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"Dad! She&039;sfun of me!" She turned to him "You said she wasn&039;t supposed toRavishing is not a bad thing Dad, explain to Beth how poor kids in Bangladesh would love to wear such a ravishing costu about it, Jess!" Beth cried

"Girls" Don Day&039;s tone was still only vaguely threatening as he concentrated on guiding the car out of the traffic jaet it over with!" Beth shouted

"Beth! That is so not cool!"

"Will both of you please be quiet!" their father pleaded In an attempt to be scary he fixed Jessica with a stern look as he backed the car up into the clear, then put it into forward gear, and stared at Beth for aout onto the road

Jessica settled back into her seat, unbeaten "Anyway, I&039;ht now"

"Yes, you are," Beth said

"Okay, I am" Jessica waited for a moment, then played her final trurounding? Could I have it, say tonight?" She sat back and sranted her this liht home by the police One day a week - a sole to change a punishment once it had been meted out, especially now that Jessica knehat Rex and Melissa could get up to with people&039;sto use the exception for all it orth

"That is so lame," Beth said "Dad, tell her that&039;s lame"

"That is pretty lame, Jess"

"But you said one day a week"

"And you&039;ve taken four free days And you were grounded a month, which is four weeks"

Jessica&039;s jaw dropped open at this unjust change of definition "But you said, and I quote, &039;Thirty days hath - &039; "

"That&039;s enough, Jessica" His voice had suddenlymode "Or September will have sixty days this year"

Jessica sed For once, he sounded like he really ave Jessica a worried look, hostilities briefly suspended by their father&039;s outburst Since co to Bixby, Don Day had been jobless, a condition that had gradually turned into shiftless, then shirtless, and finally spineless It had been a while since he&039;d gotten up the energy to raise his voice

In fact, Jessica realized, it had been exactly thirty days - he&039;d yelled a lot when the police had brought her ho Bixby&039;s curfeith Jonathan Maybe the end of the grounding was freaking hi free to wander the streets of Bixby between the hours of three and 10 PM was too much for hi to i but work

Maybe it was tie the subject

"So, Beth, hoas band practice?" she asked

"It was lame"

"You used to like it"

Beth turned toward the front of the car again and didn&039;t answer

Jessica frowned, wishing she hadn&039;t made fun of Beth&039;s uniform It was an old habit, fro

Two years ago, back in Chicago, Beth had been a champion majorette She could stick a three-turn every time and do a hundred thumb flips per minute, and she came home froh being eleven years old, she&039;d declaredMs Social Since the move down to Bixby, she hadn&039;t even unpacked her baton-twirling trophies Jessica had found herselfthe little silvery majorettes lined up on their er, happier Beth of the old days

But having ed Beth&039;sband was a big deal at Bixby Junior High Or maybe at this point she siaudy costue, as if ti backward now

"Listen, you want to practice together later?" Jessica said "I o in the backyard"

"Sure," her father piped up

"Yes, Jess, that would be great" Beth turned around to face her again "Because it&039;s so i"

"All right Fine Just trying to be helpful"

"And et old piping around her collar flashing in the sun

"What&039;s your problem?" Jessica finally asked

"Why do you think I had Dad pick ?"

"No, retard I could have changed at school" She dropped her voice "It was because of you"

Jessica shot a puzzled look toward the back of her father&039;s head Was Beth talking about Jonathan? Since Jess had introduced the two of theured Beth was on her side on the secret boyfriend front At least Beth hadn&039;t told Moht visits or how Jessica skipped out at night sometimes

"What do you mean, Beth?"

"Just to h you&039;re not grounded anyain "Beth, quit being weird Dad, tell Beth to quit being weird"

Don Day was silent for a moment Finally he said, "Well, Jessica, I kind of knohat she ot my eye on you too"