CHAPTER 16
The yellow school bus rumbled down the
country road bouncing the children around at every bump. Inside
there was muffled laughter as weekend adventures were shared with
friends. Carly’s best school friend, Freddie Wheeler, sat next to
her on the bench seat chewing his thumb.
Freddie had a slim body with a large round
head that from a distance made it look like a pumpkin sitting on a
pole. He listened intently as Carly told her story. She spoke in
soft tones barely audible above the din of the highway as the miles
slipped along. When she finished, the two friends sat quietly,
Carly looking into the woods and fields, Freddie into his lunch
pail examining what his mom packed for lunch. They didn’t speak for
several moments. The bus stopped at a railroad crossing, then
