Melody (Logan 1)

head. I looked down at my hot cereal and swallowed

back my anger, even though it threatened to get stuck

in my throat and choke me all day.

"Your father is an ogre," I told Cary as we left

for school that morning.

Cary didn't reply for a few moments and then

said, "He's just afraid, that's all."

"Afraid?" I nearly laughed. "Your father?

Afraid of what?"

"Of losing another one of us." Cary marched

on, his lips tight, his eyes so focused on the street

ahead he barely glanced at me the remainder of the

way to school. Despite what Cary said, I think he was

ashamed at how his father sometimes behaved. Since it was Friday, at the end of the school

day, Betty, Lorraine, and Janet reminded me about

their beach party Saturday night. I said I would try to

go, but I reminded them I couldn't go without

permission.

"Then you won't be there," Betty predicted.

"You'll miss a great time."

"I can't help it. I have to ask my uncle and aunt

first. My mother left them in charge of me." "Just do what Janet told you to do: tell them

you're going over to her house to study," Lorraine

instructed. "A little white lie is no big deal. We all do

it."

"It sounds like more than a little white lie. If my

uncle found out I lied -."

"He won't find out," Betty assured me. "We

don't tell on each other."

"Of course, if you tell Grandpa, he'll turn you