Later that evening, Francine returned to her apartment, still sporting a shiner
on her left eye. Pulling off her warm red coat, she draped it on the coat
rack.
"Where did you go?" asked Catherine, who was engrossed in a TV show.
"To Arthur's," Francine mumbled on the way to her bedroom. "He has a new dog."
As soon as she reached her bed, she yanked off her shoes and socks and climbed in. "Just one night of uninterrupted sleep with no telepathic voices is all I'm asking," she said to herself as she lay silent and still.
She mused upon the strange and wondrous things she had witnessed earlier in the evening. Unicorns...telepathic dogs...the impending destruction of Elwood City...and to top it all off, her cat was evil.
"Maybe it was all a dream," she muttered silently.
After what seemed like only a few minutes, she was awakened by a voice. This time it wasn't a telepathic communication, but rather, the voice of her sister Catherine.
"Aren't you gonna change into your pajamas, Frankie?"
Francine slowly opened her eyes to see Catherine sitting on the other side of the room, clad in her sleepwear.
"Nah," Francine grunted.
"Have you brushed your teeth?"
"They won't fall out."
Catherine shrugged, rolled into her bed, and pulled a checkerboard quilt over her body.
Francine idly cast her eyes around the room. It was mostly dark; the only remaining visibility was provided by the night light. She saw, lying on the dresser, Catherine's wallet and keychain. Attached to said keychain was an oval-shaped, silver-metallic tube with a nozzle and button on top.
"Hey, Cath," she said quietly.
"Hmmm?"
Francine took a deep breath. "It doesn't seem fair, does it?"
"What?" Catherine restlessly turned on her side.
"Having to carry around a pepper spray to protect yourself from boys."
"Not all boys," Catherine replied. "Only some boys."
Francine fell silent, deep in thought.
"There are so many things girls can't do because they're not as big or strong as boys," she commented. "Like professional football. I don't think it's fair."
"Life's not fair, Frankie," Catherine mumbled. "Now go to sleep."
The room became quiet again. However, Francine had one final remark to make.
"I'll bet I could have beat Rattles if I was a boy."
"Go to sleep, girl," Catherine grumbled.
----
The next day, the school was still abuzz with the now-legendary story of Francine's courageous stand against the detested Rattles. Wherever she went, the other kids gave her high-fives and complemented her on the lovely shade of her now-turquoise black eye. No one made mention of her overheard conversation with Beat in the girls' room...not even Beat herself.
Fern, in the meantime, found herself constantly badgered by Mr. Baker, who asked her question after question about her absent friend Greta von Horstein.
"If you lead me to Greta," the teacher proposed, "I'll split the unicorn magic with you, fifty-fifty."
"You can't split three wishes fifty-fifty," Fern shot back. "And Greta's not a unicorn. Now stop bothering me."
By the time afternoon recess came around, however, the kids in Mr. Wald's class had forgotten about black eyes and unicorns. It was as if a shadow had fallen over them. Along with Alan and Prunella, they all waited anxiously to hear the results of Sue Ellen's blood test, which she and her parents had gone to the hospital to obtain.
As the children took their seats in Mr. Wald's fourth-grade classroom, they talked to each other about the last time they had seen Sue Ellen, and wondered if she would come to class at all.
Shortly Mr. Wald called the class to order, and she had not yet arrived. The teacher's expression was as somber as those of the kids. "Sue Ellen will not be joining us at school for the rest of the day," he announced.
Then he proceeded to write three large letters on the board: HIV.
(To be continued...)
"Where did you go?" asked Catherine, who was engrossed in a TV show.
"To Arthur's," Francine mumbled on the way to her bedroom. "He has a new dog."
As soon as she reached her bed, she yanked off her shoes and socks and climbed in. "Just one night of uninterrupted sleep with no telepathic voices is all I'm asking," she said to herself as she lay silent and still.
She mused upon the strange and wondrous things she had witnessed earlier in the evening. Unicorns...telepathic dogs...the impending destruction of Elwood City...and to top it all off, her cat was evil.
"Maybe it was all a dream," she muttered silently.
After what seemed like only a few minutes, she was awakened by a voice. This time it wasn't a telepathic communication, but rather, the voice of her sister Catherine.
"Aren't you gonna change into your pajamas, Frankie?"
Francine slowly opened her eyes to see Catherine sitting on the other side of the room, clad in her sleepwear.
"Nah," Francine grunted.
"Have you brushed your teeth?"
"They won't fall out."
Catherine shrugged, rolled into her bed, and pulled a checkerboard quilt over her body.
Francine idly cast her eyes around the room. It was mostly dark; the only remaining visibility was provided by the night light. She saw, lying on the dresser, Catherine's wallet and keychain. Attached to said keychain was an oval-shaped, silver-metallic tube with a nozzle and button on top.
"Hey, Cath," she said quietly.
"Hmmm?"
Francine took a deep breath. "It doesn't seem fair, does it?"
"What?" Catherine restlessly turned on her side.
"Having to carry around a pepper spray to protect yourself from boys."
"Not all boys," Catherine replied. "Only some boys."
Francine fell silent, deep in thought.
"There are so many things girls can't do because they're not as big or strong as boys," she commented. "Like professional football. I don't think it's fair."
"Life's not fair, Frankie," Catherine mumbled. "Now go to sleep."
The room became quiet again. However, Francine had one final remark to make.
"I'll bet I could have beat Rattles if I was a boy."
"Go to sleep, girl," Catherine grumbled.
----
The next day, the school was still abuzz with the now-legendary story of Francine's courageous stand against the detested Rattles. Wherever she went, the other kids gave her high-fives and complemented her on the lovely shade of her now-turquoise black eye. No one made mention of her overheard conversation with Beat in the girls' room...not even Beat herself.
Fern, in the meantime, found herself constantly badgered by Mr. Baker, who asked her question after question about her absent friend Greta von Horstein.
"If you lead me to Greta," the teacher proposed, "I'll split the unicorn magic with you, fifty-fifty."
"You can't split three wishes fifty-fifty," Fern shot back. "And Greta's not a unicorn. Now stop bothering me."
By the time afternoon recess came around, however, the kids in Mr. Wald's class had forgotten about black eyes and unicorns. It was as if a shadow had fallen over them. Along with Alan and Prunella, they all waited anxiously to hear the results of Sue Ellen's blood test, which she and her parents had gone to the hospital to obtain.
As the children took their seats in Mr. Wald's fourth-grade classroom, they talked to each other about the last time they had seen Sue Ellen, and wondered if she would come to class at all.
Shortly Mr. Wald called the class to order, and she had not yet arrived. The teacher's expression was as somber as those of the kids. "Sue Ellen will not be joining us at school for the rest of the day," he announced.
Then he proceeded to write three large letters on the board: HIV.
(To be continued...)
