"Whatcha go take her side for over Nikki's?" Raspberry asked Alanis.
"I'm not taking sides."
"Right," Raspberry said and hurried to join Nikki before she left the cafeteria.
"Sometimes they act like they're the ones in the third grade, not you," Alanis said. "Don't worry about it. I'll take care of them."
We started out of the cafeteria,
"Everything's going to be all right. Jordan," she told me before we parted in the hallway. "Just hang tough."
I tried, but all the while I was in Mrs. Morgan's classroom, I expected the door to open and Mrs. Browne to send for me to do just what Alanis had predicted: speak with us one at a time, especially me, to get one of us to contradict Alanis's story. I even imagined the police would come and take me away. How would I hang tough then? I wondered, but thankfully no one came.
We went through the first chapter in our history book. then Mrs. Morgan gave us our homework. It seemed like a lot. There was something to do for every subject. I would surely have to get started as soon as I was home and not join Great- aunt Frances to watch some afternoon soap opera. I didn't want to make her feel bad. but I had never been given so much homework.
When the bell rang to end the school day. I gathered my books and workbooks, stuffed them into my schoolbag and started out. No one in my class spoke to me, but I felt many looking at me. Alanis was waiting for me in the hallway.
"Nobody came back for you. right?"
"No."
"Good. We'll be fine. Let's go home. I better get down to the basement and get rid of that stuff quickly," she said. We headed out to the buses, but when we stepped outside. Alanis moaned. "Oh, no."
There, standing and waiting by his old car. was Mr. Marshall. Alanis's granddad, and it wasn't hard to see that he was fuming.
"Get over here," he called to her.
She paused.
"You go on the bus," she said. "I better deal with him myself."
I watched her walk to him and his car. He turned as she walked past him to get into the car, and he slapped her sharply on the back of her head. I could swear I felt it. too. She spun around on him, but he grabbed her shoulder and forced her into the car, slamming the door shut. He glared my way but got into his car quickly.
I hurried into my bus, my legs trembling so much that I thought I would trip on the steps.
One of the girls in my class was seated up front, and she put her hand out to stop me from going down the aisle. "How come you're in the third grade?" she asked.
"Because that's where I'm supposed to be,," I replied. She looked at her friend sitting beside her and they smiled. "It is!" I said. They both started to giggle. I walked all the way to the back quickly and sat by myself. Looking out the window. I saw Lester Marshall drive away. Alanis had her hand over her eyes and her head against the window.
It took much longer for me to get home because of all the stops along the way. By that time, almost three-quarters of the bus had gotten off. I hurried down the aisle without looking at anyone and got off. Then I charged up the driveway. I saw Lester Marshall's car. but I didn't see him or Alanis.
"Oh. Jordan." Great-aunt Frances cried as soon as I entered the house. She stepped out of the living room. I thought she was going to ask me to come in to watch the soap opera. "I had a phone call from the school principal today. She wanted to know if you had a party here last night. How silly, I told her. There was no party. You went to sleep to get ready for school. She asked me if I had seen Stuart Gavin here, the boy who delivers propane gas. I said no but I better see him soon. I think. Then she told me he was in an accident with his truck and he had been drinking alcohol. I told her I thought he was a nice boy and I was sorry to hear it. She said I should be sure to question you, but about what?"
I thought about trying to lie to her and decided instead to just be quiet.
"Did you like your first day of school?" she asked instead of asking anything about Stuart.
"No." I said. 'My teacher isn't very nice and I have lots and lots of homework to do."
"Oh. dear. Not nice, you say?" She thought a moment, then smiled. "Well, maybe that's because it's the first day and she wants all the students to be sure they behave. You must not judge too quickly. My father used to tell me that. Take a deep breath. Frances, he told me, and listen again or look again. So take a deep breath and let's see how you feel tomorrow, okay?"
I nodded.
"I have to get started on my homework," I said. "It's a lot, more than I ever had," I emphasized.
"Oh? Well, that might be because its the first day, too. You do what you think you should. We're going to have something called a quiche for dinner tonight. I took it out of the freezer and defrosted it. It's French, so we'll have French music. and I have two very pretty skirts for us to wear and French hats. My parents went to France a long time ago and brought them back for Emma and me. but Emma hated hers. I know how to say some things in French. I'll teach them to you later. okay? I also had this chocolate fudge cake in the freezer I had forgotten. Won't that be a wonderful dessert. We'll have a good time," she promised.