those wrappers." she said. "Now I'll make you some
hard-boiled eggs." She put the pot under the faucet. I gulped some coffee and marched past her. "Cinnamon." she called after me. "Where are
you going?"
"I'm too late to eat breakfast." I shouted back.
"You eat it for me."
I rushed out of the house and to my car. My
wheels screamed and stained the driveway with
rubber as I accelerated. I was sure she had heard it.
When I got to the road. I didn't head directly for school. Instead. I swung around toward Clarence's house and sure enough. I caught him sauntering along. He lived only about a half-mile from the school in the most elegant and expensive area. His house was actually as big as mine. He was surprised when I
pulled up and honked the horn.
"What's up?" he asked after he opened the
passenger door. "I'm not going to school today." I
said.
"Oh?"
"I have something else to do. Want to come
along?"
"Where?"
"Into the city," I said. "Manhattan."
He thought a moment and then looked back as
if someone was watching us. He shrugged and got
into the car.
"I guess," he said.
I shot away from the curb and headed for the
thruway.
"So what do you have to do?" he asked. "And
don't say shopping. I hate shopping. If it's shopping,
let me out. My mother used to drag me like a sled
through the department stores."
"Hardly shopping. I'm going into the city to spy
on my father," I replied.