I changed out of my school clothes, and passed thru the kitchen on my way outside for chores. Kristen's kitten was installed in a box that

was tall enough that it couldn't jump out, lined with an old blanket, and a bowl of milk.

I gave Kristen a smile. She seemed sort of drawn inward, and her gaze flickered to Hannah. I wondered if Hannah had been asking

her pointed questions or something, but that didn't seem like Hannah. I paused.

"Everything ok?" I asked, in Hannah's direction, and she turned from the stirring of what looked like a cake mix in a bowl to look at me.

She looked surprised at my question. She wrinkled her forehead, and said, "Everything's fine."

"Okay," I said, and went on outside. I did my chores, with the goats, and then fed the three dogs, and cats, leaving Clarence to feed later.

I heard the Jeep and it roared up, and Adam got out, parking by the barn, as I was coming out, with an empty cat food bag in my hand.

"Hey," he greeted me, as he got out, and saw me.

"Hey."

"How was your day?" he asked.

"It was okay. How was yours?"

"Mine was okay, too," he said, with a slight smile at me. "Cat's out of feed already?"

I nodded. "They're catching the barn mice," I said, in their defense, in case he thought they were eating too much.

"Kristen came home with me," I said, then. "For supper."

"Alright. Good," Adam said. "She doin' alright?"

I hesitated. "I don't think so," I said, in honesty. Then, I added, "Guthrie's not thrilled about her being here."

"Did he say that?"

"No. But, I can tell."

"Guthrie will be fine," Adam said, sounding confident. "He won't be rude to Kristen."

I nodded. I knew that was a true statement.

"I don't want to make him uncomfortable or anything," I said. "It's just that I feel like she needs to be here a little bit."

Adam's gaze was steady. "Harlie, it's fine," he said. "Don't overthink it. Okay?"

I nodded again, and Adam gave my shoulder a pat.

After my chores I went back inside thru the back door entrance, and saw that Clare had arrived home, and was helping

Hannah and Kristen with preparing supper. I went to wash up at the sink.

"Need me to do something?" I offered, noticing that Kristen was still quiet, though she didn't seem quite so subdued as before.

"You can chop up some tomatoes for the salad," Hannah told me. I was doing that, when Crane came in from the living room.

If he was surprised to see Kristen there, he didn't show it. He greeted her with his customary, "Hullo there, Kris-10-it's good to see you."

"Hi, Crane," Kristen said, and for a moment she seemed like the old Kristen. The one that I knew. I knew how she felt about Crane, and

that his smile and warm greeting was what made her light up.

"We've been missing you 'round here," Crane told her, and Kristen's face reddened, but she still looked happier.

"I miss being here, too," Kristen said, and, with an easiness Crane put his arm around her shoulders, and gave her a side hug. I didn't miss

the way that Kristen leaned into Crane. Just for a second or two.

Gradually, supper was on the table, and the kitchen filled with McFaddens, taking their places around the table.

When Adam first saw the kitten in the box, he began with, "Harlie Marie-" thinking that I'd brought home another cat and hadn't bothered

to tell him while we had our talk by the barn earlier.

I hustled to correct his thinking. "It's Kristen's. She got it from Ivy today."

During supper Kristen lost her subdued demeanor, and actually talked. I mean, she chattered. Not about her mom or Frank or Buddy,

or any of her other problems. Just about things-like what she might name the new kitten. About the new girl at school and how she

cut her hair. About how the teachers at school seemed a hundred times harsher than last year. A hundred times-those were Kristen's words.

She had taken her old seat at the table, between me and Guthrie, without even seeming awkward about it. She talked so much that neither

Guthrie or I said anything much during the meal. Mostly it was Hannah and Crane who talked with her.

Some of the stuff she said was so out there that I gave her a couple of startled looks. I could only see Guthrie's face a little, since she was

blocking my total view of him, but I cringed to wonder what he was thinking right now.

I couldn't remember ever hearing Kristen talk as much as she did during supper. Not in all the time that I'd known her

After supper, Crane was beginning the dishes, and Guthrie was on the dish washing chart with him.

"I'll help," Kristen said, still sounding bouyent, and even though Guthrie had his back turned, I could see the sag of his

shoulders and I would have bet money that he was rolling his eyes. I went to set some dishes on the counter by the sink, and he

gave me a look. Not like he was glaring at me or anything, just that he looked like he wished he was anywhere but here. Anywhere else.

I mouthed 'sorry' at him, and he shook his head, as he began running water in the sink. I stood around, feeling as though I shouldn't leave

somehow. I stood around long enough that Crane finally broke thru Kristen's chattering to say, "Harlie. Go on and do your homework."

I bit my lip on protest, and shuffled off to the living room. I installed myself on one of the couches, and began working.

I'd done my Anatomy, and was struggling thru my trigonometry problems when Crane and Guthrie and Kristen came back into the

living room. Guthrie made his escape quick, with a muttered, "Got homework," as he headed up the stairs. Raised with good manners, he

did pause on the bottom two steps, and turned back to say, "See ya, Kristen."

"Bye, Guthrie," Kristen said, and took a seat in one of the recliners. Hannah, sitting and doing cross-stitch while she sat beside Adam,

began talking to Kristen again. Kristen, though, had wilted as though she was a flower that had gotten too hot, and became nearly

silent, only responding with one-word answers.

I wondered if her sudden silence and wilting was due to Guthrie being out of the room. Maybe?

I tucked my math into the book, thinking maybe Kristen and I could take a walk.

"Okay if Kristen and I go for a walk?" I asked, in a general way.

It seemed as though Adam and Hannah and Crane had one of those 'talking without words' sort of glances.

"Not too far," Adam said.

I said okay, as Hannah said, "Are you spending the night, Kristen?"

She sounded welcoming as she asked it, and I felt grateful to her.

Kristen shook her head vigorously. "No. I've got things-" she paused. "No. I'm not." Belatedly, she added, "Thanks, though."

"I'll give you a ride home after a bit, then," Crane said. "Alright?"

Kristen nodded briefly, and went to the front door, pushing open the screen and stepping on out onto the porch. Then she came back in again, and went

to the kitchen to retrieve her kitten, reappearing and going back out onto the porch again.

With her out of hearing range, I looked at the three of them, and said, "We won't go far."

Again, they all exchanged a look, and I said, "What's wrong?"

Adam hesitated, as if he was going to say something, but then he didn't. "Go on for your walk. Be back in thirty minutes or so, alright?"

"Okay," I said, still puzzled.

Outside, with Kristen, we set off down the long driveway, stopping off to pet the horses, who were coming to greet us at the fence.

Kristen snuggled the kitten to her face, and became talkative again. Since she was wanting to talk, I tried to approach her

about that hand print she'd had on her face.

"I'm not going to talk about that," Kristen said.

"Why?" I persisted. "Maybe I can help-or the family can help-"

Kristen stopped walking. Just straight stopped. "I do not want any of the family to know about it. Have you or Guthrie said

something?" She looked horrified.

I hesitated to answer. "Well-yeah. We told Adam-"

"And Crane?!" she said, loudly.

"Yes. And Crane."

"Why? Who gave you the right?" Kristen demanded. "Harlie, sometimes you're too much-you really are-I don't even know if I want

to be your friend!"

I stared at her, and now I was the one who was horrified.

"I'm sorry," I apologized. "I wasn't trying to embarrass you or anything-"

Kristen turned and began to stomp back towards the house, obviously livid. "You don't want them knowing everything about you! So why do

you want to tell them about me?!"

I hurried to catch up to her. "I was worried about you-nobody should be hitting you in the face like that, Kris!"

"Not your business!" Kristen said, nearly yelling.

"Okay, I'm sorry!" I said, again.

"I just want to go!" Kristen said. By now we were near the barn and she was still yelling. "To my house, where nobody may give a care

about me, but at least they leave me alone!"

By now I was getting tired of being yelled at. I'd apologized, and she was still fuming. Quiet, gentle Kristen had turned into

a hellcat.

"Then go!" I yelled back, as our raised voices had Adam and Crane coming out of the barn to see what the commotion was about.

"I will! I'll walk if I have to!" Kristen yelled.

"Then do!"

Crane had walked over nearer to us. "What's happening, girls?" he asked, quietly.

Kristen clamped her mouth shut tight, and looked away from him.

"She wants to go home. Right now," I said, my tone showing my upset.

"Alright. No problem," Crane said, calmly, as Adam joined our group.

"Can you take me?" Kristen asked him.

"Yes. I said that I would," Crane said. "I'll go get my keys." He headed towards the house, and I said, in spite, to her,

"I hope the rest of your evening is better!" Heavy on the sarcasm.

"It's bound to be," Kristen said. Equally sarcastic.

"Good," I said, as Crane reappeared, Hannah with him, looking concerned.

"I thought I'd ride along," Hannah said, her tone light, as she looked at Adam.

He nodded, and said, "Sure."

"Ready?" Crane asked Kristen quietly, and she huffed out a huge breath of air.

"Yes, I am," she said, and Crane sort of gave Adam a look as he headed towards the farm truck. I watched as they all got into

the truck cab, with Kristen in the middle, and they left.

I heaved a huge sigh and turned to where I could feel Adam watching me.

"She didn't even say goodbye to you!" I said, indignantly.

"It's alright."

"That's rude," I maintained, feeling rightous. "She doesn't have to be disrespectful to you-"

Adam stepped a few steps closer to me. "I don't think she was disrespectful, Harlie," he said, quietly.

"Rude, then!" I insisted.

Adam was quiet for a few moments, taking in my heightened color in my cheeks, and the way my breath was coming fast.

"What are you two scrapping about?" he asked me.

"She's mad because I told you and Crane. About the handprint on her face!"

"Oh."

I heaved another sigh. "It's like I didn't even know her tonight!"

Adam rubbed my shoulder blade with a gentle hand. "Settle down a little bit."

I looked up at him, most of the anger gone out of me. Now I felt bad. Sad.

"I told her I was sorry, but she wouldn't accept it," I said.

"Maybe she will later, after she calms down a little," he said.

"Maybe," I said, not convinced.

"Did you finish your homework?" he asked me.

"Not all of it."

"Why don't you go on in and do that," he said. "I'll come in in a few and make some popcorn for us, and we'll find something to watch

on tv together. Alright?"

I nodded, suddenly feeling even more emotional at everything that had happened with Kristen, and now, with Adam's gentleness.

I went inside to do the rest of my math, after first showering and getting into my pajamas. It was early but I was ready to be comfortable.

I realized as I was coming down the stairs that the only ones home were Guthrie and me and Adam right then. I had heard music

coming from the boy's room but I decided to leave Guthrie alone for awhile.

I was nearly done muddling thru math when Adam came from the kitchen, carrying a large bowl of popcorn, and two bottles of 7-Up tucked

into the crook of his arm.

He went over to the smaller couch that faced the television, turning it on, and setting the popcorn down on the coffee table.

I put all my stuff back into my book bag, and came over to the couch. Adam handed off one of the bottles of pop to me, already opened.

"What do you want to watch?" he asked me, sitting down.

I sat down beside him. "It doesn't matter," I said.

Adam flicked thru the few channels. "How about 'The Man from Snowy River?'"

I said okay, and we settled into the movie, which was just beginning. I sipped at my 7-Up and we shared the bowl of popcorn

between us.

"They've been gone a long time," I pointed out, during a commercial from the movie.

"They'll be right along, probably."

After a few more minutes of quiet movie watching, I moved the popcorn bowl to my lap, and Adam said,

"Trying to keep the rest for yourself?" he said, teasing.

"No. Just moving over," I said, and I did, scooting over to sit next to him.

7

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