to school for two weeks.”
“You mean, I can’t ride the bus?”
“That’s what I mean.” Mrs. Santos glanced at the phone that had begun ringing behind her.
“But then my dad has to know,” Sam said.
“That’s right,” the principal said.
Sam shook her head. “I’m going to be mucking out the barn until I’m twenty-one,” she moaned.
Mrs. Santos laughed, picked up the telephone receiver, and waved Sam on her way.
The other girls were already jogging toward the locker room when Sam reached her P.E. class and fell into step with Jen.
“I’m not suspended,” Sam said. “Except from the bus.”
“Could be worse, but what are you going to do?” Jen used the hem of her gold tee-shirt to blot her face.
“You’ll be the first to know. Hey, I’ve got to ask you something.”
“Math or vet stuff?”
“What?”
“You must realize that you don’t ask my opinionabout much of anything except your algebra class and horse medicine,” Jen said over the slamming of gym lockers. “On everything else, you just rush blindly ahead.”
“Wrong.” Sam shook her head and lowered her voice. “Here’s the thing: in the past few days, the Phantom has shown up where he shouldn’t have. Before this he’s never come near me when other people were around. Now, he’s done it twice.”
Jen nodded, encouraging Sam to keep talking.
“So,” Sam whispered, “do you think he could be asking for my help?”
Jen finished dressing, then faced Sam. Jen’s expression was owlish. “Would this be a bad time for me to suggest your attitude toward the Phantom is anthropomorphic?”
Sam crossed her arms. “No worse than any other time--if your plan is to make me feel dumb.”
They left the gym and walked toward their next classes. Jen was taking so long answering, Sam wondered if she’d used the word on purpose and hoped Sam wouldn’t ask what it meant.
“Well?” Sam said.
“It means you’re crediting an animal with human feelings,” Jen said gently.
“But he does love me, like Silly loves you. And he actually leaves his herd to come see me. And I’ve helped him before …”
“But does he know that?” Jen asked.
Exasperation made Sam’s voice loud. “Of course--”
“Hullo, ladies,” Rachel said, suddenly appearing beside Sam. “Am I intruding?”
“Later,” Jen said, splitting off toward her class.
“Yeah,” Sam said. She quickened her pace, but Rachel kept up. Finally, Sam glanced over at her.
Olive silk pants billowed around Rachel’s legs. The matching pullover should have appeared rumpled. Instead, Rachel looked incredible. It just wasn’t fair.
“About our business arrangement,” Rachel began. “And please don’t give my reputation a thought. Since we’re keeping this quiet, it won’t matter that some might think you’re a bad influence.” Rachel gestured toward the principal’s office.
“You know what, Rachel?” Sam felt her anger building again.
“If this is a bad time, we can talk later,” Rachel said.
“No, it’s a fine time.” Sam paused outside her classroom door. “But you see, I’ve been suspended from riding the bus. And that means I have to wait for someone to pick me up from school. There’s no telling when Dad gets in from the range, and Gram can’t always get away, either.”
“Yes, yes, they work so hard.” Rachel rolled her eyes. “But they won’t leave you here. You’re just saying that to be annoying.”
“No, I’m not,” Sam insisted. “Some days they can’t drive all the way into town until after dark. It’s that whole work thing, you know? Like Jake was talking about?”
“Ride home with him, why don’t you?” Rachel suggested.
“He rides with his brothers, and the Blazer’s already too full,” Sam said.
Besides, even if they could squeeze her into the Blazer, there wouldn’t be room for Jen. Though she was a little ticked at Jen right now for that anthropo-- whatever remark, they were best friends. They
“You mean, I can’t ride the bus?”
“That’s what I mean.” Mrs. Santos glanced at the phone that had begun ringing behind her.
“But then my dad has to know,” Sam said.
“That’s right,” the principal said.
Sam shook her head. “I’m going to be mucking out the barn until I’m twenty-one,” she moaned.
Mrs. Santos laughed, picked up the telephone receiver, and waved Sam on her way.
The other girls were already jogging toward the locker room when Sam reached her P.E. class and fell into step with Jen.
“I’m not suspended,” Sam said. “Except from the bus.”
“Could be worse, but what are you going to do?” Jen used the hem of her gold tee-shirt to blot her face.
“You’ll be the first to know. Hey, I’ve got to ask you something.”
“Math or vet stuff?”
“What?”
“You must realize that you don’t ask my opinionabout much of anything except your algebra class and horse medicine,” Jen said over the slamming of gym lockers. “On everything else, you just rush blindly ahead.”
“Wrong.” Sam shook her head and lowered her voice. “Here’s the thing: in the past few days, the Phantom has shown up where he shouldn’t have. Before this he’s never come near me when other people were around. Now, he’s done it twice.”
Jen nodded, encouraging Sam to keep talking.
“So,” Sam whispered, “do you think he could be asking for my help?”
Jen finished dressing, then faced Sam. Jen’s expression was owlish. “Would this be a bad time for me to suggest your attitude toward the Phantom is anthropomorphic?”
Sam crossed her arms. “No worse than any other time--if your plan is to make me feel dumb.”
They left the gym and walked toward their next classes. Jen was taking so long answering, Sam wondered if she’d used the word on purpose and hoped Sam wouldn’t ask what it meant.
“Well?” Sam said.
“It means you’re crediting an animal with human feelings,” Jen said gently.
“But he does love me, like Silly loves you. And he actually leaves his herd to come see me. And I’ve helped him before …”
“But does he know that?” Jen asked.
Exasperation made Sam’s voice loud. “Of course--”
“Hullo, ladies,” Rachel said, suddenly appearing beside Sam. “Am I intruding?”
“Later,” Jen said, splitting off toward her class.
“Yeah,” Sam said. She quickened her pace, but Rachel kept up. Finally, Sam glanced over at her.
Olive silk pants billowed around Rachel’s legs. The matching pullover should have appeared rumpled. Instead, Rachel looked incredible. It just wasn’t fair.
“About our business arrangement,” Rachel began. “And please don’t give my reputation a thought. Since we’re keeping this quiet, it won’t matter that some might think you’re a bad influence.” Rachel gestured toward the principal’s office.
“You know what, Rachel?” Sam felt her anger building again.
“If this is a bad time, we can talk later,” Rachel said.
“No, it’s a fine time.” Sam paused outside her classroom door. “But you see, I’ve been suspended from riding the bus. And that means I have to wait for someone to pick me up from school. There’s no telling when Dad gets in from the range, and Gram can’t always get away, either.”
“Yes, yes, they work so hard.” Rachel rolled her eyes. “But they won’t leave you here. You’re just saying that to be annoying.”
“No, I’m not,” Sam insisted. “Some days they can’t drive all the way into town until after dark. It’s that whole work thing, you know? Like Jake was talking about?”
“Ride home with him, why don’t you?” Rachel suggested.
“He rides with his brothers, and the Blazer’s already too full,” Sam said.
Besides, even if they could squeeze her into the Blazer, there wouldn’t be room for Jen. Though she was a little ticked at Jen right now for that anthropo-- whatever remark, they were best friends. They
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