Hit the Ground Running

Alison Hughes

Description

Sixteen-year-old Dee and her seven-year-old brother, Eddie, have been on their own for six weeks. Their father has seemingly vanished into the baking Arizona desert. Their money is drying up and the rent is coming due, but it's a visit from a social worker and the prospect of being separated from Eddie that scares Dee enough to flee. She dupes her brother into packing up and embarking on the long road trip to Canada, their birthplace and former home. Lacking a driver's license and facing a looming interrogation at the border, Dee rations their money and food as they burn down the interstate in their ancient, decrepit car.

Sujets

• Univers ado
• Fiction ado
• Fiction Ado
• Car
• Travel
• Young Adult Fiction
• Transportation
• Road Trips

Informations

• Publié par: Orca Book Publishers
• Date de parution: 29 août 2017
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781459815452
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 3 Mo

Extrait

H I T T H E G R O U N D R U N N I N G Alison Hughes

H I T T H E G R O U N D R U N N I N G

A L I S O N H U G H E S

Copyright ©2017Alison Hughes

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system now known or to be invented, without permission in writing from the publisher.

Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication

Hughes, A lison,1966, author Hit the ground running / A lison Hughes.

Issued also in print and electronic formats. isbn 9781459815445(softcover).—isbn 9781459815452 (pdf).— isbn 9781459815469 (epub) I. Title. ps8615.u3165h58.2017jc813'.6 c20179007807 c20179007815

First published in the United States,2017 Library of Congress Control Number:2017932499

Summary: In this novel for teens, Dee and her younger brother, Eddie, make a run for the Canadian border when their father disappears and social workers start snooping around their Arizona home.

Orca Book Publishers is dedicated to preserving the environment and has ® printed this book on Forest Stewardship Council certified paper.

Orca Book Publishers gratefully acknowledges the support for its publishing programs provided by the following agencies: the Government of Canada through the Canada Book Fund and the Canada Council for the Arts, and the Province of British Columbia through the BC Arts Council and the Book Publishing Tax Credit.

Edited by Sarah N. Harvey Cover design by Jenn Playford Cover image by Creative Market, Dreamstime.com Author photo by Barbara Heintzman

orca book publishers www.orcabook.com

Printed and bound in Canada.

20฀19฀18฀17฀•฀4฀3฀2฀1

For my moter, Caudette—our amîy’s ancor.

SA N TAC I N O , A R I Z O N A

W E D N E S D A Y

Dee ŝàe oû e oen kçen wnow. hee wàŝn’ ûç o ŝee een  ŝe’ eày een ookng. A ŝeç o gàe eee w ŝàkŝ o ŝçû gàŝŝ eàng own à , àŝ oe àŝàçke oûŝeŝ, no e eneŝŝ, àen eŝe à e à e wày o MeXço. Tûewee eŝe. We E. Coyoe eŝe. oong, enooûŝ ŝàgûào çàç ŝoo à eànngeŝŝ àenon. Fo à ŝànçe, ey wee eey ûàno, àŝ àŝe o e ŝçoçng ŝûn, wàng àe àn gowng. he eày eenng wàŝ eà ŝ. Sen. No ŝçû- ng ànàŝ, no àîç. Eeyng àûŝe, ŝ àn ûe. Een e çàzy àçoàçŝ o e ûeweeŝ wee ŝe y e çng eà à à àeày ke e wn. hey ày eXàûŝe, nànàe, eXoŝe o wà

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ey eày wee—àe, ànge àŝ o eà weeŝ. hey wee ony neeŝng wen ey oe,because ey oe. hey ey enene e ŝneŝŝ, e e àe e o Màŝ-ke ŝàn àn ûn-e oçk. Dee’ŝ àe wàŝ àwn o ŝ oney eneŝŝ à ege no e àzy, ûe-own ozon. “ï’ŝ ke we’e à e ege o e wo!” e woû àe, àŝ  à wàŝ à goo ng, àn ààzng ng, no ŝoeng ŝçày o àoçàyç. ïn e eenng, e woû ŝoeeŝ àg à e ŝoo oû àn ŝ wàçng e nongneŝŝ, wàng o e ŝûn o ŝeà ŝ ozonà ŝeŝ owe àn owe, oeŝng n à ŝçeà o e eoe  e ŝe oû. Wàŝ e eŝe g àn ey enoûg o àŝo wàee wàŝe oe  ûng ŝ àk, ŝen eŝ? Dee nee knew. Se woû wàç  o à we, en çoŝe e eyeŝ, oçk oû e ûŝ àn eà, àn eee e ee o çoo, ŝo gàŝŝ on e àe ee àn e ŝe o ne eeŝ on eŝ onngŝ. Aoûg  wàŝ à e oe, Ee, knew, ey à no àwàyŝ e ee n e eŝe à e ege o e wo. Toày wàŝ one o e eà-wàe Jûy àyŝ, ŝoe o e oeŝ n e own’ŝ ŝoy ŝe’ eà n e oçà àe à e gàŝ ŝàon. Soeng non-eço-ŝeng, ke oû oeŝ. Bû Sànàçno wàŝ à ŝà own, àn n ŝà ownŝ e weàe àwàyŝ àkeŝ e eà- neŝ. Anàŝ oo. Wenee à onkng, ŝnkng gàng o jàenàŝ—w, ûgy çeàûeŝ à eoe çàe

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eŝe gŝ—ŝnoe oûg own,  wàŝ à ŝûe e ey’ àke e on àge o eSantacîno Current. ï woû e à àk, ûky çûe, oûg, w oŝ o w, ong g eyeŝ. hoŝe gŝ wee ŝà; ey ony àn à ng, wen  wàŝ çooe. ï àe no feençe à à o Dee à e wnow wàŝ we oen. Fûnàçe-o nŝe, ûnàçe-o oû. Te ee ànŝ à à à eàŝ ŝe e o à àoûn à à oken n Mày, ke onoŝ àng. hey oày ony à à ŝyçoogçà efeç ànywày, e oeen o à çonnçng eeyone  wàŝ àgn- ày çooe. Bû à eàŝ e ànŝ à een àçy, noŝe, oeen. Now e oky çàçàŝŝeŝ wee jûŝ one oe ànge e o jûnk n e ng oo. “ï we e n, ï on’ know—ïày? Màn? We’ e àŝç ogeŝ w ŝ ŝçûûe,” Dee à ŝà o Ee one ày, y çonŝeng e e o ànŝ àŝ Ee ûowe no àn o çeŝ, ûŝng oû yeowng ŝee ûŝç ke à oe eXçààng . “he ‘ï Kŝ’ o e à wo.” hey’ e oû àoûŝ nàeŝ o e “nŝàà- on”:Stî Lîe wît hree Fans,Deat to teFans, Junk Heap # 14 .e o nk o àny ïààn woŝ hey’ ey g know, ŝeeng àŝ ey wee ogeŝ n Màn, û ony e Sànŝ woŝ ey’ eàne à ŝçoo ûe o e ŝûàçe. hey’ e oû àeeŝ o àŝà (Lînguîne! Fettuccîne!) àn Inày çàe û wcîaoàn arrîvedercî.wee ey ŝûe oŝe wee ïààn. hey

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Ee àeCow Arîvaderceeo e ŝ o eŝ n g, ŝçàwng eeŝ, àng e eçe o ŝçà àe o e oo àn. Bû à wàŝ en. Now wàŝ e oe. Dee’ŝ ànŝ gng e ege o e ŝnk wee ço. ïn e ŝng eà, ŝe wàŝ ço g oûg, ŝey ço own o e ee, ààyze w . A çke o ŝweà àn own e ŝe o e àçe. Feà àn ànç wee û àn ŝoee eey- ng û e ŝnge wo nkng n e n.Frîday. Wà wàŝ oày? Wà ày wàŝ ? He n wàŝ ànk àn nû. “Hey, Ee,” ŝe çàe o e oy n e yà, wo çoûçe àŝ ŝ àŝ e ànŝçàe. He oçe wàŝ ŝf àn oçe. Se çke e ŝ, ŝàgene à  àn çàe ŝ nàe àgàn. “Ee, wà’ŝ oày? Wà ày ŝ ?” Ee àwàyŝ knew. He wàŝ ŝqûàng on ŝ àûnçeŝ, çn on ŝ ànŝ, eowŝ on ŝ kneeŝ, çàeûy oŝeng àn nŝeç. “Weneŝày, Jûy 23 ,” e ànŝwee àûoàçày, no ookng û, no wànng o ŝàe e ng e wàŝ wàçng, no wànng  o àke g. ï  ànywày, ûnûng ŝ wngŝ àn ŝwoong àwày. “Soo.” He ŝoo àn çeçke ŝ ûge wàç, wŝng  e g wày àoûn on ŝ n wŝ. “ 6 : 16 pm.” O God,Wednesday!Tat’s rîgt—ît’s aready Wednesday. Se wàçe Ee çk û à oçk, ook à ,

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H I T T H E G R O U N D R U N N I N G

û  on ŝ ŝoŝ, en eXàne  oe çoŝey. He ooke ey ŝà oû ee n e Ie, ŝçûîng àong àn kçkng û ûŝ n ŝ oeŝze çowoy ooŝ. Wednesday nîgt, amost hursday. Dee’ŝ eà wàŝ oûnng, e knûçkeŝ wenng àŝ ŝe ge e ŝnk.We ave a day. One day. Tomorrow. By tomorrow we ave to be gone. A o wàe o ûy ûe û àn oenày oe oû e ànç. Dad,were te e are you? One day, Dad. One day…

i

he ŝo à e oo àn oû àgo à een à ŝoçk. Dee àn’ known ey wee ûne ŝûeànçe o eng onoe o wàee àngûàge ŝoçà wokeŝ ûŝe. Poày ŝoeng nçe, eŝŝ ço-ke, k-ene. Oŝeàon? Anywày, ey’ een àe oû, e-àgge y ŝoe noŝy, ŝàong, eng àû. Dee wonee wo. Se’ ooûgy çoee e àçkŝ à ŝçoo, ŝgnng e àe’ŝ nàe çonnçngy on e eo çàŝ, enonng o one o wo eàçeŝ à e à ŝà o ŝày . An M. Wene, Ee’ŝ ŝçoo çoûn- ŝeo, wàŝ ŝûç à enoenà ŝçewû ŝe à Dee çoûn’ eee e çoû àe ŝçoee à e àe à ànŝe àoŝ ŝX weekŝ àgo. M. Wene, e ŝçoo joke, wo wàne o àŝŝeŝŝ Ee’ŝ “ŝûŝànà

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A L I S O N H U G H E S

eoànçe,” Ee’ŝ “ŝŝûeŝ.” Bû ŝçoo à een oû o oe à on…no, ŝe wàŝ ey ŝûe e eàyà àn’ çoe o e ŝçoo. Dee oûg  ûŝ àe een nûe 27  own e ŝee. he woàn w e zzy à, e çàn ŝoke w e eàn ûŝàn. Dee n’ een know e nàe, û ŝe’ e e wàçng eey e ŝe àn Ee wàke àŝ e oûŝe. Nong ee o o àn à oû wo nnoçen kŝ, e o àg, oûg Dee. W oe eoe, ke M. àn Mŝ. S. o heeŝà’ŝ o, Dee g àe ûneŝoo ŝoe we-eànng çonçen en e eng eoe. Bû no w e àg own e ŝee. he ŝoçà woke à een à nçe ày, çoo- àe àn àççà, w kn eyeŝ, eà-û Bkenŝoçkŝ, ŝeç ànŝ àn ŝo gàyng à. Bû ŝe wàŝ o çen’ŝ ŝeçeŝ. Goenen-àn. Se ày àe ŝeee àn ûnkey eney, û Dee knew eàey à ŝe wàŝ àngeoûŝ. Wy dîd ï open te door?hey àoŝ nee oene e oo. ï wàŝ nee goo newŝ. ï wàŝ ee e ŝçàwny, ànXoûŝ àno o ŝoe ûy gûy o ŝony- àçe en w ûçkŝ àn oeŝ o eoŝŝeŝŝ ŝoeng. Unwen oûŝe ûe: e eoe  àoûn àwkwày on e on ŝe o ong enoûg, àn ey w eenû- ày ge û àn go àwày. hey’ e àçk, û àe. hŝ e ŝe’ ûn o e oo àn ûng  oen, e àçe eXeçàn. Se’ een ŝûe  wàŝ e àe,

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