I didn't answer. I stared at him, actually right through him.
"You're with very, very nice people. I've known the Prescotts for a long time. I went to school with their son, in fact," he said, smiling.
The windows of his office were behind his desk, which I thought was a bad idea. Anyone who was called to his office and sat in front of him could ignore him and gaze out the windows to see birds and even students who were having physical education classes on the ball field.
"Don't you like Miss Ritowski? All her students are very fond of her," he added before I could say other-wise.
I shrugged, which encouraged him.
"You shouldn't be finding the work too hard, not from the school history you have," he added, tapping on a folder opened on his desk. "So," he continued, leaning toward me, "why aren't you doing better, Celeste? I can't believe you're really trying. Are you really trying?"
I was about to answer him when I saw Noble walking up from the ball field. I was sure it was Noble, even though he was walking with his head down. I remembered too well that plodding gait of his and the way his head and shoulders would bob along with each carefully chosen step.
"Celeste? Are you listening to me?"
"My brother isn't happy about my being here," I said, my voice laden with anger.
"Pardon me?" He leaned back. "Your brother?" He thought a moment and then leaned forward again and quickly read some pages in my folder. "When have you spoken to your brother?"
"I saw him last night," I said.
Now Mr. Fizer was the one simply staring.
"Oh," he finally said. "Well, then, we'll have to find out why your brother is unhappy about your being here," he said, forcing a smile. "How do I get to speak to your brother?"
Noble turned abruptly to the right and disappeared from view.
"You can't talk to him," I said.
"Why not?"
"He doesn't talk to strangers," I said. "He never liked it when any came to our home. He would pretend they weren't there."
"Okay, if he won't talk to me, then maybe you can tell me why he is unhappy about your being here," Mr. Fizer said.
"He thinks I should go home," I said. "He's afraid I will forget."
"Forget? Forget what?" Mr. Fizer asked.
"My family," I said.
"Oh. Well, I don't think you will ever forget your family, but that doesn't mean you can't let other people help you and care for you and eventually love you the way your family loved you," he said.
"No one can love me like that," I told him, my eyes so narrow and fixed on his face, he actually raised his eyebrows and look flustered. "Don't ever say such a thing," I chastised, as if he was the child and I was the adult.
"Yes, well, I don't mean to upset you. I'm here for you if you need to talk. Any time, Celeste, any time at all," he said.
I pressed my lips together and turned away from him, slamming the door shut on everything else he said.
There were more conferences, but none with me. The talks were between the Prescotts and my teacher. Nothing they did or said changed anything, and the Prescotts grew more and more concerned. I overheard Papa Prescott tell Nana Prescott that it was even affecting his golf game. They began to argue more and more about me.
When I began to sleepwalk, as Nana Prescott described it, Papa Prescott grew even more concerned. She found me downstairs in the living room talking to Noble, and once she found me in the kitchen having a glass of milk while I talked to him. Each time, I told her what I was doing, and each time she had me go back to sleep.
I knew they were having endless conversations about me with their children, too. None had come yet to see me, but Nana Prescott spoke to someone, perhaps Madam Annjill, who advised her to do more family-type things with me.
They tried taking me on what they called fun rides. They bought me some new clothes, and Nana bought me a new doll, even though there really were dozens of old ones in one of the closets. I couldn't play with them anyway, because they had the fingers of the Prescotts' grandchildren still on them. J felt like my hand was over another every time I touched one or picked one up.
They took me to parks and amusement parks, and they tried to get other girls my age from my class to come to their home to be with me, but I hadn't really made any friends at school. Most of the other girls kept their distance. I often saw them whispering about me.