At school the next week I noticed that everyone seemed to be avoiding me. "Must just be my imagination." I thought. "Hi, Zady." I said as I walked up to her.
Zady narrowed her eyes and walked away.
I frowned, and raced after her. "Wait, Zady!"
"What do ya want?" she said impatiently as she turned.
"Is something wrong, Zady?" I asked worriedly.
"I ain't gonna talk to you no more." Zady said, and started to turn away again, but my arm stopped her.
"Zady, did I do something wrong? Why are you mad at me?"
"You know yerself."
"I don't! Zady, quite acting like that and talk to me! I cried desperately.
"You're an Okie." she spat out finally.
"I am not! Zady Spencer, whatever gave you that idea! What on earth are you talking about?"
"You are too, don't try do deny it, everybody knows it."
I sighed and started toward the schoolhouse. I didn't want to be known as an Okie-- that would be the same as being a lowlander, and outsider and an outcast. I was soon surrounded by a group of children holding hands and dancing around me in a cirlce, singing "Okie, okie, Crystal is an Okie."
I tried to break out of the ring, but Festus Allen pushed me back in. "Hey!" I charged at him, and he fell to the ground. Festus jumped up and pushed me down, and soon we were rolling on the ground. I was on top of him, and slapped his face. Our positions were reversed, and at that moment Miss Christy raced up.
"Festus Allen!" Get off Crystal right now!" She pulled him up into a standing position.
"It was my fault too, Miss Christy," I admitted.
"Inside, both of you." she commanded.
"Sit down". Miss Christy pushed us down onto two of the front benches. "Now tell me what happened."
We told our stories, and she gave the verdict.
"Festus, you may be excused until school begins. Crystal, stay here please."
"Miss Christy!" I exclaimed. "I'm not going to let you let Festus go free while I have to stay in here!" I started to head down the aisle.
"Crystal, take your seat." Miss Christy said sternly.
I was upset, but I wasn't about to disobey her, so I stomped over to my desk and plopped down. Miss Christy moved to the desk in front of me. "Crystal, stop this at once."
"Sorry." I mumbled, and sat quietly for a moment, deliberating whether to say more. "I'm sorry, Miss Christy. I shouldn't have said that."
"I forgive you, Crystal. And don't worry about Festus getting off easy, I'm going to speak to his parents." She winked.
I sighed. It seemed as though I was always getting in trouble. Miss Alice would be so upset if she heard about this... "Are you going to tell Miss Alice?" I asked suddenly, then regretted it. There was nothing I dreaded more than Miss Alice's wrath.
Miss Christy looked at me oddly. "Perhaps. If I think it would help you behave."
"I'll behave, I promise! You don't need to tell her."
After class that day all of the children left with out ever a little "good-bye" to me. I continued sitting at my desk dejectedly long after the others had left. "I'm going over to the mission now, Crystal." Miss Christy
stopped beside me, shifting her load of books in her arms.
"I'll be over later." I mumbled, put my head down on my arms, and fell asleep.
I was awakened by a soft touch on my shoulder. "Crystal?" Miss Alice said. "It's time for supper."
"I'm not hungry."
She sat down in the desk in front of me and turned to face me. "What's wrong, Crystal?"
I sat quietly for a moment, then spoke. "Zady won't even speak to me anymore. All of the kids call me an Okie constantly. They've all banned me. The only reason they even remember I'm there is so they can call me names." I poured out my troubles, and Miss Alice listened quietly. "Here I was beginning to get to know them, and I thought they'd accepted me, that I wasn't a lowlander anymore. But then after today… and Mountie O'Teale was almost going to say something to me this morning, but she suddenly stopped. One of her brothers probably told her not to talk to me." I spoke of my 'little sister' at school. "No, I think it was Festus," I added as a bitter afterthought.
"What are you going to do?" Miss Alice asked.
"I've tried talking to them and telling them I'm not an Okie, but no one will listen. I think tomorrow I'll ask Miss Christy if I can stand up during class to talk." I decided finally.
Miss Alice nodded, then asked "Are you hungry?"
My mind wasn't on food, but I replied "I reckon I've kept the others waiting long enough."
Miss Alice smiled. "How kind of you to be unselfish and think of others first."
I blushed with the praise, since it was rare. When Miss Alice did give it out, though, I knew she meant it.