How to Get Dirt Read Online Free Page B

’ t name me. My parents left me outside of a police station when I was about three years old. A police officer found me and took me inside. At first they thought I had run away from a house or a nearby park, but nobody came for me. The police officer felt bad, so he asked me what was the one thing I wanted. I guess I didn ’ t know much at the time, because I just kept saying ‘ Pickles. ’ Sometime later a guy came in and asked me my name . I said, ‘ Pickles. ’ Ever since then, I was just Pickles. ”
    The salad fork in Miranda ’ s hand slipped from her fingers then fell to the table with a clatter . “ What kind of way is that to name someone? ”
    â€œ Do you want to know the funny thing about the whole situation? ” Pickles asked, and when Miranda remained silent , she continued, “ I don ’ t even like pickles. I think they ’ re gross. That ’ s why I think it ’ s funny I ’ m named after a food I hate, but I ’ ve been Pickles for so long I couldn ’ t imagine answering to anything else, even if I get made fun of for it. ”
    Once again, Miranda was silent.
    â€œ Are you… okay? ” Pickles asked. “ Did I say something wrong? ”
    â€œ No, Pickles, of course not, ” Miranda said quickly, though her eyes darted everywhere. “ Is that true? Did your parents just leave you somewhere? ”
    â€œ Uh-huh, ” Pickles said. “ It ’ s okay, though. It happened when I was young . I dream about that day, about feeling lost and confused in a strange place, but besides that, I don ’ t remember anything. I don ’ t even remember my real parents ’ faces or who they were. I figure I ’ m better off not remembering, though. I mean, they just left me when I was three. Even my old foster parents, the Johnsons, had more sense than that, and they didn ’ t have much sense at all. ”
    Miranda reached across the table to grab Pickles by her hands. She didn ’ t even flinch though they were covered in sauce .
    â€œ I am so, so sorry that happened to you, ” Miranda said.
    â€œ It was a long time ago . I don ’ t even remember it. I just overheard people talking about it when I was in third grade. The sad part is, I don ’ t even know my real birthday or what the names of my real parents were, ” Pickles said, shrugging. “ I ’ m here now, so I ’ m just happy about that. A lot of my friends at the home aren ’ t so lucky. S ometimes kids live there until they turn eighteen and never g e t a family. That place gets so cold and lonely sometimes. ”
    â€œ Lucky… ” Miranda said.
    â€œ Yep, I am. ”
    With a grin, Pickles chomped on a bite of pizza . Sauce poured from her mouth and onto her ch in . She giggled , her face heated with embarrassment . Miranda smiled then wiped the sauce with her napkin. For some reason, Pickles couldn ’ t stop laughing after that. She kept laughing until she felt her sides would explode. Soon Miranda laughed right along with her.

 
Chapter Six
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    Once again, the bed was too soft and Pickles couldn ’ t sleep. She struggled out of it with a frown. After glancing at the clock, she went down the stairs, but today she didn ’ t go outside because she knew the Harrises didn ’ t like it. She was shocked, though, when she went into the living room and saw she was not alone. David sat at the table eating some granola while reading a news paper. He appeared tired , with half-moons bagg ing underneath his eyes. Pickles gazed at the clock above the stove. It was four-thirty in the morning. Her eyes felt itchy . She couldn ’ t imagine having to be up th is early every day.
    Pickles climbed in the chair next to him, wondering whether she should say something. David didn ’ t appear to notice her. Instead he kept flipping the pages of his paper until, finally, he raised up his cup a