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“Could you do one more thing for me?”

“What?”

“Just loan me some money, just so I have it on me. I won’t spend it,” I said. “Daddy won’t let me have any, but I dread returning to school tomorrow and looking like a pauper one more day.”

He bit the inside of his cheek as he thought.

“It will be just between you and me, Carson. You and I have never had any brother-sister secrets between us. Can’t we?”

“Okay,” he said, “but you’ve got to promise not to spend it and not to let Daddy know what I’ve done, Teal.”

“I swear,” I said.

He reached into his back pocket and took out his wallet.

“If you have two fifties, it would be great,” I said.

He hesitated, and then he gave them to me.

“This is an act of trust on my part, Teal. Don’t disappoint me.”

“I won’t.”

“And I want to see you work harder at school until we figure out what’s best for you, okay?”

“Yes, I will,” I said. “There’s my homework waiting on the desk,” I added, nodding at the books. “I’m getting right to it.”

“Get your grades up. It will make it easier all around,” he urged. “That way we can take another look at the situation after the midterm period. Any change would be easier. I know what it’s like to be stuck somewhere you hate, believe me.”

“Thank you, Carson. This is the first time I’ve really felt like you were my brother.”

I got off the bed and stepped up to kiss him on the cheek. He turned a little red, but smiled.

“We’ll get you on the right track,” he said. “Dad will be glad we had this talk, too. I promised him I would try, and he was hoping it would help.”

I smiled at him, and he went to the door. He stood there a moment and then suddenly smiled gleefully.

“What?” I asked.

“Since we’re sharing secrets, I have one for you.”

“You do?”

“I’m going to marry Ellery Taylor. I’ve bought an engagement ring and will be giving it to her this week, probably Wednesday,” he said. “So, you will be a bridesmaid at a big wedding this June.”

“Congratulations,” I said. “I like Ellery.”

I didn’t. She always looked like she was constipated when she was around me, and she was such a good little audience for Mother, nodding and agreeing with every silly little pronouncement. I wanted to puke, and she saw it in my face and avoided me whenever she could. She would certainly hate the idea of my being one of her bridesmaids. She would be afraid I’d step on the train of her wedding dress or something. Maybe I would.

“I plan on telling Mother and Father on Sunday, so keep it locked up,” Carson said.

“My lips are sealed,” I told him.

The moment he left, I went downstairs to Daddy’s den and called the pizza parlor. There was a great deal of noise in the background, so I knew Del couldn’t stay on the phone long.

“I’m sending something over to you,” I told him. “A surprise. It’s for Shawn and Patty Girl.”

“What is it?”