School of Charm by Lisa Ann Scott Page A

leaned across the table and tickled Ruthie’s cheek.
    Ruthie giggled and nodded her big head of curls like it was on a spring. Even though she was five, she usually acted like she was two. Smart girl. Ruthie had no problems fitting in as long as she acted like a baby. Everyone loves babies.
    â€œExcellent.” Grandma clapped then rested a hand on Mama’s shoulder. “Don’t worry. I’ll pay for Ruthie’s dress.” She squeezed her hands together. “Oh, you two are beauty queens for sure. Just like your mama and me.”
    I sat slumped at the table and stabbed the potato on my plate again and again and again. If Daddy were here, I wouldn’t have cared at all what they were saying. But there was nothing else to listen to but their stupid blabber. Was this Daddy’s way of telling me, Forget that wish, kid, you’ll never belong here ? Grandma had come right out and said it—I wouldn’t fit in down here if I was a tomboy, and that’s who I was.
    I slipped a handful of collard greens into my pocket and quietly slid from the table. I went to my room and crouched in the closet next to Earl. “You hate it here, don’t you?” I asked him, sprinkling in the green bits of leaf. He didn’t open his eyes. “It’s because you don’t belong here, you know. It’s not your fault you ended up here like this. And it’s not your fault that Grandma doesn’t like you.”
    â€œMaybe he hates it here because he’s living in a plastic bowl,” Charlene said, leaning on the doorway.
    I jumped. “Get out! Give me some privacy!”
    She rolled her eyes. “Get a life, loser.” She laughed and left my room.
    I slammed the door and crawled into bed. I watched the sun slip away, waiting for Mama to tuck me in. But she didn’t come. Mama always tucked me in. Maybe she forgot. Or maybe she was angry at me for making Grandma mad at dinner. For not keeping my promise to get along.
    I glared at the owl on my night table. “What are you looking at?” He just kept staring at me, probably wondering what a girl like me was doing in a house full of beauty queens.

chapter seven
    â€œW HAT HAVE WE HERE? ” M ISS V ERNIE PEEKED IN MY bowl.
    â€œThat’s my turtle. Is it okay I brought him? I have to take care of him.” I’d stayed awake most of the night, worried that Grandma would set him loose—or worse. Bringing him to Miss Vernie’s seemed like the best solution, even though it’d been hard walking up the street without all the water sloshing out of the bowl. Miss Vernie set her hand on my shoulder. It felt nice. Grandma hadn’t so much as shaken my hand since I’d been at her house. “Of course,” Miss Vernie said, looking down at the bowl on the deck. “I wonder what he’ll learn in charm school?” She clapped her hands together and laughed. “Leave him up here while you girls work, Brenda.”
    Dana and Karen flashed each other a look. “Miss Vernie, she likes to be called Chip. It’s her nickname,” Karen said with a serious nod.
    â€œIt’s not really a proper pageant name, though, is it?” Dana asked.
    â€œI’m not joining the pageant,” I said, hooking my thumbs in the pockets of my shorts.
    â€œIt’s a wonderful name,” Miss Vernie said. “A girl is most beautiful when she’s herself. We’ll call you Chip.” She looked at me for a moment and her voice got softer. “Just so you know, tomorrow is the deadline for joining the pageant. If you change your mind.”
    â€œWell, I won’t. I don’t do that kind of stuff.” I shrugged. “So, what’s up for today, Miss Vernie?”
    Her eyes brightened. “We’re cleaning out my pond.”
    â€œYou have a pond?” Dana asked.
    â€œOut back. Follow me, girls.” She took dainty steps down the stairs and headed for one