head. I looked down at my hot cereal and swallowed
back my anger, even though it threatened to get stuck
in my throat and choke me all day.
"Your father is an ogre," I told Cary as we left
for school that morning.
Cary didn't reply for a few moments and then
said, "He's just afraid, that's all."
"Afraid?" I nearly laughed. "Your father?
Afraid of what?"
"Of losing another one of us." Cary marched
on, his lips tight, his eyes so focused on the street
ahead he barely glanced at me the remainder of the
way to school. Despite what Cary said, I think he was
ashamed at how his father sometimes behaved. Since it was Friday, at the end of the school
day, Betty, Lorraine, and Janet reminded me about
their beach party Saturday night. I said I would try to
go, but I reminded them I couldn't go without
permission.
"Then you won't be there," Betty predicted.
"You'll miss a great time."
"I can't help it. I have to ask my uncle and aunt
first. My mother left them in charge of me." "Just do what Janet told you to do: tell them
you're going over to her house to study," Lorraine
instructed. "A little white lie is no big deal. We all do
it."
"It sounds like more than a little white lie. If my
uncle found out I lied -."
"He won't find out," Betty assured me. "We
don't tell on each other."
"Of course, if you tell Grandpa, he'll turn you