The Penderwicks in spring again

A rainy afternoon

Skye made her way cheerfully up the front path to the Penderwicks cozy house on Gardam street. She was in an especially pleasant mood this afternoon as it had just begun raining, this meant no soccer practice. For Skye no soccer practice usually put her in an awful mood but today the prospect of coming home early with nothing to do but a rather large stack of calculus homework was particularly promising to her.
  As she stepped in the house Skye called out to the one or two siblings that were inevitably home. " Jane?"Skye hung her bag on the hall way hook and slipped out of her sandals. "Ben?"
   "Bens not here," a small voice sang from the kitchen.
   "Batty are you home alone? Because you know your not supposed- damn it! Was it my turn to walk you and Ben home?" Of all of Skye's many talents keeping track of her younger siblings was not one of them.
  "Jane walked us home, it's Thursday remember?" Ten year old Batty came into view carrying a handful of apple slices covered with peanut butter. " But Ben went to Raphael's to dig up rocks and stuff, that's why he's not here."
   "Oh thank goodness," Skye sighed walking past Batty into the kitchen and grabbing one of her apples. "How was school?"
"Hey!"Batty whined traipsing behind Skye into the next room. "School was good, Mr Elliot Is teaching us about baroque period of music, you know. But I had to tell him I already knew about it of course-"
"Uhuh," Skye began to drown Batty and her talk of music out. Her mind already on The Order Of Time, a new book Iantha had promised her from the college both she and the Penderwick children's father worked at.
After Skye had tidied the kitchen and Batty retired to the piano, Skye went upstairs to change out of her school clothes and see what had happened to Jane.
The room the older girls shared was as usual decidedly messy on one side and completely tidy the other. Jane lying on her colorful unmade bed, her feet resting on a teetering pile of books, writing furiously, barely acknowledged Skye's arrival.
"Yes! Walked up the steps and into the,um...the..."
"Jane for gods sake be quiet," groaned Skye. "Where's Lydia?" Jane didn't look up."Jane!" Skye screeched.
"What? Oh Lydia! Sleeping I think, I put her down 20 minutes ago. Oh Skye if you'd just listen to this, it's perfect... And there they sat alone in their misery- but together.. no that doesn't make sense..."
Grumbling Skye changed into a pair of white sweatpants with Cameron Massachusetts university plastered down the side that had Previously belonged to Iantha and her favorite blue shirt. At the sound of the kitchen phone Skye raced down stairs to answer it eager to leave Jane and her mumbling.
"Hello?"
"Hey stupid"
"Jeffrey!"
From the other room Skye could hear Batty screetch,"Jeffrey? Where? Jeffrey!!"
" Is that Batty?" Jeffrey laughed on the other side of the phone. Skye could almost see his grinning freckled face.
"Batty be quiet."
" Tell her I want to talk to you now

but I'll talk to her right after, Ok?" Jeffrey said softly. Skye thought he sounded a bit odd, perhaps it was the distance.
"He's talking to me now, you can have a turn later," Skye yelled to Batty.
"But, I want to tell him about-"
" In a minute," Skye said impatiently.
"But-" Skye scowled menacingly "Oh all right," Batty stomped off towards the piano.
" Is Batty still there?" Jeffrey asked
"She's left to go play her stupid music, What is it?"
" I wanted to talk to you about..." He paused. "Well about seeing you."
"Come this weekend, it'll be perfect. Daddy's already got-" Skye was cut off
"No... I mean seeing just you." Skye could hear Jeffrey take a deep breath on the other end of the phone.
"Just me?" Skye wasn't sure what was going through Jeffrey's head.
" Yes! Come up tomorrow, please. To Boston we'd have the best time, please?"
A day alone with Jeffrey? In Boston? Skye couldn't think of anything better. She'd been to Boston with Jeffrey many times of course but always with her sisters tagging along. And then of course Ben began joining in the adventures with Jeffrey and soon Lydia the youngest Penderwick would too.
"Will you come?" Jeffrey asked." I know you'll miss school but you'll make it it up you're so smart Skye-"
"Of course I'll come stupid, but you have to come here on Saturday, everyone wants to see you," Skye grinned.
"all right than Saturday it is, now hand me over to Batty. Bye idiot, I miss you. "
Two visits with Jeffrey on one week? Skye couldn't seem to stop smiling. "Your turn Battykins," she called as Batty came
racing in for her time with the beloved Jeffrey.

Thank you so much for reading! I hope you're enjoying the story so far! The Penderwick books were my favorite growing and I was always a little disappointed about how it ended. If anyone has any suggestions, I would be glad to hear them.