Where's Dusty Greer?

By Michele L. Rich

The entire 7th grade class at St. Ann’s School knows that Mary-Catherine has a boyfriend. Her best friends, Chloe and Horace, can’t wait to finally see the infamous Dusty Greer at the upcoming school dance. There is just one problem... Dusty Greer doesn’t really exist. Mean girls, Whitney Chesterfield and Polka-Dot Paige Tate, suspect the truth about Dusty Greer and gleefully anticipate the humiliation Mary-Cat will face when she shows up at the dance alone. To make matters worse, Mary-Cat keeps fainting in front of her entire Language Arts class while trying to give a required oral book report. Between her nose dives in Language Arts and her invisible date to the school dance, Mary-Cat becomes overwhelmed, lashing out at her friends, who decide to join Whitney and Polka Dot Paige at the “popular table”. With her parents out of town, the only person left to talk to is her eccentric Aunt Frankie, who puts apples in stew and is mysteriously missing a pinky.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Michele L. Rich
• Release date: Oct 26, 2014
• ISBN: 9781311287915

Book preview

Where’s Dusty Greer?

Copyright 2014 Michele L. Rich

Published by Michele L. Rich at Smashwords

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

Smashwords Edition License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your enjoyment only, then please return to Smashwords.com or your favorite retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 – My Boyfriend

Chapter 2 – The Oral Report: Try #1

Chapter 3 – The Intruder

Chapter 4 – The Oral Report: Try #2

Chapter 5 – Aunt Frankie

Chapter 6 – The Hits Just Keep Coming

Chapter 7 – Apple Salad?

Chapter 8 – My Blow up

Chapter 9 – Horace Comes to Dinner

Chapter 10 – The Weekend

Chapter 11 – Frankie Goes to Mass

Chapter 12 – The Oral Report: Try #3

Chapter 13 – Two New Citizens at the Beautiful People’s Table

Chapter 14 – The Morp Dance

Chapter 15 – Aunt Frankie and Me

Chapter 16 – The Last Chance

Chapter 1

My Boyfriend

Mom took a tissue from her purse and licked it before wiping the Pop Tart crumbs from my bottom lip. I dried my mouth with my sleeve.

Mom, I’m going to be late, I said. Twelve and a half and she still insisted on grooming me like a feline. I scooped up my backpack, gave her a fake smile and scrambled from the car. The scent of old lipstick and Mom’s spit wafted to my nose. I looked around me, hoping nobody had seen. Chloe and Horace were waiting for me in our usual spot at the center back table in the student lounge. Chloe pulled me down by my backpack.

Mary-Catherine Replogle, where were you yesterday?

Yes, the last name Replogle is just one of the many crosses I have to bear. But I had it better than my friend Horace. His dad fashioned himself a history buff, so he was named after Horace Mann, the father of American education. For a short time in 4th grade, Horace was known as Horseman, but luckily that nickname died out by the end of the year.

I had a little fever, I replied. Okay, not exactly true.

Chloe poked my side. You missed the oral reports. I breezed through mine, but Horace stuttered every w-w-w-word. Chloe laughed and nudged Horace in the stomach. Chloe was always nudging, poking or shoving us when she talked. Horace’s plump cheeks turned pink, and he pushed up his round glasses, which as always, were sitting crooked on his face. Actually, we think his ears might be uneven.

Well, I’m glad to see you’re feeling better today because we have tryouts in band you know, Chloe said.

Yeah, I remember. It was a mystery to me how I could play my clarinet for tryouts with just a few stomach butterflies, but oral reports mortified me so that I was unable to show up for school. I hated faking an illness and lying, but these were trying circumstances.

Chloe cleared her throat. Don’t look now, but there’s Polka-dot Paige. Why does her uniform skirt always look shorter than everyone else’s? Doesn’t she get hers at Midwest Uniforms like the rest of us?

She probably hems it up short to show off her bony bird legs, I said.

Paige Tate got her nickname, Polka-dot Paige, in the 5th grade when she wore a purple polka-dot bra under a white t-shirt in gym class. This bra made its debut several years before its time. Matter of fact, we are all still waiting for the premiere of these phantom breasts, especially all the guys. She’s the most popular girl at St. Ann’s Catholic School, not just in the 7th grade, even the 8th grade guys like her.

Polka-dot bounced over to our table. Hey Horace. I heard your oral report was remarkable. How do you think you did?

Chloe and I looked at each other. Chloe mouthed, remarkable? We tried to keep straight faces.

I think I did okay, Horace answered, jiggling his frames. Language Arts isn’t my best subject.

Polka-dot snapped her head back and laughed. Oh Horace, everyone knows you’re a brain in every subject.

The final warning bell rang, and Polka-dot trotted off, her blonde pony waving behind her like a snooty Persian cat’s tail.

Saved by the bell, Horace said somberly, which is how Horace said just about everything. He says smiling is for the dishonest and the ignorant. Last fall, Horace’s mom took off with some guy she worked with at the bank. He hadn’t heard from her since, but he never mentioned it. We only knew because Chloe’s mom worked at the bank too, and Chloe heard her parents talking about it. Horace wasn’t much for smiling even before that, but now it’s worse.

The three of us walked toward the band building - a fair hike from the school. I envied Chloe and her lightweight flute case. My clarinet case wasn’t a tuba case, but it still caused an ache in my right shoulder, especially at the end of a heavy homework day.

So Horace, do you think you’ll get first chair trombone again, or do you think Miles will beat you out this time? Chloe asked with a smile.

I’ve been practicing. I’ll get it, Horace said.

You are good, but I think Miles is really improving, don’t you? Chloe smiled bigger and showed a lot of gums, when she spoke of Miles. He was in her words - the ultimate representation of the male species. And to think she has an A in science.

"Are you going to ask Miles