Moon Runner Read Online Free

It’s still white!” She tilted her head back and scanned the sky. “I don’t see the moon, Mina.”
    “It’s not there now. I memorized the way it looked this morning.”
    “You got a good memory, Mina,” Paige commented, then turned quickly on the bench. “Daddy’s home!” She ran to Daddy’s truck as it pulled into the driveway.
    “I’ve got a mealworm called Charlie,” Paige told Daddy as he opened the truck door and stepped out, “and Mina won.”
    “What’s a mealworm?” he asked.
    “It’s brown and this long.” Paige held her fingers apart. “I have to feed it cut-up apples. And soon it’s going to come home.”
    Daddy faked a shudder. “And Mina won what? A trip to Hawaii? A chocolate cake?”
    “No, silly. She tied for first place in a running contest!” Paige skipped in a circle.
    Mina closed her box of watercolors and waved to Daddy.
    “Hey, what’s this I hear?” he called.
    “I did pretty good at running the fifty meter.”
    “Let’s see how good.” Daddy reached back into the truck for his measuring tape. He began to mark off fifty meters on the long driveway.
    Mina double knotted her sneakers, then laid sticks down for the start and finish lines.
    Daddy pushed buttons on his watch so that, instead of the time, the face displayed all zeros.
    What kind of time would the watch show? Mina didn’t know what her time had been when she’d tied Ruth.
    She leaned over the starting line as Ruth had done.
    “One, two, three — go!” shouted Paige, and Mina took off, Poochie running beside her, yipping, her floppy ears flapping. Run, run, run, run, run, and Mina crossed the finish line!
    Paige checked the numbers and called out the time: 7.9 seconds.
    Mina ran again, and her time was better: 7.3 seconds. She ran again, and her time was worse.
    Daddy gave her a hug when she panted and wobbled after the third run. “Pretty soon you won’t be wearing flowers anymore.” He tugged at her purple shirt. “Just stripes or some other sporty design. Take a look at that.” He pointed to her calf.
    Mina flexed her foot and the muscle stood out along her bare lower leg. She was sure it hadn’t been like that before. She flexed her other foot. The same.
    “You’re like Wonder Woman, Mina,” said Paige. “Or, I know!” She ran to the picnic table and picked up Mina’s painting. “You’re a Moon Runner!”
    Poochie yipped. Mina and Daddy laughed. “Great name,” Daddy said.
    Mina reached down and touched the muscles. They were firm under her hand. She stood up and put her hands on her hips. She smiled to herself.
Moon Runner.
She liked the sound.

“We’re missing recess,” Mina complained.
    She and Alana were waiting for Sammy and Ruth by the hall door.
    “I don’t think they stayed back with Ms. Jenner,” Alana said, peering into the dark hallway.
    “Not unless they had to,” Mina said. Then: “Look!” She’d spotted the two of them running across the playground. “They must have gone out the other door.”
    “Creeps,” said Alana, but she waved at Sammy as he looked in their direction.
    Sammy waved back. He said something to Ruth, but she didn’t slow down or turn around.
    “That’s okay,” Alana said. “I brought string for cat’s cradle.”
    Mina watched Ruth and Sammy go to the far corner of the grass. Holding on to the chainlink fence, they walked along the narrow ledge separating the playground from the street, playing at being tightrope walkers.
    It wasn’t Mina’s imagination. Ruth was avoiding her.
    Alana had brought out the string. “Come on — let’s sit down.”
    Mina held up her hands and let Alana do the tricks.
    “Hold your fingers straight,” Alana commanded.
    Mina peeked at Ruth and Sammy again.
    Alana arranged Mina’s fingers one by one. “What’s wrong with you today?”
    Mina forced herself to pay attention to Alana’s game of baby-in-the-cradle. If she didn’t cooperate, Alana might go play with Sammy and Ruth, on the ledge,