dinner that she wouldn't attend the Childs'
engagement party.
"You can go with Olivia and Samuel, Daddy,"
she told him. "None of my friends will be there
anyway."
"You should be trying to make other friends,
Belinda," I said.
"My friends are just fine."
"They're fine if you want to remain forever in
high school," I retorted. Her eyes took on the shine of
forthcoming hot tears.
"You think you know everything about men
now just because you have a steady date all the time.
You just can't stop being bossy about my life. I'm not
you."
"That's always been fairly obvious."
"I don't want to be you!"
"Stop this bickering immediately," Daddy
ordered. Fortunately, Mother was always upstairs at
dinner now, and didn't have to listen to Belinda's
whining.
She stuffed a piece of bread into her mouth and
glared at me as if to say she was smothering her
words, but not her thoughts.
"If you don't want to attend the affair, you don't
have to, Belinda," Daddy consented.
I looked at him, surprised. He wouldn't want to
insult his friend Colonel Childs, but then on second
thought I realized he was probably happier Belinda
wasn't going. He wouldn't have to worry about her