All the Answers by Kate Messner Page A

Mrs. Grabowski’s abandoned Jell-O. She pulled her tray closer and started eating.
    â€œWell, how about that.” Thomas looked at Ava and Sophie. “You two got some secret you want to let me in on?”
    Ava panicked for a second, but Sophie laughed. “We just pay attention to things.”
    Then Mr. Clemson hollered from across the room, “I smell smoke! Call for backup!” Thomas left to reassure him that it was only a batch of overdone cookies coming out of the oven.
    Ava looked around the room, at all of the faces with faraway eyes. “What do you think the rest of them are thinking?”
    Sophie grinned. “We know how to find out.”
    They went from table to table, all over the dining room.
    What does Mr. Ames want?
    â€œMore lasagna,” the voice said. So Ava got Betty to bring him another portion.
    â€œAlso a baseball,” the voice added.
    â€œA baseball?” Ava said. The voice didn’t repeat itself.
    â€œWhat’s he going to do with a baseball?” Sophie asked.
    Ava shrugged. It didn’t seem worth spending the lead to ask the pencil why he wanted it when it was so easy to get for him. Sophie pulled out a pen and wrote “Mr. Ames—Baseball” on the legal pad so they’d remember to bring one next time.
    What does Mr. Clemson want?
    â€œA pick head axe, an attack hose, and a truck with an aerial ladder,” the voice said.
    â€œOh dear. He wants a fire truck, a hose, and an axe,” Ava told Sophie. She looked up at Mr. Clemson, who was gesturing urgently toward the window, insisting that Thomas smash it so they could all climb out.
    Sophie shook her head. “Tell the pencil to try again.”
    Ava wrote:
What does Mr. Clemson want that will fit in this room and can’t be used to break, smash, or flood things?
    â€œWool socks,” the voice said. That was better. Ava wrote “Mr. Clemson—Socks” and moved on.
    What does Mrs. Raymond want?
    â€œA new sweatshirt,” the voice said. Ava told Sophie.
    â€œReally?” Sophie said. “She has so many. See what color she wants—and what animals she doesn’t have yet.”
    What color would Mrs. Raymond like her sweatshirt to be, and what kind of animal would she like on it?
    â€œIt doesn’t matter what color,” the voice said, “but
no
stupid animals. That’s all her kids ever give her for holidays and she hates them.”
    â€œOh,” Ava said, and repeated the answer to Sophie.
    Sophie nodded. “No wonder she wants a new one.”
    Ava added Mrs. Raymond’s koala-and-kitten-free sweatshirt to the list and moved to the next table with Mrs. Yu.
    What does Mrs. Yu want?
    â€œHmph. She wants to sit by your grandfather,” the voice said. It didn’t sound happy about that.
    Ava looked over at Grandpa. He was scowling at his Jell-O.
    Really?
she wrote.
Why?
    â€œBecause she thinks he’s handsome,” the voice said. “But don’t tell him that. It’ll go straight to his head.”
    Ava looked at her grandfather and tried to see what Mrs. Yu saw. Grandpa was all slouched over and grouchy-faced. His short white hair against the dark skin of his head made it look as if he’d been out in the snow. Handsome?
    â€œWhat?” Sophie’s voice was impatient.
    â€œShe wants to go sit by Grandpa.”
    â€œHa!” Sophie laughed but she didn’t ask why. She squatted down next to Mrs. Yu and said, “We’re going to change tables,okay?” Then she grabbed the handles of Mrs. Yu’s wheelchair and relocated her next to Grandpa.
    Grandpa looked up, surprised, but he didn’t frown. He nodded and went back to his Jell-O.
    Ava looked at her watch. “We should go,” she said. “I need to get home for dinner.” The pencil was fun here, but Ava still felt sad about Mrs. Grabowski. Her pudding was gone, and she wasn’t going to Ukraine any time