Sophie’s Secret by Nancy Rue Page A

fit, right in Maggie’s face.”
    It was Anne-Stuart reporting. Fiona groaned under her breath.
    “As if she gives a rip about Maggie,” she whispered.
    “Thanks for the update, Anne-Stuart,” Mr. Denton said.
    He smiled at her until she gave up and went on into the room, followed by B.J. and Willoughby, who looked as if they were about to belch.
    “You okay, Sophie?” Mr. Denton said when they were gone.
    “Yes, sir,” Sophie lied.
    The bell rang.
    “Take a minute and then come on in,” he said, and he closed the classroom door.
    Fiona and Sophie were left in the hall.
    “You go, girl,” Fiona said.
    “What?”
    “Way to stand up to Maggie. She was pushing way too hard.”
    “I shouldn’t have yelled at her like that.”
    “Like you had a choice! If you hadn’t, she would have kept standing there poking at you until you listened to her stupid rumor. You don’t need that, and I was proud of you.”
    But as Sophie trailed behind her into the classroom, she felt anything but proud. There was no place for feeling good about yourself in the Land of No God.
    One thing was sure, though, she decided as the day dragged on with people—especially the Corn Pops—staring at her and whispering behind their hands. She had to ask Mama or Daddy for the truth.
    And it certainly wasn’t hard to decide which one to go to. Mama might stand behind Daddy on everything he said, but at least she didn’t yell.
    Sophie worked up to it all day, ignoring the whispers and stares at lunch and during classes and trying to imagine herself talking to Mama. It seemed odd to her that even though she didn’t TRY to picture Jesus as she planned her approach, his kind face kept popping up, when she least expected it.
    Okay, okay, she told him. I’ll obey whatever they tell me. But I still think I have a right to know.
    She was completely ready when she got off the bus and walked “sedately” as Fiona would put it, up to the back door. The question for Mama was already on her lips when she stepped into the kitchen and found Boppa at the sink.
    “Hello, little wisp of a girl,” Boppa said to her. He was smiling his usual I’m-happy-to-see-you smile, but the eyes beneath the caterpillar eyebrows were sad.
    “Where’s Mama?” she said.
    Boppa put a glass of milk on the snack bar and motioned for her to sit.
    “Where is she?” Sophie said. “There’s something wrong, I know it.”
    “There is,” Boppa said. “Your mama went to Minneapolis. Her dad—your grandpa—is very sick. She’s gone to see him.”
    “Is she coming back?” Sophie said.
    “Of course she’s coming back,” Boppa said. “But she’s your grandpa’s only kid, and since there isn’t a grandma anymore, it’s up to your mama to take care of him.”
    Sophie looked hopefully into Boppa’s eyes. “So am I coming to stay at your house?”
    “You know, I’d really like that,” Boppa said. “But you kids are going to stay here with your dad. Your mama wants the family together.”
    “Oh,” Sophie said.
    And she felt the No-God space grow bigger.

Nine

    L acie was the next one to come home and find out about Mama. To Sophie’s utter AMAZEMENT, she immediately burst into tears.
    “Mama can’t be gone!” she cried. “I NEED her!”
    “Your dad will be home shortly,” Boppa said. He looked as if he wished Daddy would walk in the door within the next seven seconds.
    “I don’t want him! He won’t understand!”
    Sophie shifted from “amazed” to “absolutely flabbergasted.”
    Lacie dumped her backpack on the floor and flung both hands up to her face. “I failed my English quiz!”
    “You?” Sophie said.
    “I read the wrong story! And if I get below a C on my progress report, Coach won’t let me play in the next game—and I’m the CAPTAIN!”
    “Lacie, I think your father will understand,” Boppa said.
    “No!” Lacie said. “He’ll yell! He’ll say I wasn’t responsible—”
    “Not aware of your surroundings,” Sophie