Girl in the Shadows (Shadows 2)

the house and tell Mrs. Westington a bunch of lies?" After a moment, he unfolded his arms and

walked down to the dock. I got into the rowboat first.

He looked back at the house and then he got into it. "I'll row," I said. "I don't want you to strain

yourself."

He squeezed his forehead and narrowed his

eves as I set out, my eyes fixed firmly on him. "For your information, not that I care. I didn't

realize Echo understood half of what I told her about

boys and making babies. I was planning on writing

out most of it tonight. She's nearly fifteen years old

and she should know a great deal more about her own

body and sex and everything, only who is going to

teach it to her. Mrs. Westington? I doubt it. You? I

don't see any books on health education."

"That's not what I'm here for."

"Yeah," I said. smirking. "That's not what

you're here for. Oh. no."

"It isn't and I already told you. I thought she should be in an environment with other g-irls her own age. Not that you couldn't teach her about sex from

firsthand experiences. I'm sure."

"Oh, you're so damn smug. You think you

know everything about everybody."

He didn't respond. He turned away and looked

out over the pond.

"What are you trying to do, think of some

clever Chinese proverb?"

He started to swell with anger and then he just

shook his head.

I rowed hard and quickly, bringing us up beside

the rock. Then I reached out, stopped the rowboat, and

looked at him. "Here it is. Like you didn't know." He rose, wobbling a bit, and crossed to where I

had indicated on the rock. He studied it a moment and