a/n: thanks so much for the reviews! and i'm sorry this took me so long to get out...i didn't think anyone liked it.
special thanks --> Akaha the Goddess, rosablasinfann08 & Borgeois Sounds Swell
thanks for your reviews!
okay next chapterrr...
I sat in Atticus' old rocking chair, swinging my legs back and forth because they didn't touch the brown wood of the poorch. Jem was leaning on the railing, his face fixed in a hard expression.
"Jem?" I asked, staring at my feet.
"What, Scout," he answered in an exasperated tone.
"What's gonna happen to Mr. Radley?"
"Dunno Scout," he said distractedly. I sighed, wishing he would pay attention to me. He'd spent the last few days in his room, reading law books that he had secretly taken from Atticus' study. Jem began pacing back and forth. He had a stick in his hand that he slid along the bars under the railing so it made a clicking noise.
"Watcha frownin' at, Jem?" I asked to fill the uncomfortable silence. Jem was always frowning lately. He didn't answer me.
"Scout! Jem! C'mon inside now," Calupurnia called to us. I hopped down from the rocking chair and raced inside. Jem followed solemnly behind me.
"Stop lookin' so glum Jem," she said gently as she put his sandwich in front of him, "it's nothin' you can change."
Having lunch with Jem was worse than sitting on the porch with him. He was as silent as ever. He picked at his sandwich, never losing his dismal expression. Calupurnia tried to start a conversation, but he answered yes, no, or maybe. Or sometimes I don't know. All that you could hear in the kitchen was my chewing, and the banging of pots and pans as Calupurnia did the dishes. I finished the last of my peanut butter-and jelly sandwich and excused myself from the table.
When I got outside, I climbed up on the banister and sat down. Looking around, I saw only in her garden. Everyone was staying inside because of the heat. I wished that Dill would come soon. He was more fun than Jem. I wished that Atticus had more time at home. He, too, was stressed. The Radley case had him up to his ears in work. Jem came outside and leaned on the railing next to me. There was a long pause.
"Jem," I said finally, "Who did Boo kidnap?" Jem looked up at me sadly.
"Dill, Scout. They said he kidnapped Dill." I looked at my brother incredulously.
"What?" I asked in astonishment. He nodded and we were silent again. "But surely Dill can tell everyone that Boo didn't do it. Just wait 'till he gets here. That's all," I beamed up at Jem. What a good idea I'd had!
"Scout, Dill ain't comin' this summer." My good feelings stopped, just like somebody had blown out a candle.
"Not coming," I repeated quietly. Jem shook his head.
"See, Dill wanted to apologize for spyin' on him last year. He went up to the door when Mr. Nathan wasn't home and knocked. Mr. Arthur came to the door and invited him inside. Well, when people saw that, they thought Mr. Arthur was kidnapping Dill." I frowned in confusion.
"But that was all the way last year!"
"No, Scout," he said in a voice that I hated, the voice he used when he babied me, "Dill was already here. He came while we were in school. Then he left before we could see him."
"So," I said determinedly, "we're gonna get into that courthouse again, ain't we Jem?"
"Yup. That's the plan." He looked at me and smiled a little smile, "If they wanna put Mr. Arthur Radley in jail, they're gonna have to go through us!"