Belle Teal by Ann Martin Page B

and sees me heading toward her.
    â€œOink, oink,” she snorts as I pass.
    Now, I don’t especially like being oinked at, but it doesn’t bother me all that much. Not the oinking itself. What bothers me is that HRH feels the need to oink at me. I step out of the aisle and wait in the seat across from Vanessa’s. When everyone has left the bus, I sit there and stare at HRH.
    â€œWhat are you looking at?” she asks.
    â€œWhat do you think? I’m looking at you.”
    HRH makes a face. “Why?”
    â€œBecause I thought maybe you didn’t have enough time to finish oinking at me. You oink nearly every time we’re on the bus. So why don’t you just go ahead and finish the job? Oh. Maybe you need an audience.” I lean out of the bus. “Hey, Chas! Vernon! Come back here.” I turn to Bernette. “This’ll just take a minute,” I tell her.
    When Chas and Vernon have stuck their heads in the bus, I say to HRH, “Okay. Go on.” I look back at the boys. “Vanessa didn’t finish oinking at me,” I tell them. “And she wanted you to hear her. Go ahead, Vanessa.”
    Well, Vanessa, now she doesn’t say a word. And the boys are smirking at her.
    â€œCome on. We’re going to be late,” I say to HRH. “Oink, oink. Snort, snort. Come on. ”
    One small part of me thinks HRH might start to cry. She doesn’t. She rolls her eyes, pushes her way past Chas and Vernon, and flounces off the bus.
    Maybe the oinking will stop. Maybe it won’t. But I think I’ve gotten under HRH’s skin.
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    In the cafeteria that day I buy my milk and sit down at the table where me and Clarice always sit. Occasionally we sit with Chas and Vernon and Little Boss, once in a while with Kayla, who stopped sitting with HRH after the first day of school. But the boys are with other boys today, and Kayla, I don’t even see her. So I am settling down at the table all by myself when I see Darryl. I guess he’s on his way to sit with Winnie and Terrence. As he passes by me I smile at him and say, “Hey, Darryl.”
    At first, Darryl, he looks alarmed. But then he smiles back. “Hey, Belle Teal,” he answers.
    I’ve got that glorious feeling inside me.
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    The next day turns out to be something, all right. One thing, HRH didn’t oink at me on the bus the previous afternoon, and she doesn’t oink this morning either. She makes quite a face, though. When she does I give her one of my big grins. Another thing, Clarice is absent again, and I notice Chas isn’t on the bus either. A huge cold is going around, which I haven’t caught yet.
    When we get to Coker Creek Elementary it turns out that half the school is absent. Including Winnie and Terrence. Darryl walks to school all by himself and I feel bad for him. He comes hurrying along so fast, it’s like a Halloween monster is after him. He hightails it into our classroom in record time.
    At lunch that day I am by myself again. And so is Darryl. Well, this is just silly, I think. So I pick up my milk carton and my lunch bag and I walk to Darryl’s table and I just sit down across from him.
    â€œHey,” I say. Darryl nearly chokes on his sandwich and I don’t blame him. “Clarice is absent,” I tell him.
    Darryl, he coughs and nods.
    â€œDo you mind if I sit here?”
    Darryl shakes his head. “No.”
    Darryl’s lunch and mine are about the same. Sandwich, apple, cookie, school milk. Except my cookie is oatmeal and Darryl’s is chocolate chip.
    I break my cookie in two pieces. “Want half?” I ask. I hold one piece out to Darryl.
    Darryl breaks his cookie in two and holds one piece out to me. “I’ll trade you,” he answers.
    Darryl’s cookie is so good, they should make TV commercials about it. I tell him so.
    â€œThanks,” he says. “My mother made it. Yours is good