Free The Sixty-Eight Rooms by Marianne Malone Page A

homework. Between the frustration of the key not working and the possibility of Jack having to move, she didn’t know how or what to feel. Walking home with her dad made her feel a little better. She reached for his hand to hold. He gave her hand a squeeze.
    “Something wrong?” he asked.
    She couldn’t tell him everything, of course. She couldn’t tell him about how she might never get to do the one thing she wanted to do most. She ached to talk to him about the magic key and the disappointment she was feeling right now. She was even beginning to wonder if she had imagined the whole thing. If it hadn’t been for Jack being her witness, she’d think she was going crazy. Butshe could tell her dad about Mr. Murphy and what she’d heard and how worried she was about Jack and Lydia.
    “That explains why Lydia seemed so preoccupied just now. I could tell something was bothering her,” he said when she’d finished.
    “It just doesn’t seem fair that Jack might have to move. Where would they go?” Then she added, “Can we do anything for them, Dad?”
    “That would be a shame if they had to give up their loft. It’s tricky to give help to people who aren’t asking for it, and Lydia hasn’t asked us.” Her dad was quiet for a few paces. “But maybe there is something we can do for them. I’ll give it some thought.” That was something her father said often—“I’ll give it some thought”—and it always made her feel better.

MRS. MCVITTIE
    S ATURDAY FINALLY ARRIVED AND RUTHIE got up early with Claire. She sat with her sister while she ate breakfast, and wished her good luck on the SAT. Their parents called to make sure the girls were okay, that Claire was up and ready, and to cheer her on. Claire was cranky and a little nervous, even though she was a really good student. As Ruthie cleared their breakfast dishes she reminded Claire that Jack was coming over to get her this afternoon and that she would be spending the night at his house.
    “So I’ll probably be gone by the time you get home. Call my cell phone if you need me, okay? Jack’s mom is using the phone a lot these days, so you might not be able to reach me if you call his house.” She hoped she sounded calm but responsible even though she was feeling the opposite of both.
    “Sure—although I can’t imagine what I’d need to callyou for. I’m going to watch movies and veg out tonight and not think about tests anymore!” She said this while she zipped up her coat and headed to the door. “So I’ll see you tomorrow sometime, okay?”
    “Okay. Good luck!” Ruthie said.
    “Thanks,” Claire answered, and closed the door behind her.
    Now, what to do with the rest of the morning? She had thought the week went by slowly but today was pure torture. She went through her list of what to take with her, checking and rechecking, packing everything into the pockets of her oversized sweatshirt jacket and her coat and making sure she didn’t overlook anything she might need. Her house keys, cell phone, bus pass and five dollars were in an outside zippered pocket. She and Jack had only briefly discussed what they would bring for snacks: trail mix, Goldfish crackers, chips. She debated whether or not to bring in a drink box or two. Ruthie worried about what would happen if they got caught carrying liquids into the museum, but all these snacks might make them thirsty. She decided on one juice box to share. She looked at herself in the mirror a few times with her coat pockets stuffed to see if it looked obvious.
No
, she thought,
no one will notice
.
    She spent some time on the computer, put the breakfast dishes in the dishwasher and made her bed. It was still only midmorning. She sat down on the couch with the Thorne Rooms catalogue and spent an hour or so tryingto decide how she was going to use her time in the quiet overnight hours. The worst part of the waiting was the fact that she was still worried that the key might no longer work. If the magic