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Tammy Jane: Sorry, Hugh.
Hu Gh: You’d better explain yerself right now!!!
Jade Clark: Someone’s feisty today.
Tammy Jane: Now listen here, old man, I don’t have to tell you a darn thing.
Kerry Winsor: Something I should know about@Tammy Jane?
Kerry Winsor:@Tammy Jane???
When I finally got dressed thenext morning, the last thing I expected was to walk out of my room and fall on a fucking marble.
“Shi—Eric! What did I say about marbles in the hallway?”
“Mollie said it was okay!” He wasn’t worried about me. I’d fallen many times before, which was why I had banned marbles in the first place.
My eyes shot to his room. His run was aimed right out the door, dropping marbles onto the wooden planks. Most of them ended up a few feet outside of my room.
Mollie was close to him, kneeling on the floor. Her hands paused as she added another part to the run.
She seemed lost in a stupor, but once she registered that I was now glaring at her, she turned to Eric. “Did you have to throw me under the bus like that?”
My molars clenched. It was too early in the morning for this.
Eric only had one adult. Me. But in my reading, I knew he was at an age where he’d try to break the rules by asking another authority figure to do things to see if he’d get a different answer. So far, he hadn’t had that option.
“First of all, Mollie doesn’t get to make any decisions regarding you. Got it?”
“But she’s an adult. And she lives with us.”
“She’s not your guardian. I am.”
“Guardian?” she asked.
“Yes. Eric’s my nephew.”
She slowly muttered, “That explains the two totally different personalities.”
Eric smiled at her like she was the sun itself. “I’m the nice one.”
“No,” I said. “You two arenotforming a friendship.”
“Ms. Rudder says it’s good to have friends,” Eric challenged.
“Otherfriends. Not ... this one.”
“For your information,” Mollie added, “I’m a great friend.”
“And I’m already friends with her.” Eric narrowed his eyesat me. Since when did he have sass with me? Was this Mollie’s bad influence?
“But,” Mollie started. “As much as it pains me to admit it, we should be safe. What if we shot the marbles somewhere else?”
I blinked. She was backing me up?
“Out the window?” Eric asked.
“And then if they end up in the yard when I mow?” I countered.