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Show Inside Out, 201 Chapter 40: Andli When I walked in the door less than 45 minutes after I had left, the look on Leslie's face stabbed my heart. Because it was so full of surprise and gratitude. Surprise, I guess, because she hadn't believed me when I said I would be quick. "Andli!" she said, with a huge, warm smile. Bill and Emma looked up and grinned, too. And Dad was there, too. Everyone looked so happy to see me that I just wanted to cry. "Come! Sit down!" said Bill. "Would you like a coke?" said Dad. "Uh, sure," I said, edging towards my room. "I'll just drop my stuff off and . . . I've got to just make a quick phone call." I watched Dad's and Leslie's faces fall. They were worried I'd go into my room and not come out all evening. "And, uh, why don't you set up those checkers for me now?" I added, and it worked. Everyone was smiling again. I slipped off to my room. What would I say to her? "I'm sorry and don't go to the party." Sheesh! Could Joseph assign me anything more impossible? I knew I had been a total jerk. I hated to call her because if I were her, I wouldn't forgive me. I sat down on my bed, waiting for inspiration to strike. My eyes landed on Mom's journal, and I had a flashback of something I had forgotten for years. It was Mom's birthday when I was nine. I had been determined to do something extra special for her that year, and had saved up my allowance and other money from doing odd-jobs around the house until I had $15.00, which was, to me, an astronomical sum. On her birthday I wrapped up a small card which said, "Good for one lunch with me at Red's Cafe." Red's |