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Samantha turned helplessly and gazed at me.

"You can move in with me, Samantha," I said, "if my sister is so positive she can be on her own."

Now that Daphne had forced us to return to Greenwood, I knew that all Gisselle was out to do was make everyone else's life as miserable as her own.

"Sure," she whined, "take someone else's side, just like you always do. We're twins, but do you ever act like we are? Do you?"

I closed my eyes and counted to ten.

"All right, what is it you want, Gisselle? Do you want Samantha to move out or don't you?"

"Of course I do! She's a pathetic little . . . virgin!" she thundered. Then she twisted her lips into a wry smile before adding, "Who dreams of sleeping with Jonathan Peck." She wheeled toward her. "Isn't that what you told me, Samantha? Don't you wonder what it would be like to have Jonathan touch your precious little breasts and kiss you below your belly button? And bring the tip of his tongue--"

"Stop it, Gisselle," I screamed. She smiled at Samantha, who now had large tears streaming down her cheeks. She didn't know how to react, how to deal with this violent betra

yal.

"Get your things together, Samantha," I told her, "and bring them into my room."

"And I want any of my things that were left in there brought into MY room," Gisselle commanded. "Kate will help, won't you, Kate?" she asked, smiling at her.

"What? Oh, sure."

Gisselle widened her smile for me, glared at Samantha, and then twirled her wheelchair about to return to her room, mumbling loudly about having to check all her things now to see what else Samantha had stolen or used.

"I didn't take any of her things. Honest," Samantha exclaimed again.

"Just move out, Samantha, and don't try to explain or defend yourself," I advised.

I didn't mind having a new roommate and I thought it would serve Gisselle right to have to struggle on her own for a while. Maybe then she would appreciate the help everyone else gave her. But whether it was out of spite or out of defiance, she surprised me by unpacking her own things, changing her dress and shoes for dinner, and fixing her own hair. Kate was given the privilege of wheeling her about now that Samantha was persona non grata. At least for a while, it looked like things would calm down.

After dinner that night, while Vicki was helping me catch up with the work I had missed in the classes she and I shared, Jacki came to my doorway to tell me I had a phone call. I hurried out, assuming it was either Beau or Paul, but it turned out to be Louis.

"I found out from Mrs. Penny about your father," he began. "I wanted to call you in New Orleans, but my cousin wouldn't give me the telephone number. She said it was inappropriate. Anyway, I'm sorry."

"Thank you, Louis."

"I know what it means to lose a parent," he continued. He was silent for a moment and then he changed his tone of voice. "I've been making slow but definite progress with my eyesight," he said. "I can distinguish shapes even better and more clearly. There's still a gray haze over everything, but my doctors are very optimistic."

"I'm happy for you, Louis."

"Can I see you soon? That sounds so great to say, 'see you.' Can I?"

"Yes, of course."

"Come tomorrow. For dinner," he said excitedly. "I'll have the cook prepare a shrimp gumbo."

"No, I can't for dinner. I have serving duty, and it wouldn't be right to ask anyone to take my place."

"Then come after dinner."

"I'll probably have loads of schoolwork to catch up on," I said.

"Oh." Disappointment dripped through the phone. "Just give me a little while to catch up on everything," I pleaded.

"Sure. I'm just so anxious to show you my progress. Progress," he added softly, "that came after I met you."

"That's nice of you to say, Louis. But I don't know what I could have had to do with it."