Brooke (Orphans 3)

"Fine. Then let's get back to the play," Mr. Rudley said.

When the bell rang, Eva Jensen and Helen Baldwin came over to me first and offered to show me around. I half expected we would have more students with us at my next class, but our group of seven stayed together for the remainder of the day. The passing between classes was just as Mrs. Harper had described: orderly and subdued. Other students were introduced to me, but there was little time until lunch for me to have any real conversations. Naturally, everyone wanted to know where I had gone to school and what it was like. Only Heather Harper looked as if she didn't think much of my answers.

"Do you have any brothers or sisters?" she asked.

"Are your parents very rich?" she followed. The other girls seemed to step back to let her take over the conversation.

"Yes," I said. "My father is a very important lawyer."

"So's mine," Heather said. "How rich are you?"

"I don't know," I said. "I mean, I don't know how much money we have, exactly."

"I do," she bragged, "but I don't tell people."

"So why did you ask her to tell you?" Eva Jensen said.

"Just to see if she would," Heather said. Then she laughed. "Anyway, I could find out if I wanted to. My aunt knows just how much money everyone has. Our parents had to fill out a financial statement to qualify for the school."

"She won't tell you," Rosemary Gillian said. "And if she knew you had even said such a thing, she'd throw you out herself."

Heather seemed to wither in her chair. "I'm just kidding. Everyone's just trying to impress you, Brooke," she accused, her eyes hot. "That's what they always do when a new girl comes. So what do you think of the place?" she followed, back to her crossexaminer's attitude.

"It's beautiful," I said. "I mean, I can't believe it's a school."

The others smiled.

"Neither can we," Heather said dryly.

"I'm glad you like it here," Eva said with warm eyes. "We can always use new friends."

"What do you mean, new friends?" Heather quipped. "You mean any friends, don't you?"

The others laughed. Eva looked as if she would cry.

"I need friends, yes. You can never have enough friends," I said, and looked at Heather. "Real friends, that is."

No one spoke a moment, and then Heather laughed. "Touche" she said. "You know what that means?"

I wasn't sure, but I nodded. The bell rang, and we all rose. I saw how each girl made sure her place at the table was clean. I did the same and followed them out to our next class.

Heather came up beside me. "You don't seem like you come from a rich family," she said.

"Why not?" I asked.

"You're too grateful," she replied, and smiled at what she thought was her own cleverness.

Everyone laughed, even Eva. They looked at me, and I thought, why not get right aboard their silly little ship? I laughed, too, and that made everyone, even Heather, feel better about me. Maybe I could do this, I thought. Maybe I could be someone I'm not.

Physical education class was the last class of the day for us. Our class was combined with four others that included ninth, tenth, and even eleventh graders. Altogether, we had enough for two softball teams. Our teacher, Mrs. Grossbard, was a former Olympic runner who had been on the team that won a bronze medal. She looked at me with interest when I came out in our school physical education uniform, a white blouse with the Agnes Fodor logo on the left breast and a pair of dark blue shorts. The school also provided us with sneakers and socks.

"You play this at your last school?" Mrs. Grossbard asked me.

"Yes, ma'am," I said.

"Call me coach," she said. "I have the wonderful distinction of being the school's softball coach, swimming coach, relay coach, and basketball coach. I also have the distinction of never having a winning season in any of these sports, but," she said with a sigh, "I try. I do the best I can with girls who are afraid to break a fingernail." She looked at me. "Take shortstop on the blue team and bat fifth," she ordered.

I took the field with my team. Eva played first base, probably because of her height and reach. Heather was in the outfield, sitting on the grass immediately. The other girls were on the white team.