The day did not begin well. Charlie woke, and shortly after that she felt herself turning prickly. Prickly. She stubbed her toe
on the edge of her dressing table, and hollered and hobbled in pain.
When Teresa came hurrying down the hallway to see what was the matter, she checked over Charlie's hurt toe, but seemed
a trifle amused, which annoyed Charlie.
She was holding Charlie's foot in her lap, binding the toes together with cloth.
"There. That will help support it, at least," Teresa said.
"It hurts," Charlie complained.
"Stubbed toes always do," Teresa agreed, but added with humor, "But, my goodness, the way you were hollering, I thought it was something
horrible-a huge rat, or a broken leg, at least-"
Indignant, Charlie pulled her foot from Teresa's grasp. "Maybe I should really break my leg next time," she said, again, insulted by Teresa's manner.
"Oh, don't be such a goose," Teresa told her.
A goose? Though it was such that an older sister would say, it still irritated Charlie.
At school, when the recess bell rang, and the children exploded outside to their thirty minutes of precious freedom, Charlie
was still favoring her sore foot. Rebecca, as a true friend might, sympathized with Charlie over Teresa's attitude.
Lucy, and a new girl at school, whose name was Carrie, had become good friends, and they were walking, arm in arm,
around the schoolyard. At first Charlie had been glad about Lucy having a new friend, since it gave Lucy less time to
annoy her. But, it seems that along with the new friend, Lucy had gained also a penchant for sniping, and gossiping worse
than before. In Charlie's opinion, Lucy had gotten mean. When Lucy and Carrie strolled over to where Charlie and Rebecca sat,
Lucy spoke first. "Hullo."
"Hullo," Rebecca answered, but Charlie was silent.
Lucy began chattering about something or other. Charlie was eating her carrots and not really listening, when Lucy
said something that did get her attention. When Lucy and her parents were out eating the previous Saturday evening, at
the hotel restaurant, they'd seen Scott there, as well. Lucy announced that fact as though it was something that would come
as a surprise to Charlie.
Truthfully, Charlie hadn't known Scott's exact destination, but she knew that he'd been out for the evening.
"So?" she asked Lucy.
"He was out with that lady-the one he's been seeing so much of," Lucy continued.
Again, not a total surprise to Charlie. She'd known that Scott was going to see the woman he'd been keeping company with
occasionally. The sister of Mr. Val's lady friend. Hallie Lyons.
"Or did you not know he was going to be out with her?" Lucy asked, looking entirely too pleased with herself.
"Of course I did," Charlie said. "He told me."
"Oh. I just wondered," Lucy said, with a smile that wasn't really a smile at all.
"And, he's not seeing so much of her," Charlie corrected. "Just whenever she's in town, is all."
"My mother said he looks like a man in love," Lucy said, and then, just at that moment, before Charlie could think of, or
utter a scalding retort, Miss Susan came out on the steps and rang the school bell. Kids began running towards the
school at the signal of recess being over.
Charlie sat where she was, feeling as though her chest was tight. Too tight to draw a good breath.
Rebecca was standing, looking at Charlie. "Are you alright?" Rebecca asked.
"I don't see why Lucy's mother would say that-" Charlie said, feeling her face get hot. "Scott's not in love. He would have
told me if he was feeling seriously about-"
"Sure, he would have," Rebecca agreed. She darted a look at the front door. Most of the kids were inside by now. "Come on, Charlie," she
urged.
Even as badly as she was feeling at that moment, Charlie heard the anxious tone to Rebecca's voice. Rebecca never, ever,
got into trouble at school. She wouldn't want to be late going in, or make it appear that they'd been ignoring Miss Susan's
summons. So Charlie roused herself, and the two girls went inside. The afternoon seemed intermidable, to Charlie. She
could hardly concentrate on her lessons. To the point that Miss Susan had to speak to her about it. At the end of the
day, she asked Charlie to remain after class. She asked first, if there was anything bothering Charlie. When Charlie shook
her head in denial, and said, "No, ma'm," Miss Susan looked unconvinced.
"You seemed to be having difficulty in concentrating," the teacher continued. "And-you so rarely misspell your words as you
did-"
"I'm sorry," Charlie said.
"You don't need to apologize, Charlie," Miss Susan said. "I was only concerned that there was something troubling
you."
"I guess I need to study them more," Charlie offered in excuse. She only wanted to get away from the teacher's inquiring manner,
kind though it may be.
"Alright. Well, then, you may go," Miss Susan said.
When Charlie came out into the bright sunshine, Rebecca was waiting there, for her. Other than a couple of the boys, the
rest of the schoolyard was deserted already.
"You didn't have to wait for me," Charlie told her.
"I wanted to," Rebecca said, simply. "Did she think you were daydreaming?"
"No. She just asked if there was something bothering me. And, I told her no," Charlie said, with a sigh.
As they walked towards the stables together, Rebecca said, "Don't even listen to that Lucy-you know how she is. She's always
talking about things she doesn't know anything about."
"Thanks," Charlie told her, gratefully. "But, maybe Scott is starting to-feel stronger about her-about Miss Lyons."
"But he would have talked to you," Rebecca argued, loyally. "Didn't you say that he told you if he ever had those
sort of thoughts and feelings about a lady, he would talk it over with you?"
"Yeah. He did say that," Charlie said.
"Well, see, then? Lucy is just trying to get under your skin, the same as always," Rebecca predicted.
"Maybe. But, it was her mother that said it, actually. And she's grown up. She would know-how people are when
they're in love. Don't you suppose?" Charlie asked, worriedly.
Rebecca shrugged, looking distressed.
"I've never really been around anybody that was in love," Charlie admitted. "I mean, Katherine-my aunt-she had
lots of men friends and all, but she flirted with them all, just the same. Not like she was in love with any of them, specially. And,
I don't remember about my parents. Teresa and her beau seem sometimes like they're in love, but then other times, Teresa
seems to lose interest in him." Charlie sighed. "What about your folks?" she asked Rebecca. "I mean, do they act like they're
in love?"
"Well," Rebecca said, considering, "I think it's different for those that have been married a long time. I mean, it's not like
when a couple first falls in love, you know? My ma and pa-well, they're mostly nice enough to each other, but they don't act all
googly-eyed, or anything."
Nearing the stable now, the girls paused, before Rebecca headed the opposite way to her own home.
"I've never even met her," Charlie said. "Scott's never said anything about us meeting."
"He would if he was feeling-well, if he was thinking about the future with her," Rebecca said. "Wouldn't he?"
"I think he would," Charlie said.
"I have to go," Rebecca said, sounding regretful. "I'll be in trouble if I'm late for my chores."
"Okay. See you tomorrow," Charlie said.
"Try not to worry," Rebecca advised.
L