I was happy to finish breakfast and get us off to school, despite what I knew awaited me there. Marla was still smarting from my sharp comeback at breakfast and sat sullenly as I drove. Then she suddenly smiled and turned to me to say, “Ava told me something very secret about Mrs. Fennel a few days ago.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. It’s something I bet you don’t know.”
“Stop it, Marla.”
“Stop what?”
“This childish tit-for-tat. You don’t know anything I don’t know.”
“Oh, really?” She sat there with that smile frozen on her face.
“Okay, what is it?” I reluctantly asked.
“I don’t know if I’m supposed to tell you. Maybe Ava will get angry.”
“Please, will you,” I said, grimacing. “You’re behaving like a spoiled little brat.”
“Mrs. Fennel is Daddy’s older sister,” she blurted. “I bet you didn’t know that. Well?”
I smiled. “Ava was just teasing you, Marla. She once told me Mrs. Fennel was Daddy’s mother.”
“No. She was teasing you. She wasn’t teasing me. She trusts me more than she trusts you. She told me so.”
“You had better stop this lying, Marla.”
“I’m not lying. She said she and I have more in common. You can ask her yourself.”
“Right. I might just do that, and then you’ll be really sorry.”
“I won’t be sorry. Ava and I talk more than you know lately.”
I didn’t say anything, but I had a sick feeling at the base of my stomach that she was telling the truth. My silence gave her more courage to continue her little taunting. She was more like Ava, all right, I thought. She had Ava’s mean streak, especially whenever she was checked.
“I know something else you don’t know,” she sang. I didn’t respond. “What do you think happened to Mrs. Fennel’s husband, Lorelei?”
“You know?”
“Maybe,” she said. “Yes, I do,” she quickly added. “If you’re nicer to me, I’ll think about telling you.”
“I’ll hold my breath,” I said.
When we pulled into the school parking lot and I shut off the engine, she turned to me and in her most whiny voice said, “I don’t care if you hold your breath all day, Lorelei, but you’d better do exactly what you’re supposed to do with that boy today.”
Then she got out and walked ahead of me to the building.
How could Daddy ever think sibling rivalry was a good thing? I wondered, and got out.
When I reached the entrance, I was surprised to see Mark Daniels standing there. He opened the door quickly for me.
“Your majesty,” he said, bowing. “I am at your royal service. Your wish is my command.”
I looked past him and saw Marla standing near the cor
ridor she was to take to homeroom. She was watching us, looking like an evil child spy.
“In that case,” I said, walking past him, “I command you to leave me alone.” I paused and looked back. “In short, forget about me.”