Free Bethany Caleb by Kate Spofford Page A

Bethany was able to take a deep breath and say, “Well, I have one just like it, and it’s missing.”
    Genn met her gaze when she answered, “I didn’t take it.”
    The accusation stood between them like a wall. Bethany never invited Genn over to her house again.
    Ever since it was little comments designed to make Bethany feel left out, all talk of things Genn had done with her other friends. “Hey, Chester, aren’t you excited for that concert Friday night?”
    “Sure.”
    “Who else is going? Me, James, you, Emily, Chris, Jon, Mara... is that it? Yeah, I guess that’s everybody.” Bethany’s hands tightened on the pages of her textbook, crumpling the paper.
    Then Mr. Quinn rushed in the door, his arms full of photocopies. Bethany sighed and her jaw relaxed. The page smoothed under her palm.
     
     

Chapter Fourteen
     
    Mr. Quinn lectured for about fifteen minutes, then he told everyone to read the photocopies while he graded some tests. Most of the other students took the opportunity to resume their conversations.
    Chester was quiet behind her, although Genn continued to talk. “And remember how, last night, I got all paranoid and thought the cops were after us?” Chester wouldn’t remember something like that, because he adamantly refused to hang out with anyone who was doing drugs.
    Bethany stared at the packet. “The ancient civilization of Mesopotamia centered around the Tiber river,” she read. Then she pulled out her Sharpie and began drawing stiff, Egyptian-like people in the margins.
    “Hey, Bethany.”
    Bethany paused in her doodling.
    “Bethany, hey. Hey, turn around.”
    She waited still, even put her pen back on the paper, although no more drawings came out, just a blot of black ink.
    “Anyway, so I saw these headlights behind us, and I was like, ‘Slow down! It’s the cops!’ And James was like, ‘It’s a pickup truck,’ and I was like–”
    A sharp jab in her side. “Bethany!”
    Bethany turned around. Genn stopped talking, her eyebrows raised.
    Chester pushed the Walkman on his desk toward her. “Listen to the first song on there and tell me what you think.”
    Glancing in Genn’s direction, Bethany put the headphones on and pressed play. She could tell from the first heavy guitar riffs that this was the demo tape James always talked about making. James and Chester were in the band together. She listened for James’s voice, but Jase Sullivan’s voice screamed the first lines of the familiar song instead.
    The song was one she’d heard many times before. She’d always gone to the band rehearsals with James. Hearing the song now brought her back to those times.
    Once the song was over, Bethany said in a low voice, “I thought James was the lead singer.”
    “He is,” Genn said pointedly.
    “Was she talking to you?” Chester snapped.
    Genn glared at Chester, then held her packet in front of her face.
    Chester leaned closer to Bethany and said, “James never comes to rehearsals anymore. And if he does come, he’s stoned and...” Chester glanced at Genn, then said, “It just sucks. We have a gig in a couple of weeks and we’re nowhere near ready. Chris wants to kick James out, but if we do... What did you think of Jase’s singing?”
    “It was okay. I guess I’m used to hearing that song with James singing it.”
    “I know. James has a good voice. He just... If he’d show up once in a while, we could actually get somewhere. We have to change a lot of stuff because Jase’s voice is so much lower than James’s.”
    “You are such a jerk!” Genn said. Carolyn and Jeff stopped talking to look at her.
    “Was I talking to you?” Chester said. He glared at Genn. Bethany sat back a little.
    “Sorry for having ears,” Genn said. “But it sounds to me like you’ve already kicked James out of the band, and I know he doesn’t know about it.”
    “What’s it to you?” Chester said.
    “Maybe unlike you, I care about my friends and I don’t want to see James hurt