Outside In Read Online Free Page A

give the guinea pigs a thrill. Some of the kilt replies had been seriously weird. Scary, even. Maybe it was time to let this go. “Do you think the Vacuums ever want to just make a break for freedom? Is Hoover saying, ‘Come on, guys, this is our chance!’?”
    Celia folded newspaper into precise squares. “Why would they? It’s guinea-pig paradise right here. Best-quality hay, fresh veggies, vitamin C supplements, cuddle cups, plastic igloo, excellent conversation.”
    â€œI don’t know,” said Kas. “Sometimes cuddle cups aren’t enough. Even if things are pretty good, sometimes you just want to escape. Like, I can hardly wait for Sunday, to just get on that choir bus and go.”
    â€œMe, too. Two sleeps and we’re out of here.” Lynn picked up Oreck.
    â€œI’m kind of starting to get nervous,” said Celia.
    â€œNervous?” said Lynn. “About performing?”
    â€œNo. Oh, I don’t know. You’ll think I’m stupid.”
    â€œCome on,” said Kas. “When have you ever been stupid in your whole life?”
    â€œYeah,” said Lynn. “Your bottom end of stupid is still above our top end of smart.”
    Celia exploded and laughed backwards up her nose. “My bottom end of stupid?”
    Oreck, who liked a quiet life, gave a high-pitched squeak of distress.
    â€œAnd, hey,” said Kas. “Speak for yourself. I’m sure that my top end of smart at least touches Celia’s bottom end of stupid. Once in a while. Well, once. Maybe in preschool. I was very smart in preschool. But, anyway, what are you nervous about?”
    â€œThe thing is … it’s embarrassing.”
    â€œOh, come on,” said Lynn. “The Vacuums won’t tell anybody.”
    â€œIt’s those shared bathrooms. At the college dorm where we’re staying. I don’t even like the bathrooms at school and there are going to be all those girls we don’t even know and those rows of toilets. I bet they’re the kind with gaps. In my family we’re pretty private.”
    â€œOkay,” said Kas. “Here’s a promise. We’ll find you a single toilet with a door. There’s always one somewhere. A handicapped or something. You just have to look around and be a bit sneaky.”
    â€œBut is that fair? What about if other people —”
    â€œStop! Stop with the fair thing. You have special needs. End. Of. Story.”
    Celia smiled. “Thanks, you guys. You’re the best. Hey! Where did Miele get to? Miele? Miele?”
    â€œNext topic,” said Lynn. “What shoes are you taking?”
    â€œFlats and low boots,” said Kas. “Maybe runners.”
    â€œThat reminds me,” said Celia from the floor where she was crawling around, brandishing a stick of celery. “That instruction sheet said we should pack light so, since we’re all going to be in the same room, should we share one hairdryer? I’ve got a travel one.”
    â€œGood idea,” said Kas. “We need to leave room in our duffels because Mr. Inkpen said the bus could stop at the outlet mall on the way back. I’m going to buy stuff. I figure as long as I have my music, my choir clothes and my passport I’ll be okay.”
    Passport. Lynn froze halfway to petting Hoover. What had happened about her passport? She filled out the application weeks ago, before things fell apart. She had her picture taken. She asked Shakti’s friends Jean and Rob to be her guarantors. Shakti took the completed application for mailing. Lynn remembered seeing her stick stamps on it and stuff it into the chaos that was her bag.
    Had it arrived? She hadn’t seen it. Had Shakti just put it away without telling her?
    She set Oreck in his cage, took out her phone and punched in Home.
    No answer. Shakti’s cell. “The cellular party that you are trying to reach … ”
    Shoot. She laid Oreck