Reading the Bones by Gina McMurchy-Barber

it?” I asked.
    TB grinned. “Yup, that’s her. She’s like the best neighbour anyone could have. She’s always baking us pies and cookies.”
    I felt the sting of jealousy. Somehow I had alwaysimagined Mrs. Hobbs was just my special friend. “Yeah, and aren’t her double chocolate chip cookies amazing?” I said. Just then I decided I’d stop by Mrs. Hobbs’s house and say hello. When TB turned into his neat bungalow with its white picket fence and daisies nestled together in clumps, I waved goodbye and went on to Mrs. Hobbs’s place one house down.
    Before I even knocked at the door I heard her inside talking to Chester. “Oh, what a surprise,” she said when she came to the door. “I was wondering when you were coming over again. Come in, dear.”
    â€œI can’t right now, Mrs. Hobbs. My aunt’s expecting me home soon. I just finished my sailing lesson. You know the kid next door, Thorbert? He’s in my class. We’re partners.”
    â€œThorbert? Isn’t that lovely. He’s such a dear boy. With his parents divorcing and all, he can really use a good friend like you. But when did this all start?”
    â€œAfter I was here the other night, my aunt told me I had to take sailing lessons. She said I had too much free time on my hands. She makes me feel like I’m in the army.”
    â€œWell, she’s just trying her best to look after you, Peggy. It must be hard for her, too, you know.”
    I wasn’t going to let Aunt Margaret off that easy, even if Mrs. Hobbs said so.
    â€œAll right now, how about that necklace of yours? If you can’t come in now, how about coming after supper?”
    I think I skipped all the way up Sullivan. When I was almost home, I remembered the long list of chores my aunt would have for me. If I stayed out of her way and worked hard, I could get everything done and still havetime to spend with Mrs. Hobbs.
    â€œYou’re home. Did you have a nice day?” my aunt asked when I came through the door.
    I nodded as I went to the sink for a drink of water. “Still not talking to me, are you?”
    I knew I could outlast Aunt Margaret. And no matter how much she tried to get me to talk to her, I wouldn’t. Then I remembered I wanted her permission to go out later and decided I’d better try to be nice.
    â€œWell, if you won’t talk to me, then you’d better go outside and talk to your friend, Dr. McKay.”
    I dashed over to the back door. “Eddy, you’re still here. I thought you’d be gone by now. Did you find anything today?” I ran down the stairs, stopping excitedly by her side.
    Eddy laughed and waved her hands at me as if she were trying to slow down a runaway horse. “Whoa, girl! I’m not still here. I only just got here.”
    â€œGreat! That means I can still help you.” I ran over to the pile of tools under the stairs and got the bucket, trowel, and dustpan. Eddy had already pulled back the tarp from the burial and bunched it over by the hydrangea bush.
    â€œYes, there’s something quite amazing I noticed yesterday when I was finishing up. I wanted you to be the first to see it.” Eddy used both her hands to pick up the ancient skull that had been resting right side down. When she turned it over, I saw a hole in the forehead shaped like a jelly bean.
    â€œThis is really exciting, Peggy — and important. I still need to examine this in the lab, but I’m pretty sure this hole in the frontal bone is a case of trephination!”
    Her voice was kind of giddy, like mine when I was excited about something.
    â€œA trephi ... what?” I asked.
    â€œTrephination. That’s the term for a primitive skull operation. It wasn’t that common, and there are only a few dozen cases of prehistoric operations like this in the world. We believe it was done to relieve pressure on the brain caused possibly by an injury or