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"It's happened to me before," Abby said confidently. "It's sure to happen to me again."

I wanted to say optimistic things to her and reassure her, but the Iron Lady had put me into a dark mood too. As we continued down the walkway toward our dorm, we were both silent until we heard the sound of a lawn tractor and looked to the right to see Buck Dardar. He saw us too and slowed down to gaze our way.

"Mr. Mud," Abby said. It brought smiles back to our faces and a spirited energy back to our gait. Risking a reprimand, we both waved at him. He nodded, and even from this distance we could see the whiteness of his teeth when he smiled. Laughing, we clasped hands and broke into a trot all the way back to our dorm..

We arrived only ten or so minutes after Gisselle and the others, but Gisselle acted as if I were an hour behind her.

"Where were you?" she complained as soon as I walked into our room.

"Where was I? Why did you rush out so quickly after the last period? I told you I'd be there."

"You kept me waiting and waiting. How do you think I feel sitting there in this dumb chair while everyone else rushes out to relax? I won't be kept waiting like a piece of furniture."

"I came as soon as the bell ending the period rang. I only spent a moment talking to my teacher."

"It was a lot longer than a minute, and I had to go to the bathroom! You can get up and go whenever you like. You know what it's like for me to do the simplest things now. You know that and yet you di

llydally with your art teacher," she said, wagging her head.

"All right, Gisselle," I said, exhausted from her constant badgering. "I'm sorry."

"Just lucky for me I have other friends now to look after me. Just lucky."

"Okay."

The truth was that I never realized how lucky I was back in New Orleans, having my own room, with walls to separate us. "How were your classes?" I asked, to change the subject.

"Horrible. They're all so small, the teacher hovers over your shoulder and watches every little thing you do. You can't get away with anything here!"

I laughed.

"What's so funny, Ruby?"

"Despite yourself, you will likely do a lot better with your schoolwork," I said.

"Oh, forget it. There's no sense in talking to you," she said. "You'll probably sit down and start your homework right now too, won't you?"

"Abby and I are going to do our work now and get it out of the way."

"Peachy. You'll both soon be Greenwood honor students and go to dozens of teas," she quipped and wheeled herself out and into Jacki and Kate's room.

Mrs. Ironwood had said I was to be responsible for Gisselle and her behavior? I might as well try to change the habits of a muskrat or tame an alligator, I thought.

Our first week at Greenwood flew by quickly. Tuesday night I wrote letters to Paul and to Uncle Jean, describing everything. On Wednesday night Beau phoned. We had the use of a telephone in the corridor just outside our quad. Jacki came to our room to tell me I had a call.

"If it's Daddy, I want to talk to him too," Gisselle demanded, eager to continue the flow of her stream of complaints.

"It's not your father," Jacki said. "It's someone named Beau."

"Thank you," I said and rushed out of the room and to the phone before Gisselle could make any of her nasty remarks in front of Jacki.

"Beau!" I cried into the receiver.

"I thought I'd give you a day or so to settle in before I called," he said.

"It's so good to hear your voice."

"And good for me to hear yours. How's it going?" "Rough. Gisselle has been making life miserable from the moment we arrived."