Read California Diaries #7: Dawn, Diary Two for Free Online

did.
    I thought about Sunny as I fiddled with my locker.
    Then I felt a tap on my shoulder.
    I turned around with a big smile on my face.
    There stood Jill.
    “Uh, hi,” I said.
    “Hi,” said Jill. She was wearing a pink sweatshirt with a big picture of the head of a boxer dog on it. It read, “I ♥ my boxer.” Inwardly I groaned. Sunny and I had given it to Jill for her eleventh birthday.
    I sighed. Maybe I was acting childish by being so critical about how someone
    dresses.
    “How are you doing?” Jill asked.
    “Okay,” I said.
    I couldn’t believe Jill was talking to me. We’d barely spoken to each other in months.
    “The math exam was hard,” Jill commented.
    “Yeah,” I agreed.
    “How’s Carol? I mean with the baby and everything. Isn’t it time for it to be born?”
    Maybe that was it. Jill wanted to know about Carol’s pregnancy. Jill loves
    babies. I told her that Carol was due any day.
    “That is so great,” she gushed. “You must be so excited.”
    “It is pretty exciting.”
    There is no way Jill would understand that I was not thrilled about the baby. Still, I found that I didn’t feel angry at Jill anymore. I actually felt a little sorry for her. She thinks I don’t hang out with her anymore because of the Carol-is-pregnant incident, when it is about so much more than that. I felt a little guilty about how I’d been treating her lately. I guess that’s why I found myself inviting her out for a soda.
    “Sure,” said Jill with a giggle.
    We walked out of school together.
    “So…how’s Carol feeling about everything? She must be big,” said Jill.
    I told her that Carol was bedridden. Next, Jill said she’d heard about the fire.
    “No wonder you’re angry at Sunny,” she continued. “I wouldn’t talk to her either.”
    I told her it was more complicated than that but didn’t try to explain.
    Jill said, “I know what you mean. Sunny’s acting so wild and hangs out with all those older guys. Do those guys go to her house?” Jill’s eyes were sparkling.
    I told her I didn’t spy on Sunny and changed the subject by asking about Jill’s dogs—Spike, Shakespeare, and Smee. Unfortunately, none of them are as cute as the boxer on Jill’s shirt. But she loves them and can talk about them endlessly. Which she did.
    While we had sodas I told Jill some of the names Carol and my dad were
    considering for the baby. I also told her they didn’t want to find out the sex.
    “I think that’s cute,” Jill gushed. “I wouldn’t want to know either.” So like Jill.
    But I didn’t mind that much. I guess that shows how desperate I am for a friend.
    I wonder if I’ll ever have a best friend again.
    I can’t believe how fast the time flies. I’ve been sitting on this park bench for an hour writing in my journal. I better go home and help entertain Carol.
    Wednesday evening 6/17
    What a day.
    When I got home I had an eerie feeling something was wrong. It was too quiet.
    No music or television sounds coming from Carol’s room. No video game sounds. No Mrs. Bruen calling from the kitchen, “Is that you, Dawn?”
    I ran to Carol’s room. Her bed was empty and unmade. I knew that Mrs. Bruen
    wouldn’t leave a room looking like that unless it was an emergency.
    I thought, Carol must be at the hospital. I should look for a note.
    I flew down the stairs and into the kitchen.
    There was a note all right.
    “Baby on the way. We’ve called the ambulance. We’re going to the hospital.
    Your father will meet us there. Mrs. B.”
    I was excited and nervous. The baby was being born. Maybe right that minute!
    But Carol was going to the hospital in an ambulance. What was wrong? I wanted to be at the hospital with everyone else. I had to know what was happening. I would go crazy if I waited at home alone.
    I looked out the window toward Sunny’s house. Mr. Winslow’s car wasn’t there.
    I thought, Ducky. I’ll call him.
    But Ducky wasn’t home.
    I had to get to the hospital. Fast. The