Andrea looked up as the detective came back inside the room. “We found this over on Main Street, about ten blocks south,” he said softly. He was holding Timmy’s teddy bear.
FIFTEEN
Andrea hugged her missing brother’s teddy bear. One of the photographers snapped a picture, but she didn’t care. Why would Timmy lose his bear? she wondered. What could have made him drop it? He loved his teddy. He’d had it since he was born.
A few minutes later, her dad arrived. He frantically looked around the living room and made his way to one of the officers, who then directed him to the detective. After the detective briefed him, Andrea’s dad sat next to her on the sofa. She threw her arms around his neck.
“Oh, Daddy,” she cried. “I’m so sorry!”
“Shh,” he said soothingly. He looked up at Andrea’s mother and said, “May I speak to you in the kitchen—privately?”
Mrs. Manetti followed him into the kitchen. In a few moments, Andrea could hear the low rumble of their angry voices. Do they have to argue now? Andrea thought angrily.
Andrea went quickly into the kitchen and watched in dismay.
“For crying out loud!” her dad said. “Can’t you even keep an eye on your own kid?”
Her mom fired back. “It was an accident! With all the fuss about dinner and all, Andi just forgot to shut his door.”
“Oh, that’s great!” he said sarcastically. “Blame it all on a thirteen-year-old!”
“No one’s to blame!” she snapped. “It just happened.”
“If you’d take care of your responsibilities here at home instead of working—” he said.
“I can’t believe this! Now my job’s to blame?” she shouted. “Today wasn’t even a workday, Jim. It’s Saturday!”
Andrea had heard enough. She cried, “Stop it! Stop it! Timmy’s somewhere cold and alone in the dark, and the first thing you two do is argue! It’s not right!” She was shaking with anger.
Her parents exchanged glances. She was right, and they knew it. “Sorry,” her mom said curtly. Then she left the kitchen and headed for the front door.
At eleven o’clock, the news on Channel 4 had the story about Timmy. It showed the police searching the neighborhood and the Manetti family sitting around waiting. Yet, somehow to Andrea, it didn’t seem to them like it was happening at all. Except that Timmy’s bed was empty.
After the news, Andrea dozed off on the sofa. When her dad tried to move her up to her bed, she woke with a start. “Let me stay here,” she mumbled sleepily.
Mr. Manetti agreed, and the rest of the night passed with no more news from the police. Andrea’s dad brought in the morning newspaper when it hit the front walkway at six o’clock. On the bottom of the front page were Timmy’s picture and a headline: “Have you seen this boy?” Next to it was a story about the recently divorced Manettis and their missing son.
The first red streaks of dawn were breaking across the sky when Andrea heard a big commotion outside the front door. She and her parents hurried out to the porch. Up the front walk came a policeman carrying a drowsy Timmy.
Andrea’s mom took him gently in her arms. Mr. Manetti and Andrea crowded around and hugged him. “Oh, baby,” her mom cried, tears streaming down her face. “Are you all right?”
Timmy rubbed his eyes. “Mama?” he asked. “Daddy? Andi?” He looked from face to face. “Timmy eat,” he said.
Behind the officer, a man approached. The detective was with him. “Mr. and Mrs. Manetti,” the detective began, “This is Mr. Phil Roberts. He lives on Broad Street. It seems that Mr. Roberts went out to get in his truck this morning and found Timmy curled up asleep on his front seat.”
“I’m sorry, folks,” the heavy-set trucker said. “I guess the little guy got inside late last night and fell asleep. I didn’t know till I tried to leave this morning.”
“It’s okay. It’s okay,” Andrea’s dad told him as he shook his hand profusely. “We’re just grateful that you left your truck unlocked and he got inside it. Thanks for bringing him home.”
Andrea was so glad to see Timmy that she began to weep again. “Andi cry,” Timmy said.
She ruffled his hair and whispered, “Welcome home, Timmy. I’m so glad you’re home!”
When Andrea awoke, it was after lunchtime on Monday. After the exhausting events of the weekend, Mrs. Manetti had let Andrea sleep late. She barely remembered hearing the phone ringing off and on while she slept. Her mom told her many friends and even strangers had called after seeing the news and reading yesterday’s paper. While she was eating a snack and getting ready to go back to school for the remainder of her classes, her mom stuck her head into the kitchen and said, “Andi, Terri’s on the phone.”
Andrea went into the hallway and picked up the phone. “Hi,” she said softly, thinking about what her best friend might say to her.
“You all right?” Terri asked. “I wanted to come by the second I heard about Timmy, but my mom said ‘no.’ She said your house was probably crawling with people, and you didn’t need any more.” She paused, then continued, “I called a few times this morning, but your mom said you were sleeping. You sure you’re okay?”
“I’m fine,” Andrea said. She felt tense.
Now that Terri had probably read the newspaper or saw the news, including the part about her parents’ divorce, Andrea wasn’t sure what to say to her best friend. She had never told Terri about the divorce. Even though Andrea wanted to, she never could bring herself to say it aloud.
“I know I should have told you about my parents,” Andrea blurted suddenly. “But, but . . .” A lump rose into her throat.
“It’s okay,” Terri assured her. “Really, it’s all right. I understand.”
Relief washed over Andrea.“Do you?” she asked.
“Sure. My mom and I talked. She explained to me how hard it would have been for you to tell anyone. She also said to tell you that she cares a lot about you and that you’ve been like a daughter to her.”
In a way Andrea was glad that Terri’s family knew. Andrea had always loved and admired them. She’d hated keeping such a big secret from them.
“You coming to school today?” Terri asked.
“Yeah,” Andrea said. “I’ve got to go to rehearsal after school, so Mom’s going to drop me off for sixth period chorus. I’ll call you tonight after I get home from rehearsal. Okay?”
“Sure,” Terri told her. “Good luck.” She hung up.
Actually, Andrea was dreading going to school. Now everyone would know about her personal life. Even though Terri had been so understanding, Andrea was sure others would not be. She hated that thought. But she had to go to rehearsal.
Her mom dropped her off at school. Andrea took a deep breath and went inside the choral room. She felt all eyes turning toward her as she made her way to her seat. She could also hear kids whispering and knew they were all talking about her.
“Hey, Manetti,” Brian called as she passed by him. “Saw you in the newspaper. I didn’t know you had a retard for a brother.”
She felt her cheeks grow hot. She wanted to slug Brian in his big mouth. Suddenly, Tony’s voice cut through the air.
“So what’s it to you?” Tony asked. There was a challenge in both his voice and his eyes.
Brian looked at Tony for a moment, sensing Tony’s warning to him to back off. He shrugged. “Nothing,” Brian said. “Nothing at all, Tony.”
Nobody else said a word. Andrea smiled gratefully at Tony. Then she hurried to her seat just as the bell rang, and Ms. Vesper swept into the room.
SIXTEEN
The final dress rehearsal for Grease was a total disaster. Kids forgot their cues. The dance scene ran long. The backdrop for the big car race fell over. And Paula, “Rizzo” in the show, went hoarse.
Yet Ms. Vesper appeared calm. Andrea, on the other hand, wanted to cry. With the show only one night away, everything was going wrong. “Don’t worry,” Ms. Vesper called out after the terrible dress rehearsal. “The wo
rse things go for the final rehearsal, the better things will go on opening night!”
“In that case, we’ll be ready for Broadway,” Tony chirped sarcastically. Everyone laughed nervously. Andrea went home tired and worn-out, but very excited, too. Tomorrow was opening night!
The show promised to be one of the biggest things to come to the town in months. The scene the cast had performed for the Friday school assembly had been a hit, and many students had bought tickets afterward. Public service spots on the local stations had proven successful, too, as the remaining tickets had already sold out.
“You will be there?” Andrea anxiously asked her father over the telephone Saturday morning.
“Wouldn’t miss it for the world!” he said. “I was thinking of coming a little early and giving the big star a good-luck kiss. How would that be?”
“Oh, Daddy,” Andrea told him. “Stop teasing me. I’m not a big star.”
“You are to me,” he said.
“Well, the cast has to be there by five-thirty to get into makeup and costumes. I could meet you outside the gym door in the rear parking lot about six-thirty,” she offered.
“Sounds good to me,” he said. “The show starts at seven-fifteen, right?”
“Right,” she confirmed.
“All right. See you then, Andi,” her dad said.
She hung up the phone. It was still odd to have to plan on meeting her own dad instead of having him take her. She sighed. But that’s the way things were.
“Andi?” her mom called from the top of the stairs. “Mrs. Taylor is coming over at six o’clock to stay with Timmy. So I’ll drop you off, come back here, and then go back to the school for the performance. All right?”
“Sure, Mom,” Andrea called back. They had agreed that it would be best to leave Timmy at home. He might get overstimulated and disrupt the performance. Andrea was glad. She didn’t want to draw attention to him in light of what happened last month.
By five o’clock, Andrea finished packing her duffle bag and was ready to go. They picked up Terri on the way and arrived at the gym a few minutes early.
“See you soon,” her mom called as she dropped them off.
Andrea took a deep breath and walked inside the gym. Kids were already running around backstage, attending to the sets, lighting, and sound. This is it! Andrea thought. Opening night!
“Andrea!” Ms. Vesper called. “Go into the locker room and let Terri do your makeup. Then meet me out here so we can do some voice warm-ups.”
“Sure,” Andrea said. The two girls went into the locker room, and Terri went to work applying heavy theatrical makeup and fixing Andrea’s hair in a 1950s’ style. Then Andrea put on her costume for the first act, a 1950s’ outfit consisting of a full skirt with crinolines, a white short-sleeved blouse, saddle oxfords, and bobby socks.
“I look like a nerd,” Andrea giggled at her reflection in the locker room mirror.
“But a cute nerd,” Terri added.
Andrea walked out onto the bustling stage and over to the piano. Ms. Vesper and Tony were waiting for her. Andrea smiled broadly. Tony looked like the perfect Danny in his black T-shirt with the rolled-up sleeves, jeans, and his black leather jacket slung over his shoulder. His hair was greased back into the popular 1950s’ style.
“You two look perfect!” Ms. Vesper said, beaming. “Now let’s limber up those voices.” She accompanied them on the piano as they concentrated on voice exercises for a few minutes.
Once they finished, Andrea asked, “What time is it?”
“Six-thirty,” Tony told her.
“I need to go outside for a minute,” she said. He followed her out into the cool April evening. The sun was beginning to set, and red streaks stretched across the sky. The lights in the parking lot began to flicker on.
Andrea glanced toward a couple walking toward them and recognized her dad calling to her. He came up, took her hands in his, and squeezed them. “Don’t you look pretty!” he said. With a sinking feeling, Andrea watched as Jill hurried to them and leaned over her dad’s shoulder.
“How adorable!” Jill cried in her high-pitched voice. Andrea smiled weakly at her. The woman’s blond hair was frizzed, her dress seemed too tight, and her lipstick was too bright.
Andrea noticed someone else coming around the corner of the building. Andrea’s mom spotted Andrea and began talking as she came up to the group. “There you are, Andi! I was hoping to see you before the show.” Mrs. Manetti’s smile quickly faded as she came up to the group and saw who all was there.
“Mom!” Andrea cried, taking her mother’s hand. “I’m so glad you’re here!” Andrea felt sorry for her mother. She wished she could have saved her from this meeting. Her mom and dad cautiously eyed each other.
“You look nice, Beth,” her dad said with a gentleness and sincerity that Andrea hadn’t heard him use since the divorce.
Andrea agreed with her dad. Her mother looked slim and poised in one of her new outfits. Her makeup and hair softened her features, too.
‘‘Thanks, Jim,” she said, cracking a smile at him. “I’m so glad you came.”
“I wouldn’t have missed it,” he said. “We sure have a very special girl,” he added. Both parents looked proudly at Andrea. She smiled and blushed. She quickly remembered that Jill and Tony were standing there, too.
“Mom, Dad, I want you to meet Tony,” Andrea said. “He plays the male lead.”
Andrea’s dad introduced Jill, and once everyone said a self-conscious “good-bye,” “good luck,” and “see you after the show,” her mom, dad, and Jill left, leaving Andrea and Tony alone beside the gym door in the darkening evening. Suddenly, Andrea felt sad.
“You have nice folks,” Tony offered softly.
“They’re divorced,” she said. It was a stupid thing to say. Of course, Tony already knew that. “I wish they weren’t,” she added wistfully. “I miss having a family.”
“You still have a family,” Tony said. “ We don’t even live together,” she said shyly. “So?” he said with a shrug. “At least your old man doesn’t slap your mom around. And you don’t have to worry that he might come after you . . . ,” his voice trailed.
Andrea realized that Tony had just told her something very private about himself. She chose her words with care. “You’re right. Everybody loves me. At least that’s what they’re always telling me.”
“It’s not so bad, you know,” he said, “having folks who really love you. Even if they don’t love each other, you know they want you.”
“Well, when I get married, it’s going to be forever!” she said fiercely.
Tony chuckled. “Me, too,” he said.
They looked at one another for a long minute. “We’d better go back inside,” he said, “before Ms. Vesper thinks we ran out on her.” Tony was right. They had a show to do! Andrea felt that so much had happened to her since school started last September. So much had changed in her life. It was true that her mom and dad were divorced. But seeing them together tonight before the play, she realized something.
Her parents were two different and distinct people. They had new lives apart from one another. But they did love her and Timmy. She believed that with all her heart.
Tony grabbed Andrea’s hand, and they looked at each other for a moment. Andrea took a deep breath. Then she and Tony quickly went back inside the gym.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
LURLENE MCDANIEL lives in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and is a favorite author of young people all over the world. Her best-selling books about kids overcoming problems such as cancer, diabetes, and the death of a parent or sibling draw a wide response from her readers. Lurlene says that the best compliment she can receive is having a reader tell her, “Your story was so interesting that I couldn’t put it down!” To Lurlene, the most important thing is writing an uplifting story that helps the reader look at life from a different perspective.
Six Months to Live, the first of the four-book series about cancer survivor Dawn Roche
lle, was placed in a time capsule at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. The capsule is scheduled to be opened in the year 2089.
Other Darby Creek books by Lurlene McDaniel include:
• Six Months to Live
• If I Should Die Before I Wake
• I Want to Live
• No Time to Cry
• Why Did She Have to Die?
• So Much to Live For
• My Secret Boyfriend
• Mother, Please Don’t Die
• A Horse for Mandy
• Last Dance
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