No Horse Wanted by LLC Melange Books Page B

Coach Norris’s back, and mine.
Then, I could concentrate on cross-country, which I loved. And this
might help me get my car. My car, my car, my car !
    Of course, tomorrow I had to go by the car
lot and see what I could work out with Brenna after cross-country
practice. Maybe she’d let me make payments on my ’68 Presidential
blue Mustang and not insist on having my parents involved in the
deal. I’d been so busy working on my paper today, I didn’t get to
have lunch with Harry, and that meant I hadn’t asked what he
thought of the idea. I’d spent my half-hour break in the computer
lab rewriting this stupid letter. Had he missed me? Did he even
notice I wasn’t sitting across the table from him?
     
    * * * * *
     
    Tuesday, September
17 th , 7:03 a.m.
     
    All the way to school, I debated silently how
to bring up being paid for cross-country, and track in the spring.
I loved running. I didn’t do it for money. I’d run even if I wasn’t
on the team. Dad pulled up to our favorite espresso stand. He
glanced at me and I nodded. That was the best part about riding to
school with him. He bought my coffee.
    Okay, so maybe that wasn’t the best part.
Maybe it was being able to talk to him about life. Jack wasn’t with
us today. I could still imagine the look he’d give me and the way
he’d call me Miss Wimpy. I had to speak up. I had to ask. The worst
that could happen was Dad would refuse and I wouldn’t be any worse
off.
    He passed me a mocha and put his in the cup
holder. “What’s up, Robbie? You’re never this quiet. Don’t you feel
well? I can take you home if you’re sick.”
    “I’m fine,” I said. “And I want to go to
school. I did my homework so the teachers won’t be on my case, and
the team is practicing this afternoon.”
    “Okay, then what is it?”
    I took a deep breath and launched into my
spiel about getting a bonus if my times improved at the
cross-country meets and if I was one of the runners in my division
who made State. Dad kept driving and didn’t say anything until I
finished. He pulled up in front of the school and stopped. I
reached down for my backpack. “What do you think?”
    “That I need to talk to your mom, and we’ll
get back to you,” Dad said. “I’m sorry, Robbie. I’ve been unfair to
you and that makes me feel like a jerk.”
    “What? How do you figure? You’re great.” If I
ever doubted it, all I had to do was look around at my friends.
Vicky wasn’t the only one who had an absentee father. “You may not
do everything I want when I want it, but you’re my dad, not my
buddy. And I gotta go.”
    “Yes, but next time you’re doing an
extracurricular sport like cross-country and I’m not treating it
with the respect I give Jack and his football, I want you to tell
me right away. Deal?”
    “Sure, Dad.” I opened my door. He still
looked worried, so I leaned back in and kissed his cheek. “Hey,
don’t beat yourself up about this. If I get enough money saved up,
I can have my car.”
    He managed a smile. “That fills a father’s
heart with joy. His little girl driving around town in a sports
car.”
    “Yeah,” I said. “It’ll be great.” And I
hustled for the Commons so I could hang out with my friends before
the first bell rang.
    The day zoomed by. None of my teachers had
heart attacks when I turned in the assignments, so I figured I’d
have to try harder if I wanted to hassle them. I really didn’t. I
just didn’t want them on my back and I hated it when classes were
boring, but maybe if I made more of an effort, my teachers might be
better. It was worth a try.
    I was one of the first people to make it to
the cafeteria at lunch, but Harry wasn’t around. He didn’t show up
at all, and when I asked one of his buddies, he said that Harry had
gone to a classic auto show with his sister. I had to go by the lot
today to make sure they hadn’t taken my Mustang to the sale.
    That afternoon, Gwen, Porter, and I split off
from the group and ran