Free Fabulous Five 025 - The Fabulous Five Minus One by Betsy Haynes Page B

and the coach didn't do anything about it. I'll be ready for the
meet tomorrow."
    "Doesn't it bother you to do something like that?"
asked Katie.
    Chase shrugged nonchalantly. "Why should it? What do
you want to bet I get at least four gold medals?"
    Katie frowned at his response.
    "I wouldn't want to bet against you," said Randy.
Chase gave him a big grin.
    "Time to go," announced Katie. "You've got to
get your sleep if you're going to keep from drowning during the swim meet
tomorrow, macho man," she said to Tony.
    "Afraid of losing me, Your Honor?"
    "I'm not afraid of losing you. I'm just afraid that if
you drown, they won't find that coral necklace I bought you," she
answered, laughing.
    "Katie and Tony are really funny," said Christie
as Chase walked her home.
    "They sure are," agreed Chase. "What do you
want to do now?"
    Surprised, Christie looked at him questioningly. "Now?"
    "Sure. It's still too early to go home. I get nervous
just hanging around the house. Let's stop at McDonald's again and have a soda."
    Christie hesitated. Her mother had been upset with her for
being late the previous weekend, but she really didn't want to go home just
yet. It was early, and being with Chase was fun. It wasn't fair to have
to worry about whether she got in at eleven o'clock or twelve o'clock,
especially on the weekend. Like Chase said, what difference did it make,
anyway? She might never see him again after she moved.
    "Okay, let's," Christie said, squeezing Chase's
arm.
     
    "Christie Winchell, what in the world has come over
you?" her mother demanded. She and Christie's father were waiting for her
when she stepped in the door.
    "Mom, it's only eleven-forty-five. That's not late."
    "You're supposed to be home by eleven, Christie, and
you know that," her father said firmly. "That doesn't mean
eleven-forty-five or anything else. Where were you?"
    "Chase and I just stopped at McDonald's for a soda,
that's all."
    "You know that isn't a good excuse, Christie,"
said her mother. "There is no reason you couldn't have at least called and
let us know."
    "But eleven o'clock isn't reasonable," Christie
said, remembering Chase's words.
    "It is until you prove you can abide by it,"
countered her father. "Until you do, we can't begin to consider changing
your curfew."
    "I'm amazed at you, Christie," her mother
continued. "You've never acted this way before. This is the third night
that you've been late. I'm afraid we're going to have to ground you."
    "Ground me!" Christie couldn't believe what she
was hearing.
    "That's right," agreed her father. "You're
grounded for the next two weeks."
    "That's not fair!" cried Christie. "We're
moving in five weeks, and I'll hardly be able to be with my friends at all
before I go."
    "You can't know how sorry we are about it, Christie,
but you know the rules. You should have thought of that before."
    Christie turned and went to her room, fuming.
     
    "You're what!" exclaimed Jana.
    Christie could hear the disbelief over the telephone. "I'm
grounded," Christie repeated. "I got in late last night, and my
parents grounded me."
    "Why would they do that? I'm not exactly on time every
single time."
    "I was late getting in last Friday and Saturday, too,"
Christie admitted.
    "You were?" The disbelief in Jana's voice was even
greater. "How late were you?"
    Christie lowered her voice. She knew it didn't sound good. "About
an hour. Chase and I just stopped for a soda a couple of times. Last Saturday
we played video games at the mall for a little while after we left you guys. We
didn't do anything wrong."
    "You've been an hour late three times in the last week?"
    "Now you sound like my parents," complained
Christie. "Chase says eleven o'clock is too early for someone in junior
high to have to be in, anyway. Besides, we're moving, and I ought to have the
right to spend some extra time with my friends."
    The phone was quiet for so long that Christie thought they
had been cut off.
    "Jana?"
    "I'm here, Christie. Will your