Sundancer. Shelley Peterson

Чтение книги онлайн.

СКАЧАТЬ on the way.

      Kimberly fought back, screaming indignantly. “Get off me, you savage! Hannah! Get her off me! Now!” The girls scrambled and wrestled each other with all their might.

      After a moment of shock, Hannah and Stuart sprang into action as well. With a great deal of effort, Hannah was able to grab Bird by the arms while Stuart successfully contained Kimberly. Each pair retreated to a separate corner of the kitchen. All were panting with exertion and covered in condiments.

      Bird struggled against Hannah’s grip, a low growl coming from deep in her throat. She stared hard at the red-headed girl across the room. Do you see me now? Can you tell that I’m here?

      Kimberly’s eyes were wide with surprise as she returned Bird’s look.

      Hannah and Stuart assessed the damage, not letting either girl go. Aside from the broken dishes and splattered food, the only injury was a scrape under Kimberly’s right eye where Bird had scratched her in the tussle.

      “What a mess. I’ll take Bird, Stuart. Can you manage Kimberly?”

      Stuart nodded, raising an eyebrow. “No fatalities. I think we’re okay.”

      “The medicine chest is above the microwave. You might want to disinfect that scratch. Human nails and all that.”

      Hannah took Bird to the washroom where she sponged off as much of the dinner as she could. “These are guests, Bird!” she exclaimed, rubbing at the stain on the front of her own shirt. “You don’t throw food at guests! You don’t throw food at all!”

      Bird set her face in a stubborn grimace. And guests should be polite to their hosts, she thought. What did Hannah expect her to do? Let Kimberly insult her? She just didn’t get it.

      “What will Mr. Gilmore think? He’s the principal of the school for heaven’s sake! What do you think your chances are now?”

      Bird wearily appraised her aunt. She didn’t get this, either. Bird didn’t care about her chances. Right now, she didn’t care about anything.

      By the time they returned to the kitchen, Stuart had righted the table and chairs, and wiped the floor. Kimberly’s tiny wound had been bathed with antiseptic soap, sprayed with Solarcaine, and bandaged at Kimberly’s request. Kimberly sat in a sulking heap.

      Hannah took a deep breath and forced a smile. “Okay, girls, let’s start again. Who’d like a new burger?”

      “I want to go home.”

      “Kimberly, your mom’ll be here by nine thirty. We’ve got a little time, so you might as well make the best of it. Have something to eat.”

      “Forget it!” She glared across the table at Bird. “She’s a maniac!”

      I can be a maniac, sure, thought Bird.

      Once again, Bird growled from deep in her throat, and Kimberly sprang out of her chair. “She’s scaring me! On purpose! What is she? An animal?”

      We’re all animals, reasoned Bird.

      Stuart quietly intervened. “You insulted her mother, Kimberly. Maybe you should apologize.”

      “I don’t apologize to animals!”

      “Apologize, please.” Stuart’s tone was kind but firm.

      “If she apologizes first.” Kimberly stuck out her jaw.

      Bird slowly touched her face with her index finger, on the place where she’d scratched Kimberly. Then she lowered her head and placed her hand over her heart, watching Kimberly closely all the while. I can be nice. Can you?

      “Bird has apologized,” Hannah said, amazed. “And very nicely, too. Well done, honey. Now it’s your turn, Kimberly.”

      The girl’s eyes filled with tears. “I don’t know why I should apologize! She attacked me and cut my face open!”

      “But you insulted her mother and called her an animal.”

      “But I like animals! That wasn’t an insult!”

      “Come now,” coaxed Stuart. “You meant it as an insult. Apologize, and we can forget this ever happened.”

      “Okay! I apologize! But …”

      “Let’s leave it at that,” said Hannah quickly.

      Bird smiled at Kimberly. First a small smile, then bigger and broader. Kimberly was suspicious at first but then seemed to realize that it was sincere. She put out her hand. Bird looked at it, unsure how to react. Kimberly began to withdraw it, feeling silly. Suddenly Bird grabbed her hand, then dropped it, embarrassed. Kimberly smiled at her and said, “Can we try to be friends? Not like normal or anything, but friends?”

      Bird smiled back. Mission accomplished.

      LATER, AT THE ICE cream parlour, the girls sat side by side on a bench licking their cones. Bird wondered if they looked like friends to the people passing by. She hoped so. She looked at Kimberly. Kimby, she’d call her if she ever talked. Kimberly was too adult, too formal. Kimby was a girl who needed friends, thought Bird. Real friends who cared about her for herself and not for the clothes she wore or the cool holidays she took with her dad. Show-off stuff. Underneath all that, Bird could feel a goodness in Kimberly, and a creative swirl. Orange and purple. She offered her chocolate fudge to Kimby to sample. Kimberly took a lick, smiled, then held out hers for Bird. Bird smiled back broadly and tasted Kimby’s Rocky Road.

      Bird cast her eyes to the bench on the other side of the parlour door, where Hannah sat talking with Mr. Gilmore. She could tell they were talking about her now, and she strained to hear their conversation.

      “Stuart, I need to ask you something. And of course you’ll answer honestly and I’ll accept what you say.” Hannah breathed deeply, then blurted, “What are Bird’s chances of a place at Forks of the Credit? I haven’t had any luck getting her in anywhere else. That I can afford, I mean.”

      Bird waited for the principal’s answer, fingers crossed. The tantrum at dinner should’ve done the trick.

      Stuart sat in thought for a moment. Finally, he said, “I think we can try again.”

      Oh no, thought Bird.

      “Thank heavens,” whispered Hannah with pure relief. “I didn’t know what I was going to do if you said no. Thank you, Stuart.”

      “Hannah, I can’t promise that she can stay.”

      “I understand.”

      “I hope so. Tonight at dinner was a good example of the problem. Bird reacted to Kimberly’s prods swiftly and violently. Not much has changed since last year.”

      “But she apologized. I’ve never seen her do anything like that before.”

      Stuart smiled. “That’s what changed my mind.” I can’t believe this, thought Bird.

      “I came over tonight to tell you that we couldn’t have her back this year. Now I think СКАЧАТЬ