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"Right," Star muttered, taking my other arm, "misery loves company"

They were all around me. I looked again at the beautiful mansion How could anyone be miserable here, especially me? I wondered, as I entered with my best friends in all the world, my only friends in all the world. We had each had our private storms and now, all our bright and hopeful smiles made one united, special rainbow.

2 Together Again

The entryway in Jade's house was almost as big as my living room. The floor glittered with richlooking golden brown tiles. On my right was a wallsize oval mirror that caught the three of us gaping ahead at the widest, most dramatic staircase I had ever seen in real life. The steps were carpeted in red velvet

"I feel like I just stepped into Gone With the Wind," Misty declared.

On the wall to the left of the stairway was an enormous oil painting of a watery meadow with some sort of mill in the background, all under a windy sky.

"That's the biggest picture I ever saw," Star said, impressed.

"It's a Jonathan Sandler. He's an American artist who worked in the late nineteenth century, imitating the Dutch landscape painters. My father got it as part of a package deal he made with some wealthy builder in Virginia. There are lots of paintings in this house," she continued.

Her matter-of-fact tone made it sound more like she was bored with it than boasting. "Some my mother bought and some my father acquired so there's a mixture of styles. They never agreed on much of anything, why should they agree on paintings?" she offered.

Misty nodded knowingly. Her parents weren't much different from Jade's in that regard.

All of the rooms in the house were large and opulent. Besides the works of art on the walls, there were vases and clocks, crystals and small statues almost everywhere. I didn't see much empty space, which made me think it was as big and as full as a museum.

We three continued to gawk as Jade led us through the house to the den, a long room with paneled walls, a built-in big-screen television and a wall of bookshelves that nearly reached the ceiling. She walked us through French doors that opened onto a large, tiled patio. To the right on the patio were long narrow tables arranged with the buffet spread over them. A maid and the butler waited to serve us.

It looked like enough food for a wedding. One table was covered with dishes of salads, framed with breads and rolls; another table had platters of meats, shrimp, and even small lobster tails. There were soft drinks, lemonade, and juices on a third table, and after that were the desserts: small cakes, cookies, two pies, and bowls of mixed fruit.

"Who all is coming?" Star asked, breathless with awe.

"Coming? No one's corning. My mother's on a business trip and my father is in Nashville talking to investors who want to build a music theater."

"You mean that this is all for us?" Star followed.

"I wasn't sure what everyone liked, so I asked them to prepare a variety."

"Variety? Some supermarkets don't have this much variety. What happens to all the food we don't eat?" Star pursued.

"I don't know," Jade said, starting to get annoyed. "The servants do things with leftovers. That's why they're here. Let's get some food and sit."

"I'm glad I didn't eat much for breakfast," Misty cried, and started for the tables. The maid handed her a dish immediately and the butler waited to hear what she wanted. He then served her.

I didn't know what to choose first. I tried taking a little of everything, but the butler put too big a portion of every- thing I chose on my plate.

Jade took the least of any of us. We sat around a large table under an umbrella. The butler and the maid then brought us whatever we wanted to drink. They stood back by the tables and watched, waiting to see if anyone wanted anything else.

"Do you always eat like this?" Star asked. "With servants and all?" --

"No. Most of the time, I have a fruit shake or just some yogurt, but this is a special occasion."

"I'll say. I didn't know how special an occasion it was," Star said, and we all laughed, even me.

As we sat, ate, and talked, I gazed at the beautiful grounds. The grass looked more like carpet. All the bushes and flowers were arranged and trimmed to perfection. It was as if one of those famous artists whose paintings hung on the walls inside had planned the landscaping. The pool was kidney shaped with a whirlpool at the far end, over which the blue green water flowed back into the pool itself. There were heavy cushioned pink lounge chairs around the patio and a small cabana to the right with an outside shower.

"It really is beautiful here," I suddenly blurted. The others stopped talking and looked at each other and laughed. "You sound like you just woke up," Star said.

"I don't know if I'm awake or dreaming."

"You want to make her head fatter than it already is?" Star warned, nodding at Jade.

"Don't worry about it, Star. If I stray, you'll be there to knock me back."