened her mouth and was about to say something mean, but then she remembered that Callie couldn't remember anything at all.
"A word game," Brittany explained, "Is when we teach you words, okay?"
"Okay," Callie said. Melissa smiled. Her sisters was healing.
Melissa woke up the next morning in a sweat. Her heart was racing as she looked at her alarm clock. 12:14. Mr. Crochet had probably already driven to the hospital to pick Callie up.
In just ten minutes, Melissa was downstairs. She kissed her mom and asked, "Did Dad go to pick up Callie already?"
"Just a few minutes ago," was her mother's answer.
Suddenly, the doorbell rang. Melissa rushed to the door and saw Brittany waving at her.
"Sorry I'm so early," Brittany said as she stepped through the doorway. She looked around curiously and asked, "Do you think I should be here while your sister comes home? I don't want to barge in on anything."
"Oh, you're fine," Melissa said to her. "It's Josie and Erica that's bothering me. They wouldn't think twice about Callie coming home. You know them."
Brittany nodded-and jumped as the door hit her back. Gasping, she moved away from the door.
"Dad! Callie!" Melissa rushed to her sister and father and hugged her dad. She was about to hug Callie, but she imagined what would happen if she did, so she stepped back. It felt weird to back away from her sister.
"Who're they?" Callie asked, pointing to Melissa and Brittany.
"I had to take lots of time convincing her that I was her father," Mr. Crochet explained. Callie was still staring at Melissa.
"I'm your sister Melissa," Melissa said, sticking her hand out. But Callie drew back.
"I don't have a sister," Callie said. Melissa felt very hurt.
"And I'm Brittany," Brittany said cheerfully. Callie smiled and said, "I'm Callie. Dad, can I...um...do whatever it's called with Brittany?"
"Play?" Melissa suggested. Callie beamed. "Yeah, that word. Hey, you want to...ply with us, Mel...is...a?"
"Sure," Melissa said. She smiled at her father, and the three of them went outside.
"Let's play a word game, Callie," Brittany said. Callie frowned and asked, "What's a word game?"
Melissa opened her mouth and was about to say something mean, but then she remembered that Callie couldn't remember anything at all.
"A word game," Brittany explained, "Is when we teach you words, okay?"
"Okay," Callie said. Melissa smiled. Her sisters was healing.