Missing Pieces (10 page)

Chapter 38

Everybody was excited at dinne
r because Leigh was taking her driver’s test the next day. She was going out later to finish her night hours with Sam. To get your license you have to do a lot of driving with your parents in the car, I guess.

That night, I kept peeking out the window from the second-floor hallway, watching our mailbox through the pine trees in front of the house. I wished Mom and Sam would let me spend the night camping out, but this was the next best thing to being there.

Ashley hadn’t said much at dinner, and I could tell something was bothering her. The past few days she had acted weird. I wondered if it was her medicine.

I woke up propped against the window, with Pippin and Frodo barking. It was as dark as a Hershey’s bar outside. Two headlights stared at me from the end of our driveway. I grabbed Sam’s night-vision scope.

It was a car with something written on the side. A police car. As it pulled away, the two cops were talking, pointing at my target, and smiling.

Chapter 39

In art class the next day,
our teacher, Mr. Cheplosa, turned on a new computer program. We had been learning about drawing faces. “With this I can actually scan your picture and show you what you might look like in 10 or 20 or even 50 years.”

The class giggled, and Skeeter hurried up front with one of our yearbooks. “Mr. Cheplosa, why don’t you scan Ashley?”

“Great,” Mr. Cheplosa said.

Before I could protest, kids around me laughed and clapped, saying, “Yeah, Ashley!”

He scanned in the photo and brought up my picture. I could feel my face turn red as my face seemed to fill the screen. Split ends. Ugh. And I thought of all the things I wanted to do to Skeeter after school, like run over him with my ATV or rip his dumb birthday/get well card into a billion pieces.

“Now,” Mr. Cheplosa said, “here’s what she’ll look like in 10 years.”

The second picture was of Mickey Mouse, and the rest of the class acted like it was the funniest thing in the world.

Mr. Cheplosa put my real picture back on the screen and blew my face up really big.

“It’s the monster that ate Red Rock!” somebody said.

Skeeter gazed at the screen and smiled. I imagined him with a big tire print on his forehead. It wasn’t what Jesus would have thought, but I couldn’t help it.

“Okay, quiet down,” Mr. Cheplosa said, focusing on the computer. “Now this is what Ashley might look like in high school.”

My face morphed. My hair was straight, a little shorter, and white teeth gleamed. A little makeup would have helped, but I actually looked pretty.

“Extreme makeover!” a guy hollered.

“And here’s college,” Mr. Cheplosa said.

My face was thinner, and my eyes had a few lines. It was exciting to see but kind of scary too.

“And here’s what she’ll look like on her 75th birthday.” Mr. Cheplosa glanced at me. “You ready for this?”

An old woman with gray hair and wrinkled skin filled the screen, but I could tell it was me.

The bell rang and I was glad. Then I got an idea. A great idea.

Chapter 40

While I ate,
Ashley went up to the Lunch Lady and talked for a long time.

Duncan sat beside me and nodded toward them. “What’s that all about?”

I shrugged.

On the way to our next classes Ashley clutched a small picture and had a look in her eye like she had just aced a test or performed the perfect dance routine.

The picture was of a baby with a bow in her hair. By the time we got to the art room, Ashley had told me all about it, and I was as excited as she was at what we might find out.

Chapter 41

Mr. Cheplosa was in his darkroom.
I couldn’t imagine why anyone would want to develop photos when you can do it digitally, but Mr. Cheplosa says photography is an art and he likes the old-fashioned way.

I handed him the photo. “Can you make her a few years older, like, say, seven?”

He winced. “Do you have anything larger that doesn’t have these creases?”

I shook my head. “Can we try it?”

He placed the photo on the scanner. “This works best with bigger photos and older subjects, so no guarantees. What’s this for?”

I looked at Bryce. “This baby died in a fire. I just wanted to show her mom what she might look like now.”

Mr. Cheplosa stopped. “Are you sure? Won’t this upset the mother?”

I shook my head again. “It was a long time ago.”

Mr. Cheplosa clicked the mouse and the computer whirred. An error message came up and my heart sank. He frowned. “It’s not reading the photo. You sure your friend doesn’t have a better one?”

“Let me check.”

I ran to the lunchroom, with only five minutes before my next class. One of the cooks said Mrs. Garcia was on her break. “Try the teachers’ lounge.”

Great. The other end of school.

I hurried there and knocked on the door.

One of the science teachers stuck his head out and scowled like I had interrupted some big experiment.

“Is Mrs. Garcia in there?”

He looked at the name on the door. “If I’m not mistaken, this is the teachers’ lounge. Is she a teacher?”

“No, but someone said—”

“Then I suggest you look elsewhere.”

“But this is really important—”

I looked past him as he shut the door, then scanned the hallway. “Mrs. Garcia?” I called. Kids milled around, opening and closing lockers. They stared at me, and I jumped as the bell rang.

Chapter 42

The art room started to fill,
and when Ashley didn’t return, I headed to my next period.

In the middle of class I looked out the window and saw Mrs. Garcia walking toward the front of the building. I raised my hand and asked if I could go to the restroom. I did have to go, by the way.

I got a pass and headed down the hall. I didn’t see Mrs. Garcia anywhere, and as I neared the office, Mr. Forster stepped out.

“Looking for someone, Mr. Timberline?” the principal said.

I showed him my bathroom pass, and he pointed back the way I had come. When I reached the bathroom door I looked back. Mr. Forster smiled and waved like royalty.

When I came out he was gone, so I checked the hallway again. Mrs. Garcia was at the other end. I tried to call her, but she made it around the corner before I could get her attention.

I had to make a quick decision, because if my teacher found out I was running the halls I’d be in trouble. I figured if we helped Mrs. Garcia it would be okay.

I didn’t catch her until she was past the gym. “Do you have another picture of your daughter?” I said, trying to catch my breath. “Anything bigger?”

“At home,” she said.

“Could you get it before school is over?”

She looked at her watch. “I suppose, if you think it would help.”