the dice. She threw a ten. “One, two, three—oh, Just Visiting.” She moved the shoe to the space next to Jail. “Speaking of ‘just visiting,’ isn’t it nice that Lisa gets to visit with John while we’re here?”
Carole tossed the dice and ended up on Connecticut Avenue. She bought it. “I guess so,” Carole said. “But sometimes it seems as if she’s got a boyfriend wherever she goes.”
Stevie threw the dice and landed on Community Chest. “ ‘Second place in a beauty contest,’ ” she said,accepting ten dollars from Carole, the banker. “They aren’t really boyfriends,” she said. “I mean, not like Phil and me.”
“Maybe not,” Carole said as she bought New York Avenue. “But there are an awful lot of them.”
Stevie held the dice thoughtfully. “Okay, there’s John,” she said.
“And Enrico in England. Don’t forget about him,” Carole reminded her.
Enrico was an Italian boy who had come to America and whom Lisa had also seen in Italy. They’d become very close friends when The Saddle Club had traveled to England and competed against Enrico’s Pony Club team in mounted games.
“Oh, yes,” Stevie said, tossing the dice. “One, two, three, four—Chance.” She picked up a card. She gave the bank fifteen dollars for a poor tax. “Aren’t I ever going to get to buy anything?”
Carole moved to Illinois Avenue and bought it. “And don’t forget about Skye,” she said.
“Skye isn’t a boyfriend,” Stevie said. “He’s a famous movie star. That doesn’t make him a boyfriend.” The girls had met Skye Ransom when he’d fallen off a horse in New York City, trying to learn to ride for a movie. He was the heartthrob of twenty million teenage girls in America; but to The Saddle Club he was a friend. They’d taught him to ride and saved his job in the movie.They’d each seen him a couple of times when he’d returned to Virginia for visits. Lisa had had a very special time with him in California.
“He kissed her!” Carole said.
“It wasn’t a mushy kiss—just a nice kiss,” Stevie said. “Like they do in the movies.” She rolled an eight and went straight to Jail.
“But it was a kiss,” Carole said. She bought Marvin Gardens.
“Are you jealous?” Stevie said, putting her fifty dollars onto the center of the board. She rolled a ten and picked up her fifty dollars when she landed on Free Parking.
“No, I don’t think so,” Carole said as she bought North Carolina Avenue.
“But you’ve got Cam. He’s your boyfriend, isn’t he?” A five and three combination got Stevie to Luxury Tax. She shelled out seventy-five dollars.
“Oh, I don’t know about that,” Carole said. “Cam’s a really nice guy and a good friend, but he’s not a boyfriend, exactly. And he’s so normal. Now, if I had a boy friend like
Gary.
…” She got a seven. That took her to Boardwalk.
Then Stevie saw what this was all about. Carole didn’t just like Gary because he was a great singer. She had a crush on him! Gary? The same boy who boasted mercilessly about how wonderful he was and then lied about climbing to Parson’s Rock?
Stevie was about to mention that, but she thought better of it. What harm could come from Carole’s having a crush on Gary? It was Carole’s crush, after all, not Stevie’s. They’d be leaving in two days. They’d never see the Finnegans again. And for a long time to come, whenever Carole heard one of the Finnegans’ songs, she could think about Gary with a warm spot in her heart. It seemed pretty harmless. It even seemed sort of nice.
Stevie rolled the dice. Six. That took her to Income Tax. She put her hard-earned two hundred dollars from passing Go back into the center of the board.
Carole rolled a six, too. She bought the Reading Railroad. Stevie rolled a three and moved her shoe to Chance.
“Advance token to Boardwalk,” she said. She handed Carole the fifty-dollar rent. “I don’t think this is working out for me,” she
Carole tossed the dice and ended up on Connecticut Avenue. She bought it. “I guess so,” Carole said. “But sometimes it seems as if she’s got a boyfriend wherever she goes.”
Stevie threw the dice and landed on Community Chest. “ ‘Second place in a beauty contest,’ ” she said,accepting ten dollars from Carole, the banker. “They aren’t really boyfriends,” she said. “I mean, not like Phil and me.”
“Maybe not,” Carole said as she bought New York Avenue. “But there are an awful lot of them.”
Stevie held the dice thoughtfully. “Okay, there’s John,” she said.
“And Enrico in England. Don’t forget about him,” Carole reminded her.
Enrico was an Italian boy who had come to America and whom Lisa had also seen in Italy. They’d become very close friends when The Saddle Club had traveled to England and competed against Enrico’s Pony Club team in mounted games.
“Oh, yes,” Stevie said, tossing the dice. “One, two, three, four—Chance.” She picked up a card. She gave the bank fifteen dollars for a poor tax. “Aren’t I ever going to get to buy anything?”
Carole moved to Illinois Avenue and bought it. “And don’t forget about Skye,” she said.
“Skye isn’t a boyfriend,” Stevie said. “He’s a famous movie star. That doesn’t make him a boyfriend.” The girls had met Skye Ransom when he’d fallen off a horse in New York City, trying to learn to ride for a movie. He was the heartthrob of twenty million teenage girls in America; but to The Saddle Club he was a friend. They’d taught him to ride and saved his job in the movie.They’d each seen him a couple of times when he’d returned to Virginia for visits. Lisa had had a very special time with him in California.
“He kissed her!” Carole said.
“It wasn’t a mushy kiss—just a nice kiss,” Stevie said. “Like they do in the movies.” She rolled an eight and went straight to Jail.
“But it was a kiss,” Carole said. She bought Marvin Gardens.
“Are you jealous?” Stevie said, putting her fifty dollars onto the center of the board. She rolled a ten and picked up her fifty dollars when she landed on Free Parking.
“No, I don’t think so,” Carole said as she bought North Carolina Avenue.
“But you’ve got Cam. He’s your boyfriend, isn’t he?” A five and three combination got Stevie to Luxury Tax. She shelled out seventy-five dollars.
“Oh, I don’t know about that,” Carole said. “Cam’s a really nice guy and a good friend, but he’s not a boyfriend, exactly. And he’s so normal. Now, if I had a boy friend like
Gary.
…” She got a seven. That took her to Boardwalk.
Then Stevie saw what this was all about. Carole didn’t just like Gary because he was a great singer. She had a crush on him! Gary? The same boy who boasted mercilessly about how wonderful he was and then lied about climbing to Parson’s Rock?
Stevie was about to mention that, but she thought better of it. What harm could come from Carole’s having a crush on Gary? It was Carole’s crush, after all, not Stevie’s. They’d be leaving in two days. They’d never see the Finnegans again. And for a long time to come, whenever Carole heard one of the Finnegans’ songs, she could think about Gary with a warm spot in her heart. It seemed pretty harmless. It even seemed sort of nice.
Stevie rolled the dice. Six. That took her to Income Tax. She put her hard-earned two hundred dollars from passing Go back into the center of the board.
Carole rolled a six, too. She bought the Reading Railroad. Stevie rolled a three and moved her shoe to Chance.
“Advance token to Boardwalk,” she said. She handed Carole the fifty-dollar rent. “I don’t think this is working out for me,” she
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