The Pinballs Read Online Free Page B

talent was baton twirling, which I had already spent fifteen dollars learning in Majorette Clinic.
    â€œAnyway, to make a rotten story short, the week before tryouts, I got attacked by my stepfather and sent over here. I never even had a chance.” She put her feet up on the plastic footrest. “What else is on your list?” she asked Harvey.
    He and Thomas J both looked startled.
    â€œWhat else is on your ‘Bad Things’ list?” she urged.
    â€œNothing. I’ve just got the appendectomy so far.”
    â€œWell, write down two broken legs,” Carlie suggested. “I wouldn’t exactly call them the fun event of the year.” She paused. “If it was me, I’d make that number two and three, wouldn’t you, Thomas J? Number two, right leg. Number three, left.”
    â€œI’m going to write them down,” Harvey said patiently. “I’m just trying to keep the events in the order they happened.”

8
    In the backyard of the Mason house were swing sets and play equipment, because several years ago the Masons had had little children living with them. Carlie was on one of the swings, pumping herself so hard, the whole swing set was shaking.
    Harvey was sitting on the back porch in his wheelchair. He had gotten interested in making as many lists about himself as he could, and Mrs. Mason had bought him a spiral notebook.
    He had felt so good about the lists that he had begun to think that if his mother had made some lists about herself—well, maybe she could have found her identity without going off to make hammocks in Virginia.
    Carlie stopped swinging. She walked over to the sandbox. “Want to see me make a froggie house?” she asked Harvey.
    â€œNo.”
    â€œWhy, Harvey, I thought all little kiddies liked to watch people make froggie houses.”
    â€œWell, maybe little kiddies do.”
    â€œHarvey, does this mean you’re no longer a little kiddie? Have you passed into puberty while I wasn’t looking?” She piled damp sand over her foot, eased her foot out and shook off the sand. “There. Now during the night, Harvey, a little froggie will come and live in this house.” She got up. “Oh, I’m bored,” she said. She stepped on the sand house and came over to the porch. She sat down on the steps. “Harvey?”
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œHave you ever thought of running away?”
    He looked down at his broken legs. “Hardly,” he said.
    She grinned. “Harvey?”
    â€œNow what?”
    â€œHave you ever thought of rolling away?”
    He didn’t answer.
    â€œI think about it all the time,” she said, looking down at her feet.
    There was a silence, then Harvey cleared his throat and said, “‘Young and Restless’ is on television.” He found it hard to concentrate on his lists when Carlie was around. At any moment she might snatch the book from his hand. He especially did not want her to see that she was number three on the list of people he was afraid of.
    â€œI know ‘Young and Restless’ is on,” she said. “I’m getting sick of that show.”
    Actually the reason Carlie wasn’t watching television was because the mail had just come and there had been no letter from her mother. Eight days and not even a postcard.
    â€œWhat’s this list about?” Carlie asked.
    â€œIt’s called ‘Books That I Have Enjoyed.’”
    â€œOh.” Carlie was disappointed.
    â€œI’ve already got eighteen and I’m just getting started.”
    â€œI could make up my list in two seconds. Hong Kong Nurse . That’s the only really good book I ever read. You ought to try it. After that I read Peace Corps Nurse and Nurse of the Yukon , but they weren’t as good. Not enough romance.”
    â€œCarlie, would you help me with lunch?” Mrs. Mason called from the kitchen.
    â€œThe slave of the world is being