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)
Linda Jones
The bell rang, signaling the end of fifth period and Dan's lunch. He picked up his lunch tray and his backpack. Peter wadded up his lunch bag and threw it onto Dan's tray.
"Hey, pack your own trash out!" exclaimed Dan.
Peter's response was nearly lost as the crowd made its way to the door. It sounded something like, "It helps strengthen your knee if you carry more weight." He ducked as Dan made a jab at his ribs. Dan missed and nearly spilled the contents of the tray onto the floor.
"I'm still an invalid, remember," shouted Dan above the din.
Through the windows Dan could see the mid- February snowstorm dumping its load. Now back in his regular brace, he was struggling to keep up with the crowd. At Dr. Jones' suggestion, he was trying the day without the cane. His balance was not the best.
They made their way through the swirling crowds to the chemistry lab. Students in a hurry were pushing past someone sitting on the floor and taking up much of the narrow hallway. Dan and Peter, like the rest, were fighting against time. Dr. Jensen was a stickler about tardiness and they'd felt his wrath before. Peter saw an opening and ducked into the classroom. Dan got caught in the crowds and had to wait for several students coming the other way.
He looked to see who was causing the traffic jam. Linda, whom he'd come to know on the handicapped bus several months before, was half lying, half sitting in the middle of the hallway. She was sobbing, though there was no obvious reason why. Students rushed by, motivated partly by the need to be in class and partly by not knowing what to do with a handicapped kid. Most avoided eye contact. She looked lost and frightened.
Dan pushed through the crowd and bent down beside her. He put his backpack down and took her hand. She looked up at him, but it took several seconds before she recognized him.
"Dan," she said, with the thick- tongued voice so common in Down Syndrome kids. "I'm lost. I can't find my paper. I'm scared."
Dan gently patted her hand. "Don't worry, we'll take care of it. Let's wait a couple minutes until everyone gets into class."
Even as he spoke, the crowds were beginning to thin. One or two yelled "Hi, Dan," as they raced, hoping to get into class before the bell rang. Finally, the hallway was nearly clear. Dan could see into the chemistry classroom. Peter stared back at him; he got up from the lab table and walked to the door of the classroom.
"What's going on?" he asked. Dr. Jensen appeared behind him in the doorway.
"I don't know," replied Dan. " She says she's lost. I'll take her back to her classroom."
"No! I can't! Not until I find my paper!" She was hysterical.
"Calm down, Linda," said Dan, as soothingly as he could muster. He patted her hand again and helped her to her feet. "What paper? Tell me what the paper is. We'll help you look for it."
"The attendance paper. It has to go to the office. Today is my turn to take it. But I got lost and I fell down here and then all the people came. Where is my paper?" She started to wail, a long, low sound not unlike that of a faraway train on a foggy morning. She clung to Dan's hand. "I need to find my paper!"
Dan, Peter and Dr. Jensen looked up and down the now-deserted hallway. Peter saw something and ran to pick it up, a single slip of paper about 50 feet from where they stood. He examined it as he came back. He showed it to Dr. Jensen, who handed it to Dan. Dan handed it to Linda.
"But it's all dirty. They won't like it. And it's torn, too." She started to wail again.
Dan dusted off the sheet of paper and straightened it out. "No, Linda, it's ok. Look, they get dirty papers all the time. They won't mind at all. Look, uh, I'll go with you to the office, ok? Then I'll take you back to your room, ok?" He looked at Dr. Jensen, who nodded.
Somewhat mollified, Linda took the slip of paper. Still sniffling, she straightened herself and waited for Dan to lead the way.
Dan picked up his backpack and handed it to Peter. "Better get started without me, old friend. I'll be right back."
Dan wasn't exactly sure how to approach this. At first, he thought of taking her by the hand, but didn't know how that would be interpreted. Maybe she would think she was being treated like a child? So he simply said, "Let's go this way," and led off. He found that his unsteady gait was well matched to Linda's pace. He decided he should talk to her.
"Ok, Linda, let's go down this hall. It's easiest. Did you know I just had another operation? Your father said this one is a success. Did you see me on the handicapped bus a couple weeks ago? Rode it for three days, but I didn't see you."
"I was sick," she replied in her odd voice. Dan still wasn't used to it.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I guess you're better now. That's good. Ok, we go up these stairs. Will take us to the level where the office is. Ok, just down this hall. This is where the offices are. That's where the counselor's office is. Your father is a very good doctor, you know. You must be very proud of him because he helps so many people.
"He loves me."
"Yes, I know he does. He and I talked about that once. Ok, we turn left here. Takes us to the office. See, this is the main office for the school. Ok, let's go through this door. Hi, there, this is Linda."
"Hi, Linda, do you have the attendance slip for today?" said the receptionist.
Linda drew herself up to her not-very-tall height and held out the paper. "It's dirty today because it got stepped on, so it's like all the other attendance papers."
The receptionist took the slip and smiled brightly at Linda. "Well, I guess it is! Thank you so much, Linda!"
Linda beamed. "Dan is going to take me back to my classroom because I got lost. He's a very nice person. My dad operated on his knee."
"Well, I know Dan very well. I’m glad to hear your dad did the operation. You have a nice day now, ok?" The receptionist turned back to her work.
Her mission finished, Dan and Linda left the office. He felt he should say something so he continued his commentary. "You did a nice job, Linda. Do you carry the attendance list every day?"
"No we take turns. Your mother died, didn't she?"
The abruptness of the question caught Dan flatfooted.
"Yes. Last December. How did you know?"
"Oh, all of us know. My dad told me and I told everyone. We remember you from the bus. You are a nice person. We are all very sorry."
"Thank you, Linda. It's very nice of you to remember me." He was touched.
"Yes, we are all very sorry. My parents are very good to me. I hope I never lose them."
"Well, Linda, I hope you never lose them, too. Guess I wasn't really ready to lose my mother."
"How are you doing?"
To Dan this seemed like an amazingly mature question from a kid with Down Syndrome. "Well, sometimes I'm ok and sometimes I'm not. It's hard," he admitted.
"Can I help you?"
"Maybe you already have."
"How did I help you?" She was puzzled.
"By letting me help you."
She laughed, a rather odd laugh that reminded him of bubbles in a beaker. "That's not a way to help."
Dan patted her back. "Oh, yes it is. Turn here. Never been in this part of the school. You know, I've been here for two and a half years and I've never been down this hall. Is this the right way?"
"Oh, yes," she said, excited to be taking the lead now. "You come with me, I know the way now."
She took him by the hand and pulled him faster than he wanted to go. One more turn and they were at room 513.