Unwanted

By Casey Dawes

Eleven-year-old Alex is shipped off to her grandparents in Montana … again.

 

With her father in jail and her mother in a drug rehab program, Alex feels alone and unwanted. She hates being the new kid in school. And when another tragedy strikes, she fears she'll be sent somewhere else to live. Or will she be able to come up with a better plan?

 

She collects the eggs from the chickens early every morning and does the best she can in school. But a new tragedy strikes, and she isn't sure what will happen. Will her grandmother sell the farm? Will her mother demand she come back to Denver? Will she ever feel safe and secure? Or even happy?

 

This 4th grade chapter book will appeal to students and teachers who enjoy exploring real-life challenges that ultimately lead to a happy ending.

 

Reviews

 

"I finished Unwanted this afternoon and loved it! I cared about and liked each of the characters. You do a great job with the Montana dialect in your dialog. The conflicts were believable and solutions realistic. – Lisa Brennan, Montana school librarian

• Language: English
• Publisher: Mountain Vines Publishing
• Release date: Sep 21, 2020
• ISBN: 9781734087734

Casey Dawes

Casey Dawes writes non-steamy contemporary romance and inspirational women’s fiction with romantic elements. She and her husband are traveling the US in a small trailer with the cat who owns them. When not writing or editing, she is exploring national parks, haunting independent bookstores, and lurking in spinning and yarn stores trying not to get caught fondling the fiber! Claim your free collection of short stories! Go to her website, www.CaseyDawes.com, to discover how.

Book preview

Unwanted

By

Casey Dawes

For Ages 8 to 11

Published by

Mountain Vines Publishing

Copyright 2020 by Casey Dawes LLC.

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher, except by reviewers, who may quote brief passages in a review.

Some characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

ISBN: 978-1-7340877-3-4 (e-book)

ISBN: 978-1-7340877-4-1 (print)

Book cover design by For the Muse Designs

Edited by CEO Editor (ceoeditor.com)

Interior design by Concierge Self-Publishing (www.ConciergeSelfPublishing.com)

Published by Mountain Vines Publishing

Missoula, MT

Contact email: [e-mail]

For all, children and adults alike, who have ever felt unwanted.

To the children of Target Range School in Missoula, Montana who taught me more than I ever thought possible in eight years of substituting. I miss you all.

Contents

Chapter One: Billings

Chapter Two: Meadowlark School

Chapter Three: Egg Money

Chapter Four: Everything Changes. Again

Chapter Five: Alone

Chapter Six: Beginning the Tribe

Chapter Seven: At the Zoo

Chapter Eight: Alone Again

Chapter Nine: The Sun Shines

Chapter Ten: Memorial Day

Chapter Eleven: I Get a Break

Chapter Twelve: The Invitation

Chapter Thirteen: The Longest Week

Chapter Fourteen: Guinea Pigs

Chapter Fifteen: The Farm

Chapter Sixteen: The Dance

Chapter Seventeen: Mom

Chapter Eighteen: Bodie

Chapter Nineteen: Jasmine

Chapter Twenty: The Tribe Reunites

Chapter Twenty-One: The Letters

Chapter Twenty-Two: Mom Comes to Billings

Chapter Twenty-Three: Together

Chapter Twenty-Four: Middle School

Back Matter

Story Questions

The Story Behind the Story

Other Books by Casey Dawes

About Casey Dawes

Chapter One

Billings, Montana

When I was sent to my grandparents early one April for the third time in my short, eleven-year life, I planned to stay forever. My parents didn’t love me. They’d never really wanted me. I was an accident.

Grandpa and Grandma were better at pretending they wanted me around. Enough so that I could feel safe. I knew when I got off the plane from Denver in Billings that someone would be waiting for me. When I saw them both, something felt like it jumped inside me. Maybe hope? Hope that I was wrong?

Grandma! Grandpa! I yelled, running to them and flinging my arms around them. Quickly, they squeezed me inside their arms.

Our little girl is getting so tall, Grandma said.

She takes after her father, Grandpa said.

Looks like, Grandma said. Her mother’s such a bitty thing. She stopped hugging me and looked down. Sorry to hear about her.

Grandma had never been a big fan of my mother.

Well, let’s get her luggage and go, Grandpa said, ruffling my hair.

I immediately smoothed it back down. Really. I was getting too old for that.

Good to see you, Alexandra.

He refused to use my nickname, Alex. He said Alex was a boy’s name, and he had a granddaughter.

He was a little old-fashioned.

I followed them down the long hallway to the escalator, dragging my mom’s old carryon bag behind me. It had a broken wheel and made squeaking noises as it rolled behind me on the polished floor. Good thing I didn’t really know anyone in Billings.

Except Bodie. He’d become my friend back when everything was normal. My whole family used to come to stay at the dairy farm every summer, up until things got bad. Well, they’d already been bad; I just didn’t know it. When I was eight, they got worse.

We have to get her registered for school, Grandpa said loudly enough so I could her him.

There’ll be plenty of time to do that Monday, Grandma said. Let’s get her settled. Poor thing. She’s had a rough time.

They’d always spoken about me like I wasn’t there. Dad had always told me it was because they spent so much time with each other. It was hard for them to notice there was someone else in the room.

As we rode down the escalator, light streamed in through huge plateglass windows and brightened the polished wooden beams that hovered over everything. Trailing behind my grandparents, I took a detour to my favorite exhibit: ZooMontana.

The exhibit had a group of animals arranged in a natural way. I knew from past experience that they had used only animals that had been accidently killed. I was totally against hurting any animal for an exhibit. A golden eagle eyed a tiny gray mouse, while an owl peeked out from its hole in a tree. He probably wanted the same mouse for dinner. Behind a fallen log, a wolverine’s snout revealed the animal’s presence. The pretend water held a pair of otters.

The zoo. I could spend my life there. I went to the one in Denver as often as I could persuade my parents, my friends’ parents, or a babysitter to take me. I was a member there and read everything there was about the zoo. Someday I’d work in one. I just knew it.

With a sigh, I turned away. It wouldn’t be too hard to convince Grandma to take me to the zoo. Grandpa always said he had enough animals already to take care of without seeing any more.

There are her bags, dear, Grandma said as I got to the baggage carousel. Grandpa grabbed them.

Do you think she’s hungry? she asked.

She used to like pizza. Maybe she still does. You should ask her.

I suddenly realized I was starving. I still like pizza, I said. Can we stop on the way home?

Do we have time? Grandma asked.

Grandpa checked his watch and nodded.

I followed them out into the bright sun. It was a short walk to the truck, a gleaming blue Ford they replaced every few years. Grandpa spent a lot of time on the truck, tinkering with the engine, cleaning and polishing, although he said he didn’t really understand these newfangled computer things.

He drove out of the gate and down the road that led from the airport perched on the Rimrocks. They were a series of cliffs at the northern end of the city. The rest of Billings lay spread out in front of us, stretching to the Yellowstone River.

As we took the sharp right past the university, I felt better and better. Billings had always been a safe place for me, away from the chaos of home life and the big city life of Denver. My school in Denver had been crowded, and the kids were changing. Many of the fifth grade girls in my class had become huge drama queens. Since I had enough of that at home, I usually avoided them.

In the front seat, my grandparents were silent, but it was an okay silence. When my parents got quiet, I wanted to hide deep in my closet and cover myself with coats so no one would find me.

After driving one familiar street after another, we finally arrived at their place at the edge of town. I was always amazed that they had this much land next to a big city. Even the busses ran out here. Last year, they’d let me start taking the bus by myself.

But last summer was almost normal. Of course, my dad was already in jail, but Mom still had her addiction under control.

We forgot the pizza, Grandpa said before I could get out of the truck. Do you think she still wants it?

I’d been so lost in thought I’d forgotten to remind them.

I’m still hungry, I said, then felt bad. They were taking me in. I had to help them out so they would keep me. I never wanted to go home again. But a sandwich is okay, too.

They hadn’t heard me.

Then we should get it, Grandma said.

Okay. He put the car in reverse and headed to the nearest Papa John’s.

Grandpa parked. He and Grandma got out of the car and headed toward the restaurant. They’d forgotten I was there. I shoved open the back door and followed them in.

Let’s see, Grandpa said, staring at the menu. What should we get?

Sausage pizza is good, I said after scanning the menu to find the cheapest ones. Living with Mom had taught me to always look at the price of something first.

I like that one, too, Grandma said.

Sausage, it is.

We ordered and sat at one of the tables.

We’re happy you’re here, Grandma said, patting my hand. She was a big patter. My hands, my head, anything she could touch.

I am, too, I said honestly. I’m not going to be too much trouble. I promise. Feed the horse, the dogs, the cats ...

Milk the cow? Grandpa asked with a grin.

Eww. Gross. I gulped some soda.

Sure. Anything.

Grandpa laughed. He knew how I felt about milking cows.

It’s okay, he said. We sold that part of the business to a young fella a while ago. It was getting to be too much. He patted his chest. Gotta be careful of the old ticker, you know.

But we lease him the land and the equipment, so nothing’s changed.

I always hoped Steve would come back and run the business. Grandpa shook his head. I just don’t know what’s gotten into that boy.

Steve was my dad.

He’s not a boy anymore, Grandma said.

Then he shoulda known better.

They called our order number.

I’ll get it, I said, getting out of my chair. No extra work, I promised myself again. I was going to make them happy I was around.

Carefully sliding the pizza onto the table, I sat down again.

Well, let’s get this served, Grandma said.

Once I got my slice, I covered it in oregano. It was something my dad had always done, and pizza didn’t taste right without it. Grandpa picked up the shaker as soon as I put it down. I took a bite.

Perfect. I could almost forget about everything.

We appreciate you wanting to help out, Grandma said. But your schooling comes first.

That’s what we always said to your father. ‘School comes first.’ But he didn’t listen too well. Always doing sports and chasing the pretty girls.

But he was a good boy, Grandma said. He’ll figure it out.

Hmph, Grandpa said.

I wasn’t sure I believed her either. I loved my dad totally. He and I had done lots of things together before he started getting into trouble. His problems only started after Mom got really sick and started using drugs. It was all her fault.

I can do both, I said. I’m good at school. And I was. I managed ELA and social studies, but I adored science, and I was really good at math. "And I can