Dave Casler
PO Box 98
Ridgway, Colorado 81432
Young Adult Novels by Dave Casler...
I've been told by publisher after publisher that there's no market for Young Adult novels. I think they're wrong! So I'm putting my novels on-line for you. Forget the publisher! Read to your heart's content--it's free! And, I'd like to hear from you, too! Contact Page.
You're reading About Dan. Be sure to check out About Phillip here.
Dan is a normal kid who loves his soccer. Except everything goes wrong. Everything.
About Series Home
About the About Series
Index to All Chapters
Here are all the chapters, disguised as asterisks. Hover your mouse over an asterisk to see the title of the chapter. Click on the asterisk to go straight to that chapter.
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(About Dan Home) (Last) (Next)
More Questions
Dan and Peter went to the basement where they were alone with the washing machine. Without a word, Dan loaded the washer and poured in detergent. Peter intercepted him.
"You'll have enough suds to fill the ocean, my boy."
"Whatever."
"Can I pry?"
"Sure. You always do."
"What's with the temple clothes?"
"She'll be buried in her temple clothes."
"Oh," said Peter. "What’s the ‘Plan of Salvation?’"
"You’ll see Monday."
"If we go upstairs, we'll be put to work."
"Let's go to my room. We can close the door. The clothes’ll take half an hour."
"Ok."
Dan’s knee ached even more after the stair climb. All the old newspapers were gone from his room. Books were against the wall. He wasn't quite sure how it had been accomplished, but the closet door was shut. Peter closed the bedroom door behind them.
"Ok, what now?" asked Peter.
"I'll check my e-mail."
Nearly fifty messages crowded Dan's inbox. He felt a lump rise in his throat; his emotions were quickly working their way back to the surface. The message subjects told the story.
Sympathy, Dan
All our best
Can we help?
So sorry
Please let us know
Dear God!
Is it true?
Friends
We love you!
Dan scrolled down through the list. He recognized some of the senders. Some he didn't.
Several were from his dad. There were three on Wednesday night and four on Thursday. The titles got more urgent with each message, culminated with PLEASE READ!!! Dan selected them all and hit "delete." Starting on Friday, when the news of the accident was in the Daily Camera, there were more messages from dad, with titles like Oh God No! to Please let me know arrangements. Dan systematically deleted them all.
"Are you sure you want to do that?" asked Peter tentatively.
"Yes," came the definitive reply.
Dan scanned the remainder. Do I want to open any of these? Maybe the one from Cheryl.
Dan, my buddy. Oh my God! I don't know what to say except to remember you have friends. Use them! Love, Cheryl.
"I'm at your service, Dan," said Peter, quietly.
Dan wrote back.
Thanks for your kind words. The funeral is Monday at 10 o'clock at the Mormon church. Please spread the word, since I can't answer all these e-mails. I never knew so many people cared. Dan
"You didn't add 'love,'" observed Peter.
Dan snorted quietly. He flipped through the e-mails, answering some with a few short words and leaving the rest for later. Most of the soccer team had written. Several faculty members added their condolences. Some were from people at church. As Dan sent his replies another message came in from his dad. Dan simply deleted it, again unread. He logged off and turned off his computer. He got to his feet. His knee ached badly.
"Peter," he said, "let's put the laundry in the dryer and get out of here. I've had about all I can take."
"I have a better idea. Ask Sister Jones to do that. Grab your church clothes and head for the door, young man. After all, that's what we came for."