right now—home. “It’s me—Carole,” Carole said, opening the door to the little shed.
Marie was inside, her face wet with tears. She was frowning. “What do
you
want?” she demanded angrily. “Did you track me down so you could yell at me and humiliate me some more?”
Carole looked at the ground. “I guess I deserve that,” she said. And she meant it. She’d been mean and spitefultoward Marie all week. Somehow, despite all her good intentions at the beginning of Marie’s visit, Carole had ended up doing more harm than good. Marie must be feeling terribly lonely and hurt right now, and it was all Carole’s fault.
Carole gulped. “Marie,” she began hesitantly, “I think I owe you a big apology. I mean a
really
big apology.”
Marie looked wary as she swiped her tearstained face with one sleeve, then folded her arms across her chest. “I’m listening,” she said coldly.
“I guess I haven’t been seeing your point of view this whole week,” Carole said. “I’ve been so busy being jealous of all the attention you were getting that I forgot what it’s like to be in your situation. I couldn’t understand why my father was treating you better than he was treating me.”
“Jealous?” Marie repeated. “You were jealous of me?” She seemed honestly surprised. “But your dad is crazy about you. How could you think those things?”
Carole shrugged. “I don’t know,” she said. “It was mostly stupid little things that made me crazy, like the two of you eating those cookies.”
Marie almost smiled. “Yeah. You seemed pretty upset about that,” she said. “You must have been really hungry.”
“Hungry for attention, I guess,” Carole admitted. “The funny thing is, I’ve always wanted a sister or brother, but now that I’ve actually had the chance to have one, I’verealized that I’m just not used to sharing my dad with anyone. Apparently I’m not very good at it.”
“Well,” Marie said thoughtfully, “I guess I wasn’t really going out of my way to look at things from your point of view, either. I was pretty busy worrying about how I’d be able to deal with my mom’s being gone and all. So I didn’t stop to think about how you’d have to deal with having me in your house.”
Carole took a deep breath and gave Marie a tentative smile. “Well, I’m willing to try to do better from now on if you are. How about it?”
“Deal,” Marie said. She stuck out her hand.
Carole shook it, feeling a little awkward. “Oh, by the way, happy birthday.”
“Thanks,” Marie replied.
Carole bit her lip. “I’m really sorry, Marie,” she said quietly. “About everything.”
Marie pulled her hand back and swiped at her eyes again. “Yeah. Me, too.” She cleared her throat. “I’m glad you found me.”
Carole nodded. “Same here. I had a feeling you’d be here. I figured you’d want to be at home at a time like this.”
“Actually, that’s not the only reason I came home,” Marie said. “I was hoping to be able to get into my house and get my portable CD player and some disks. Not that I don’t appreciate the loan of your radio, but it’s just not thesame, you know?” She laughed. “Anyway, I figured that if you were going to be mean to me for the rest of the week, at least I’d be able to turn up the volume in my headphones and drown you out.”
“Very funny,” Carole said dryly. She wasn’t sure if she was glad or sorry to see that Marie’s sense of humor was back. Still, she had to laugh a little in spite of herself. “I guess you didn’t find a way in?”
Marie shook her head sadly. “Everything’s locked on the first floor. I’m pretty sure the second-floor hall window is open, but the only way to get to it is that trellis, and I couldn’t reach it.” She pointed to an empty wooden trellis attached to the side of the house nearby.
Carole glanced at the trellis. Suddenly she had an idea. “Marie, I think I feel a bout of Stevie-ism coming
Marie was inside, her face wet with tears. She was frowning. “What do
you
want?” she demanded angrily. “Did you track me down so you could yell at me and humiliate me some more?”
Carole looked at the ground. “I guess I deserve that,” she said. And she meant it. She’d been mean and spitefultoward Marie all week. Somehow, despite all her good intentions at the beginning of Marie’s visit, Carole had ended up doing more harm than good. Marie must be feeling terribly lonely and hurt right now, and it was all Carole’s fault.
Carole gulped. “Marie,” she began hesitantly, “I think I owe you a big apology. I mean a
really
big apology.”
Marie looked wary as she swiped her tearstained face with one sleeve, then folded her arms across her chest. “I’m listening,” she said coldly.
“I guess I haven’t been seeing your point of view this whole week,” Carole said. “I’ve been so busy being jealous of all the attention you were getting that I forgot what it’s like to be in your situation. I couldn’t understand why my father was treating you better than he was treating me.”
“Jealous?” Marie repeated. “You were jealous of me?” She seemed honestly surprised. “But your dad is crazy about you. How could you think those things?”
Carole shrugged. “I don’t know,” she said. “It was mostly stupid little things that made me crazy, like the two of you eating those cookies.”
Marie almost smiled. “Yeah. You seemed pretty upset about that,” she said. “You must have been really hungry.”
“Hungry for attention, I guess,” Carole admitted. “The funny thing is, I’ve always wanted a sister or brother, but now that I’ve actually had the chance to have one, I’verealized that I’m just not used to sharing my dad with anyone. Apparently I’m not very good at it.”
“Well,” Marie said thoughtfully, “I guess I wasn’t really going out of my way to look at things from your point of view, either. I was pretty busy worrying about how I’d be able to deal with my mom’s being gone and all. So I didn’t stop to think about how you’d have to deal with having me in your house.”
Carole took a deep breath and gave Marie a tentative smile. “Well, I’m willing to try to do better from now on if you are. How about it?”
“Deal,” Marie said. She stuck out her hand.
Carole shook it, feeling a little awkward. “Oh, by the way, happy birthday.”
“Thanks,” Marie replied.
Carole bit her lip. “I’m really sorry, Marie,” she said quietly. “About everything.”
Marie pulled her hand back and swiped at her eyes again. “Yeah. Me, too.” She cleared her throat. “I’m glad you found me.”
Carole nodded. “Same here. I had a feeling you’d be here. I figured you’d want to be at home at a time like this.”
“Actually, that’s not the only reason I came home,” Marie said. “I was hoping to be able to get into my house and get my portable CD player and some disks. Not that I don’t appreciate the loan of your radio, but it’s just not thesame, you know?” She laughed. “Anyway, I figured that if you were going to be mean to me for the rest of the week, at least I’d be able to turn up the volume in my headphones and drown you out.”
“Very funny,” Carole said dryly. She wasn’t sure if she was glad or sorry to see that Marie’s sense of humor was back. Still, she had to laugh a little in spite of herself. “I guess you didn’t find a way in?”
Marie shook her head sadly. “Everything’s locked on the first floor. I’m pretty sure the second-floor hall window is open, but the only way to get to it is that trellis, and I couldn’t reach it.” She pointed to an empty wooden trellis attached to the side of the house nearby.
Carole glanced at the trellis. Suddenly she had an idea. “Marie, I think I feel a bout of Stevie-ism coming
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