After supper, I was sitting on the couch, doing my homework, and some of the family came into the living room, too, sitting
in various places. Brian and Clare sat down together, and Clare put her feet in Brian's lap. Guthrie was sitting, too, talking to
Brian, and Adam sat on the end of one of the couches, holding a sleepy Isaac.
Guthrie was talking to Brian about when he used to play football when he was a freshman and sophomore in high school.
"You played halfback, right?" Guthrie asked Brian.
Brian said that was right, and then he and Adam talked about when the football team went to state in Adam's senior year of
high school.
"What do'ya guys think about me playin' basketball this year?" Guthrie asked.
Instantly I could see Brian show an interest. "For the school?" he asked.
"Yeah."
"I think it's a great idea, Guth," Brian said, sounding pleased.
"I do, too," Adam said.
"You know we've told you all along that you could play any sports you wanted to play," Brian reminded Guthrie.
"Yeah, I know," Guthrie said.
"So basketball team this year, huh?" Brian asked.
"I'm thinkin' about it, is all," Guthrie clarified.
"It's your senior year, Guthrie. Now is the time," Adam said.
"Yeah," Guthrie said, in agreement.
Hannah came down the stairs just as Guthrie was getting to his feet, and asking, "Is there any cake left?"
Nobody reminded Guthrie that he'd only just had supper thirty minutes before.
"There's some cookies," Hannah told him. "I made them this afternoon."
Guthrie ambled off towards the kitchen, and Hannah sat down beside Adam, calling after Guthrie, "They're in the
cookie jar, Guthrie!"
"Got it!" Guthrie called back.
"I think it's good," Brian said. "That he play some ball."
"I think so, too," Adam said.
Crane, who'd been sitting at the desk, writing in the ledger book where the bills are recorded, took off his glasses, and laid them
down on the desk.
He stood up, stretching, and came to sit down on the couch I was sitting on.
"How are we set for the month?" Adam asked Crane.
"Not too bad," Crane said. "Actually got a little surplus this month."
"Wonders never cease," Adam said, sounding glad. Crane reached over and tapped my knee lightly.
"How was your new class?" he asked me.
I kept writing out the anatomy definitions while I answered. "It was fine."
"And then study hall, right?" he asked.
"A total waste of time," I said.
"How's that?" Crane asked, and I looked up, realizing that the whole room had gone quiet.
I cursed inwardly at my mouth, which never knew when to shut up.
"Just-" I hesitated. "Noisy."
Crane was studying me, looking concerned, as was Adam, and Hannah, too.
"Why is it so noisy?" Adam asked.
"Just a lot of talking, and stuff," I said, vaguely.
Now they were all looking at me that way. With concern.
"Teacher doesn't have control?" Crane asked.
"It's Mrs. Morrell," I said.
He wrinkled his forehead, clearly puzzled.
"You know. Mrs. Morrell. She's hired to just sit there," I said.
"That's right," Crane said. "I forgot about that."
"What's that?" Adam asked.
"Budget cuts," Crane said. "They hired Lesa to monitor the study halls."
"Oh," Adam said.
"Is it going to be hard for you to get your work done in there?" Hannah asked me.
"It's fine," I said, evading the question.
"It's a good time for you to get caught up on some of your stuff," Adam said.
"I know," I said.
"Sounds like that's gonna be difficult to do, though," Adam said.
"It's fine," I said, again. "I can do it."
Adam was frowning, and Crane looked as though he was thinking hard. I was so tired of all of the grades stuff.
"I can do it," I said, firmly, for the second time, and with back to writing on my worksheet, hoping they would all just stop.
Later, I was gathering up all my work, and shoving it into my book bag.
Crane had gone off somewhere, or else I'm sure he would have asked if I wanted him to check my trig homework.
"Finished?" Adam asked me.
"Yeah."
Hannah had also gone, taking Isaac upstairs to bathe him, and Clare had gone along. That left me there with Adam. And with
Brian.
"I'm gonna go take a shower," I said. Then, I remembered. "Can I use the phone for a minute? I need to call Kristen."
Adam nodded at me, and I went to the phone, to dial Kristen's house number. The telephone rang several times, at least three,
and then a male voice answered. It wasn't Frank, I was fairly certain, so it was likely Buddy.
I asked to talk to Kristen, and I heard the phone being laid, hard, on a table, and he yelled for Kristen.
When Kristen came to the phone, and said, hello, I could hardly hear her. She was talking softly, and there was a lot of background
noise. Yelling.
"Hey, Kris," I said. "It's Harlie."
"Hi."
"I wanted to call and tell you sorry. About how I acted at lunch-" I began, and then it sounded as though something was breaking
in the background at her house. More yelling.
"What?" Kristen asked me.
So she hadn't heard me. "I'm sorry about lunchtime," I said, louder this time.
Crane came down the stairs, past me, where I was sitting on the bottom stair.
"It's alright," Kristen said.
"What?" I asked. Now, I was having trouble hearing her.
"I said, it's alright," Kristen said, louder.
"I-" I wanted to explain things better to Kristen. About how I'd taken my bad mood and outlook out on her, and how badly I felt
about that. But, I was having to talk too loud so that we could hear each other, and anything I said would be overheard by
one, two or three brothers.
More yelling on her end.
"Everything okay?" I asked, knowing that it wasn't.
Kristen said something that I couldn't hear.
"Do you want to come over here?" I asked her, louder still, and all three of the brothers McFadden looked at me.
Again Kristen said something I didn't catch.
Crane came closer to me, as I stood up. "She alright?" he asked me.
"I don't think so," I said to him.
"Ask her if she needs one of us to come," Crane told her.
I spoke loudly into the phone. "Do you want Guthrie to come?"
Now Adam was on his feet and over to stand near us as well. "Not Guthrie," he said, in a firm tone.
"No, not Guthrie," Crane said. "Here, let me talk to her-"
"You can talk to Crane-" I said, and Kristen said, "No! It's fine." There was a muffled sound, and then Kristen said, sounding clearer,
"They're just arguing, that's all. It's fine. Don't tell Crane anything!"
I didn't want to tell her that Crane already knew something was up, as did Adam and Brian, too. Crane was reaching for the
phone and I shook my head at him. "She doesn't want to," I whispered to him.
"I'll talk to you tomorrow," Kristen said, and then added, "Bye," and hung up.
I hung up, too, and turned to look at Crane and Adam.
"She said they're just arguing. Her mom and Frank," I said.
Adam shook his head, and he and Crane exchanged glances. "Damn shame," Adam said, and went back to the
couch to sit down again.
"It sounded pretty bad?" Crane asked me.
I nodded my head. "It did to me. But, she says she's okay."
I hesitated at the bottom of the stairs, while Crane and Adam talked about Kristen, and her mother.
"Kid can't catch a break," Adam said.
"No," Crane said, in agreement.
"What do you think?" Adam asked him.
"Might not hurt," Crane said, and they both got up, in unspoken agreement.
"Want me to go?" Brian offered.
"I don't think so," Adam said. "We'll just go check on things."
I ran my hand over the banister. "Are you going in there?" I asked, knowing that they were.
"We'll be back," Adam said. "Tell Hannah for me, will you?"
"Do you want me to tell Guthrie?" I asked, as Crane went on outside.
Adam flicked me a sharp glance. "You can tell him. But, he's not to come in there. You tell him I said that, too." It was said in his
argue and find out tone, and I almost shivered.
"Okay," I said. I stepped a little closer.
"Can I ride with you?" I asked. "It might help her if I come-"
Adam said a sharp 'No' at the same time as Brian said it. Both of them at once, in that tone, was subduing.
"You do what you need to do, and get ready for bed," Adam added.
"Alright," I said.
I went to the door and watched as the two of them got into the Jeep and drove off, down the driveway.
7