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Jimmy suddenly concluded. He nodded, confirming his theory. "This all might be part of some joke because of what happened to you this morning. Maybe somebody made a bet with him that he couldn't get you to like him right away or something. What if he does something to embarrass you?"

"Oh, that can't be true, Jimmy. He's too nice to do anything like that!" I cried a little too desperately.

"If I'm right, you're going to be very sorry. If he hurts you," he added, "he'll have to deal with me."

I smiled to myself, thinking how good it was to have a brother who was so protective.

Just then Daddy appeared in the doorway. Unlike the end of his day's work at all of his other jobs, Daddy didn't look tired and dirty. His hands were as clean as they had been in the morning, and there were no smudges on his clothes.

I waited, holding my breath, expecting that by now he had found out about the gym class incident, but if he did know, he didn't say a word. And he didn't seem to notice how wrinkled my dress was.

"So?" he said. "How did your day go, kids?" He shot a very quick smile at me and stroked my hair for the most fleeting moment.

I glanced at Jimmy. We had decided we wouldn't tell Daddy what had happened to me, but all of a sudden I longed to bury my face in his chest and while safe in his arms cry a waterfall of tears. Even with the memories of Philip and music class to warm me, most of the day had been awful; now it was a blur of laughing faces swimming before my eyes. I knew I couldn't tell him, though—Daddy's temper was fiery and unpredictable. What if he said something and got fired, or even worse—what if Mrs. Turnbell convinced him everything was my fault?

"This place is just what I expected it to be: full of spoiled rich kids and teachers who look down on you," Jimmy said.

"Nobody's looking down on me," Daddy replied gruffly.

Jimmy looked away and then glanced at me as if to say Daddy wouldn’t know if they did.

"Yeah, yeah. When can we get out of this place?" Jimmy demanded.

"We're leaving

right now. I just want to enter some figures into my record book here," he said, pulling a black and white notebook out of a side desk drawer.

"You like this job, don't you, Daddy?" I asked as we were leaving. Hooked pointedly at Jimmy so he would understand how much this all meant to our family.

"Sure do, baby. Well, let's get ourselves home to your momma and see what her day was like."

When we arrived at our apartment, it was very quiet. At first I thought Momma and little Fern were out, but when we peered into her bedroom, we found them both curled up together asleep.

"Ain't that a picture?" Daddy whispered. "Let's just let them sleep," he said. "Jimmy, what'dya say me and you go get some ice cream for dessert tonight? I feel like celebrating a little."

As soon as Daddy and Jimmy left, I took off my dress so Momma wouldn't see how wrinkled it was, and I started to prepare dinner. Fern woke up first and cried out for me. When I walked in to get her, Momma opened her eyes.

"Oh, Dawn. Are you all back?" she asked and struggled to sit up. Her face looked flushed and her eyes were glassy.

"Daddy and Jimmy went to get some ice cream. Momma, you're still not feeling well."

"I'm fine, honey. Just a bit tired from a full day with Fern. She's a good baby, but she's still a handful for anyone. How was your day at school?"

"Did you go to the doctor?" I asked.

"I did something even better. I went out and bought the ingredients for this tonic," she said and pointed to a bottle on the night table beside her bed.

"What is this, Momma?" I turned the bottle of dark liquid around and around in my hands. Then I opened it and smelled it. It stank.

"It's all sorts of herbs and such, my granny's formula. You'll see. I'll be better now in no time. Now let's not talk any more about me. Tell me about the school. How was it?" she asked, some excitement and brightness coming back into her eyes.

"It was okay," I said, swinging my eyes away so she couldn't see my lie. At least some of it was good, I thought. I put the bottle of herbal medicine down and took little Fern in my arms. Then I told Momma about Mr. Moore and some of the other teachers, but I didn't tell her about Clara Sue Cutler and the other girls, nor did I talk about Philip.

Before I was finished Momma closed her eyes and brought her hands to her chest. It looked like she was having trouble taking a deep breath.

"Momma, I'm staying home from school and watching Fern until this homemade medicine works or you go to the doctor!" I cried.

"Oh, no, honey. You can't start missin' days at a new school right off on account of me. If you stay home, just be so upset, get sicker and sicker."