by Betsy Haynes
"Look, honey. Here's your picture. On the front page!"
She was right. We were on the front page. Taffy Sinclair, baby Ashley, and me. I looked closely at myself first. I looked okay. At least the hole in my hair didn't show. Then I looked at Ashley. She was smiling and waving a little hand in the air. She looked almost as beautiful in the picture as she did in real life. Finally I glanced at Taffy Sinclair. At first I thought that she looked perfect—as usual—but then I noticed that she was smiling so big that you could see her one crooked bicuspid.
Mom was reading the headline out loud. "TWO SIXTH-GRADERS FIND BABY GIRL ABANDONED ON SCHOOL STEPS."
I zeroed in on it and followed along as Mom continued to read, "Authorities are searching for the parents of a five-month-old baby girl found abandoned on the front steps of Mark Twain Elementary School this morning. A handwritten note pinned to her blanket identified her only as Ashley.
"Sixth-grade students Taffy Sinclair and Jana Morgan were walking in the hallway past the front door of the school when Miss Sinclair spotted the basket containing the baby outside the glass doors and brought the child inside, where she was taken into the principal's office and the police notified.
"Authorities ask that anyone with information as to the identity of the child or the whereabouts of her parents contact police headquarters immediately."
"MISS SINCLAIR!" I shrieked. "What about me? I'm the one who heard her crying! I'm just as important as Taffy! She wouldn't have even looked out the front doors if I hadn't made her stop and listen." I couldn't believe it. Taffy must have said something to Herb Little to make him think that she found Ashley practically single-handedly. I had been stupid to think anything was different between us. She hadn't changed. She was still just as much my enemy as ever.
Mom gave me a reassuring smile. "I'm sure anyone reading the article will understand that you had just as much to do with finding Ashley as Taffy did." She was trying to make me feel better, but it wasn't working.
It was true that Taffy Sinclair and I had been enemies and in competition for things as long as I could remember, but I couldn't help thinking about how we had stopped being enemies the instant we found Ashley. The whole time we were in the hall with her, it was almost as if we were friends. So why was she always taking the credit for herself? And why had she done it where everyone in the whole wide world would see it— on the front page of the Bridgeport Post!
Mom started to head for the kitchen when she stopped and turned back to me again. She had a puzzled look on her face.
"Honey." She paused as if she were searching for the right words. "I see you've changed your hair. Is it something I should know about? You know, a club initiation or something like that?"
I couldn't help but laugh out loud. She was trying her best not to tell me how awful it looked. I shook my head. "I forgot to spit out my gum before I went to bed last night. That's all."
Her look turned sympathetic, and suddenly I felt miserable again. "What am I going to do? Everyone is looking at me. I feel like a jerk!"
"Come on. Let's see what we can do." She led me into the bathroom and began brushing the right side of my hair like crazy. "I wish I could make an appointment for you with Nan, but the truth is, we're almost out of cash. I had to pay the rent on Monday."
I sighed. Nan could fix my hair if anybody could. She's our beautician and she's really super. Then I looked into the mirror at what Mom was doing and felt instantly better. She had brushed the right side behind that ear and was fastening it back with a silver barrette.
"Wow!" I said. "That looks great." Both sides looked practically the same. Anyone would have to really look hard to see that one side was cut off and the other pulled back. "Thanks a million," I said, giving her a big squeeze.
When Pink arrived a little while later, he didn't even notice that my hair was different. He was all smiles, as usual. He is tall and thin with blond hair, and he is always smiling. "I think it's wonderful that you and your friend rescued that poor little baby this morning," he said. "I want to hear all about it."
I forgot about my anger at Taffy Sinclair when he said that, and we sat down in the living room and I told him the whole story. I made sure he understood how it really happened, not the way Taffy was telling it.
Over dinner we talked about Ashley some more. I finally brought up the subject that had been bothering me all day. "Her mother must be a pretty terrible person to leave her out in the cold just in a basket like that."
"Maybe her mother had some kind of problem and couldn't take care of her," Pink said gently.
I didn't say anything for a minute. Why was everybody making excuses for her, I wondered. It didn't make sense.
"You would never have abandoned me when I was a baby, would you, Mom? No matter how many problems you had?"
Mom looked at me and I saw tears flash in her eyes. Then she reached out and put her hand over mine. "No, sweetheart. Of course not. Nothing could ever have made me abandon you."
We were pretty quiet for the rest of the meal. I guess Mom and Pink were thinking about Ashley, but I was thinking about someone else—my father. In a way, I'd have to say that he abandoned me too. I thought about all the times I had wondered why he never came to see me since they were divorced. He almost never wrote me letters, either. I also thought about how often I had wished that he and my mom were still together. Poor Ashley, I thought. I knew how she would feel when she got old enough to understand what had happened.
When we finished eating Mom excused me to do my homework. It wasn't until I was in my room that I realized we hadn't talked about their getting married. I suppose Ashley had taken their minds off that subject.
I went to bed after I finished my homework. Pink was still there. I could hear soft voices coming from the living room. I was too sleepy to care that they were probably talking about their wedding. It had been an exciting day, and I was exhausted.
I awoke with a start sometime later. Mom was touching my shoulder and whispering my name. "Hmmm?" I murmured as I tried to open my eyes.
"I'm sorry to wake you, honey, but the eleven o'clock news is coming on. They said they're going to have a story about you and Taffy and Ashley."
The instant she said that I was wide-awake, and I sprang out of bed and raced to the living room just as the last commercial was over. The next shot was of the news desk and the anchorwoman, who was reporting the day's events.
She looked straight into the camera and said, "Our top story tonight concerns a five-month-old baby girl abandoned on the front steps of Mark Twain Elementary School this morning and found by two sixth-graders passing by the door."
I held my breath as she told the whole story. Mom and I grinned at each other when she said my name, but then we got serious again when she started talking about Ashley.
"Police have turned up no clues to the identity of the baby. A note pinned to her blanket identified her only as Ashley. A check of local hospitals failed to find any record of a baby girl named Ashley born around that time. Doctors examining the baby today discovered a small bruise on her stomach, leading to speculation that she may have been abused before she was abandoned, and authorities are making an urgent appeal for any information on the baby or her parents."
"Abused!" I cried. "Mom! She said Ashley was abused."
"She said maybe," Mom said firmly. "They don't know for sure. They just found a bruise, and they have to assume the worst for her own protection."
I thought about that for a moment. Mom was right. They were only taking care of her. Still, the idea of Ashley's being abused made me feel terrible. Suddenly I got this great idea and my spirits soared again.
"Mom! The police officers who came to the school to get Ashley said that Taffy and I could visit her in her foster home. Tomorrow would you call Officer Martin and find out where the foster home is and get permission for me to visit? Oh, please, Mom. Will you do it?"
Mom smiled softly. "Of course I will."
I had a hard t
ime going back to sleep. I lay there for a long time thinking about how much Ashley and I had in common and what it was going to be like to see her again. Then I made a solemn promise. Nobody would ever abuse her again. I would see to that . . . somehow.
CHAPTER SIX
I had barely gotten onto the school ground the next morning when kids started running up and telling me they had seen my picture in the paper or their parents had heard about Taffy and me on TV. A couple said they had actually stayed up and watched the late news. I was flabbergasted. I felt like a rock star.
A lot of the little kids from the lower grades just stared at me with their mouths open as I walked by, although I heard a few of them say things like "There she is!" or "There's one of the girls who found the baby!" It felt good to be looked up to.
I headed for the spot where most of the sixth-graders congregate to wait for the bell. Taffy Sinclair was talking to Lisa Snow and Sara Sawyer, and Randy was hanging around with Scott Daly and Mark Peters. Randy saw me coming and gave me his 1,000-watt smile. My four best friends were already there also, and they started giggling when they saw Randy smile at me. Just as I got near them, someone came up behind me and tapped me on the shoulder.
"Jana. Can I talk to you a minute?"
I gritted my teeth and turned around to face Curtis Trowbridge. Leave it to Curtis to follow me around like a lost puppy, I thought. Curtis is a nice person, but unfortunately he is the nerd of the world. He has had a crush on me for ages, which explains why he looks for any excuse to talk to me. This time he was waving the clipping about Taffy and me finding baby Ashley and grinning like crazy.
"Hi, Jana," he said. "I saved your picture out of the paper, and I was wondering if I could have your autograph."
"My autograph?" I repeated in absolute disbelief. I knew that my mouth was hanging open, but I couldn't help it. Only a nerd like Curtis would ask somebody in his own class for an autograph. The other sixth-graders standing nearby were watching and some were even snickering. I was so embarrassed I thought I'd die.
"Sure, Curtis," I mumbled. "I'll do it later, though. I don't have a pencil with me right now."
I started to walk away, but I should have known that Curtis wouldn't give up that easily. He's the original Boy Scout. Always prepared.
"I brought a ballpoint pen," he shouted gleefully. He handed me the pen and then whirled around, slapping the clipping onto his shoulder. "And you can write on my back!"
I think I must have groaned out loud when he did that. The situation was just too gross for words. I took the pen, stepped forward, and scribbled "Your friend, Jana Morgan" as quickly as I could and handed the pen and the clipping back over his shoulder to him. "Here you go, Curtis. I'll see you later. I have to talk to my friends now."
Christie, Beth, Melanie, and Katie were waiting for me by the front door. They were all trying hard not to laugh.
"Come on, guys," I said. "Give me a break. What was I supposed to do? Curtis Trowbridge is the most UNCOOL person in the world. Besides, how many times has any of you been asked for your autograph?" That sent them into hysterical laughter. Changing the subject, I said, "It's time for the bell. We'd better go."
The first thing that I noticed when we got to the classroom was that Wiggins had thumbtacked the article with the picture of Taffy and Ashley and me up on the bulletin board by the front door.
"Hey, Morgan. Way to go," shouted Clarence Marshall as I made my way to my seat. I waved at him and gave him a big smile. Out of the corner of my eye I could see that Randy was looking at me, too. My heart was turning flip-flops, but I managed to flash him a big smile.
Wiggins took roll, but then instead of telling us to get out our math books, she got a serious look on her face and said, "This morning we have a little extra business to conduct. As you know, we have two people in our room who did something very special yesterday. Jana Morgan and Taffy Sinclair, who rescued baby Ashley."
My eyes shot open wide, and I glanced nervously at Taffy. She was looking at me, too, but this time we didn't exchange smiles. Everyone else in the room was nodding and saying yes and pretending to applaud so much that Wiggins finally held up her hand for order.
"The police are looking for clues to the identity of baby Ashley's parents, and they have requested that the teachers ask their classes if anyone saw any person loitering near the school ground yesterday morning before the bell. It is very important that they locate the person who left the baby on the steps. Think hard, now. If any of you saw anyone sitting in a car or walking near the school or doing anything unusual, please raise your hand."
Nobody could remember seeing anyone suspicious, and after a while Wiggins said that if anyone thought of anything later, he or she should come up to her desk and tell her. Then we started our math lesson.
In the cafeteria at noon I nibbled on my cream cheese and jelly sandwich and thought about Ashley. I wondered how she was today, and I wished more than anything that I would get to see her soon. I also thought about the bruise that the doctors had found on her stomach, and all of a sudden I had a hard time swallowing the bite of sandwich in my mouth.
"Did you know that they think Ashley may have been abused?" I asked.
"You're kidding," said Christie. "How do you know?"
"It was on the eleven o'clock news last night," I said. "The doctors who examined her found a small bruise on her stomach." Then in a softer voice I added, "They think her mother may have done it before she abandoned her."
Beth looked disgusted. "Some mother!"
"They don't know for sure that's how the bruise got there," I said. "But they really want to talk to Ashley's mother badly or to anyone else who might know anything."
"I'll bet she's a druggie," said Katie. "They do crazy things when they're high."
We all nodded solemnly, and then Melanie said, "Will they give her back to her mother when they find her?"
The question startled me. "I don't know," I confessed. "I never thought about that."
"I bet they won't," said Melanie. "Not if she abused Ashley."
I wanted to agree with Melanie, but I wasn't sure. Things were getting awfully complicated. Now it was more important than ever to get to see Ashley. I wondered if Mom had called the police department yet. What if they changed their minds and wouldn't let me see her? Mom wouldn't let them do that. She understood how important Ashley was to me. But what if she couldn't do anything about it? I still had the whole afternoon to go before Mom and I both got home and I could find out what the police said. How would I stand it until then?
CHAPTER SEVEN
The first thing I noticed when I left the cafeteria with my friends was that Taffy Sinclair had cornered Curtis Trowbridge in the hall and was talking his ear off. Aside from being the nerd of the world, he is also sixth-grade editor of our school newspaper, the Mark Twain Sentinel, and I knew that was why Taffy was talking to him. She wanted all the publicity she could get.
"Just look at that," Beth snapped. "I'll bet she's telling him that she was the one who found Ashley, and that she did it all by herself. Otherwise she wouldn't be caught dead talking to a nerd like Curtis. What are you going to do, Jana?"
"I don't know." I was fuming, but I would rather have died than let Taffy Sinclair know it. "Keep on walking as if you don't even see them," I instructed.
All five of us raised our noses into the air and strolled past as if we couldn't be bothered to look at Taffy. A moment later I heard someone clattering up the hallway behind us.
"Wait up, Jana. I need to talk to you again." It was Curtis.
"Oh, hi, Curtis," I said, pretending to be really surprised to see him.
"I have decided to do a story on you and Taffy finding the abandoned baby for this Friday's Sentinel. I just talked to Taffy about how she found the baby, and I was wondering if I could interview you and get your part of the story."
I considered the situation for a moment. He had just talked to Taffy about how she found the baby, huh? Big deal. And now h
e wanted to hear my part of the story, as if I had hardly anything to do with finding Ashley. On the other hand, it was me that Curtis had a crush on, and he was gazing at me with such a lovesick expression that you would have thought he had just proposed. I knew that if I wanted to, I could really get even with Taffy Sinclair. A sly smile drifted across my face. I wanted to.
"Sure, Curtis," I purred. "Let's go somewhere private where we can talk."
I had been right about the afternoon lasting forever. Then once I got home from school, I had another hour to wait for Mom to get off work. I couldn't sit still. I had to know about Ashley. I was pacing the floor when I heard Mom's key turn in the lock.
"Hi, sweetheart," she said as I raced to meet her.
"What did they say? The police, I mean. Did you ask them about my visiting Ashley?"
"Whoa!" Mom said good-naturedly. "Give me a chance to catch my breath and hang up my coat."
It seemed to take forever for Mom to hang up her coat. I trailed her like an anxious puppy, only I wanted to be answered instead of scratched behind the ears. Mom finally turned to look at me. Then she sighed. Uh-oh, I thought. Trouble.
"I called the police station this morning," she began "and I talked to Officer Martin. At first she said she was sorry, but that you wouldn't be able to see Ashley at all."
"But, Mom!" I protested. I knew I was interrupting, but this was critical. "Officer Martin said I could. She promised!"
"Let me finish," Mom said sternly. "She said because Ashley may have been abused, they have to keep her whereabouts a secret. They can't take a chance on that person finding her and hurting her again. They know that you would never hurt her or tell anyone where she is, but they can't make any exceptions. You understand that, don't you, Jana?"
