Free Zoe in Wonderland by Brenda Woods Page A

made me feel a little ashamed. With Kendra being so sick, I shouldn’t even be thinking about myself, but I couldn’t help it. I missed him so much and couldn’t wait to have my only friend back.
    As if Nana were reading my mind, she asked, “I never hear you talk about any other friends. You must have some, don’t you?”
    I shrugged. “I’m not very good at friends.”
    â€œMaybe you could join a club.”
    â€œNot good at clubs either. Mostly, people think I’m odd.”
    â€œSounds like me at your age. I had a hard time fitting in too.”
    I stared into Nana’s brown eyes. “Did you wear glasses?” I asked.
    â€œNo, but I was always tall for my age, and kids teased me something awful,” she replied.
    â€œHow tall are you now?”
    â€œFive foot ten,” she answered.
    I remembered Mrs. Warner’s comment about big feet and being tall and snuck a peek at my nana’s feet. “Were your feet really big too?”
    Nana laughed. “So big, I used to trip over them. But my being tall paid off later.”
    â€œHow?”
    â€œMade a little book money modeling during college, and it probably helped me nab your grandpa,” Nana answered.
    â€œHow?” I repeated.
    â€œHe was six foot four. Liked me being tall.” She paused, then added, “Some things are in the genes. Can’t change that, Zoe.”
    â€œWere you shy too?”
    â€œStill am sometimes. No crime in that.” Nana patted the top of my head. “Lots of people feel a little odd at your age. Like those shoes you keep growing out of, you’ll grow out of feeling so different. I sure did.”
    Nana had a way of being right about lots of things. I hoped this was one of them.

22
    A Sign
    T hat night, as soon as Grandpa Reindeer dropped me off, the first thing I did was make a beeline to the greenhouse to give the baobabs a dose of water. They’d sprout soon, I hoped.
    When I finished, I headed to the house. “Quincy’s coming home on Saturday!” I loudly proclaimed as I burst through the kitchen door. But the kitchen was empty, the dinner table had been cleared, and the dishwasher was running. I followed the blare of the flat-screen into the family room, where Jade and Harper sat, their eyes glued to the TV. When I came into the room, they didn’t even look up. Shopping bags filled with the stuff Nana had bought me dangled from my arms.
    To get their attention, I stood in front of the screen and grinned.
    â€œWhat’re you so happy about?” Harper asked.
    Jade eyed the bags. “What! Did Nana buy you a bunch of stuff?”
    I nodded.
    â€œSo that’s all it took to make you happy again?” the snox asked.
    â€œPlus Quincy’s coming home on Saturday for the weekend.”
    â€œYay,” Jade said. “Now can you move out of the way before you make us miss the best part?”
    â€œYeah,” Harper agreed.
    I had been gone for two whole days and I thought Jade and the snox might have missed me a little, but obviously they hadn’t. Silly Zoe.
    â€œWhere are Mom and Daddy?” At least they’d be glad to see me, right?
    â€œIn their room,” Jade said.
    â€œFighting,” Harper added.
    â€œAbout what?” I asked.
    Jade glanced up. “Money, what else?”
    Not again.
    I hurried down the hallway to my parents’ room. Their door was closed, but I could hear them.
    â€œIt’s time to stop dreaming, Darrow!” Mom shouted angrily.
    â€œI’m not dreaming!” Daddy yelled back.
    â€œIt’s a very good offer! The best ever! We could pay off all of the bills and buy a real house!”
    â€œA real house? What’s that supposed to mean?”
    â€œIt means this one needs a new roof, needs painting, the plumbing is a mess, the kitchen is an embarrassment . . . Do I have to go on? Sometimes it seems like you care more about those trees