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"Granny was right, I thought. I guess I could feel sorrier for someone else than I did for myself. I

certainly felt that way for him that night:'

I looked at the three others, their eyes

unmoving, all looking like they were holding their

breath under water.

"But I had no idea even then how bad it was all

going to get for both of us."

8

"I waited for Steve at his locker the next morning until the last bell rang for homeroom. He never showed up for school all that day. Lunchtime, I called his house because I was worried about him, but the operator came on to say the phone had been disconnected.

"'Why?' I screamed into the receiver.

"She cut me off and I fumed, frustrated. After school, I hurried Rodney home and shouted to Granny I had to go someplace and I would be back later. She called after me, but I practically ran out of the house. It started raining lightly, and I missed one bus connection and had to run in the drizzle nearly eight blocks to make another. It was almost five o'clock by the time I reached Steve's street. My hair was soaked and so were my clothes and sneakers.

"Nothing looked any different about the house from the way it had looked the day before, except now it was darker because of the overcast sky and no lights on inside. I knocked on the door and waited and then knocked again, louder. Finally, it opened and there stood Steve with a big bruise on his swollen right cheek. His eyes went from surprise to happiness to anger.

"'What are you doing here?' he asked gruffly and turned away so I couldn't get a good view of his bruise.

"'I was worried when you didn't show up at school. I tried to call you at lunchtime, but the operator said your phone was disconnected.'

"'It is. He didn't pay the bill again,' Steve said.

"'My momma was always forgetting to do that too,' I said.

The rain started to get harder once more and the wind blew it in under the porch roof.

"'Can I come inside?' I asked.

"He stepped back.

"'Why are you keeping it so dark in here?' I asked immediately.

"'I was in my room. I didn't even notice,' he said. He kept looking down at the floor.

"'What happened, Steve? He hit you when you returned to the house yesterday, didn't he?' I asked him.

"'I don't want to talk about it,' he said. 'You shouldn't have come.'

"'Is he here?' I asked, thinking that was why he had said that.

" `No, he's with Debbie. It's her birthday,' he told me. 'Just another excuse to get plastered.'

"'I'm sorry, Steve,' I said. He turned to me.

"'What are you sorry for?' he asked.

"'Maybe I caused the trouble by coming here yesterday,' I said.

"'Trouble was here long before you came,' he said.

He finally smiled. 'I'd risk a lot more to have you here,' he added. 'Look at you,' he said finally taking a good look at me. 'You got drenched.'