Free Gingerbread by Rachel Cohn

earplugs out so I could hear better. This was too much. I knew Nancy and I were not getting along, but I never thought she would want to kick me out over it! And wherever You-Know-Where was, I so was not
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    going. But if I had to run away, then where would I go? Not to Shrimp. Maybe to Wallace. That would show Shrimp. I could have Wallace in a minute if I wanted.
    But there are certain lines even I know better than to cross.
    The only place I would really want to go is to New York. To Frank real-dad's. It is like the body of Cyd Charisse is one big jigsaw puzzle, with pieces picturing Shrimp (mean boy); Sugar Pie; Ash and Josh; Alcatraz-, Gingerbread, of course; Fernando and Leila; and Sid and Nancy. But the pieces are all scattered and can only be put together properly if I can find the pictures with the Empire State Building, Rhonda and Daniel, and my real father.
    Still, it did not feel nice to know that Nancy wanted me gone. I would never want my baby to leave me.
    Nancy said, "Maybe it's time. This family will not survive the summer with all this tension. And as much as I hate to throw her to wolves like that, maybe getting to know Frank--God help her--will be a good thing for her. Allow her to move on."
    Yo! My mother wanted to send me to the one place where I wanted to go! The thought that my mother might be psychic made me practically nauseous.
    "So we're settled then?" Sid-dad said. I could hear a faint tinge of sadness in his voice.
    Nancy's voice wavered just a little. "I guess. You'll call Frank in the morning?"
    "I will," Sid-dad said, then laughed. "Old Frankie boy doesn't know what he set himself up for when he asked to spend some time with the Little Hellion. The King of the
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    New York Advertising World is about to get himself a little lesson in humility."
    I think Sid-dad was paying me a compliment, but I'm not sure.
    I raced back to Alcatraz to tell Gingerbread the news.
    I jumped on the bed, excited about something for the first time since I got a job at Java the Hut, which was only like eight weeks ago but seemed like lifetimes ago. "We're going to New York, Gingerbread! Going to New Yorkie York, and we are going to see Frank and meet Rhonda and Daniel and we are going to ride the subway and feel the grunge and wear black every single day and we are not going to miss Shrimp AT ALL!"
    Gingerbread smiled back. Sometimes she reminds me of Mrs. Butterworth and I can tell she is about to open up her arms to offer me a hug or some syrup.
    I was still jumping when I heard a knock on the door so I fell onto the bed and shouted, "COME IN!" I attached a frown to my face so Nancy wouldn't be too weirded out by my sudden excitement.
    "You don't need to yell," Nancy said. "The kids are sleeping."
    As if. On my way back to my room I saw Ash and Josh playing War with a flashlight under his bed. But I decided to be nice and not point out that fact. Sometimes it's better to let Nancy live in the fantasy world where we're one big, happy, quiet family.
    "Oh, sorry," I whispered.
    "Why are you out of breath?" Nancy asked. She actually had color in her face, maybe because Sid had given Leila the night off and grilled steaks and veggies
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    for dinner and Nancy had actually eaten.
    "Dunno," I said, trying to contain the smile that was ready to burst out of my lips.
    Nancy sat next to me on the puke princess bed. Then she did a shocker. She picked up Gingerbread and placed my doll on her lap. Gingerbread was good; she didn't squirm.
    "I think it's pretty obvious that neither you nor I is happy with the current situation in this house," Nancy said.
    One thing I like about Nancy is that she doesn't mess around getting to her point. None of that "we need to talk" business.
    I wanted to be extra nice because Nancy was holding her sometimes-nemesis, Gingerbread, so I said, "I could try harder."
    Nancy actually laughed! Then she leaned over a little and played with my hair.
    "I know you could, sweetie. I guess I could