Girls Like Us by Gail Giles Read Free Book Online Page B

mile and turn around. Robert jab the knife out at me, then make like he slice it sideways. Nothing change in his face. He just kept staring with his eyes all tight and full of mean. Then they tore out the parking lot with the tires squealing.
    I went straight to the bathroom and threw up my little bit of breakfast.

I studied Miss Lizzy’s map. I walked with my head down except when I had to see a turn. If I didn’t look at nobody, they couldn’t look at me. I got to the feed store. Nothing bad happened.
    There was a man at the counter. I hung back at the door, scaredy. But he wasn’t no boy. He had white hair. I wasn’t scaredy of mens as much as boys. I had to do this for Mama Duck. I took myself up to the counter.
    I asked the counter man if ducks eat dry corns. He smiled at me. But not mean or dirty. He say that ducks like corns plenty. I asked for a little sack. Enough to feed a Mama Duck. He made a chuckle, but it was nice. He went off a ways. He came back toting a paper bag.
    I pushed my money across the counter. “Is this enough money?”
    He looked how peoples do when they figure I’m “challenged.”
    But he didn’t make no fun. He smiled and said, “That’s one lucky Mama Duck.” He took my money. Rung it up on his cash register. Handed me money back. I turned to leave.
    “You be sure to come back and tell me about the baby ducks, you hear?”
    I didn’t know what to do. I waited, scaredy to hear something mean or bad. But he lifted his hand and made a little wave for me.
    I grabbed hold the door. I took me a deep breath and give a fast wave. I got out of there. I was OK to keep my head up all the way home.

We been here a week when Ms. D. come by. She sit on our couch and axt how we been. Biddy up and tell Ms. D. ’bout how I’m cooking for Lizabeth first pop out the box. If I could have got my hands ’round her fat neck, I’d have choked her. Ms. D. don’t be needing to know our bidness.

Ms. Delamino came by to visit our first weekend. She was real nice. I bragged on Quincy’s cooking. I swear, instead of pleased, Quincy got all sulled up. I told Ms. Delamino about Mama Duck. She asked to see. She thought it was fine that we had a Mama Duck in our garden. Ms. Delamino said she wanted to talk to Quincy alone. I stayed outside to sing to Mama Duck.

Ms. D. come back in without Biddy and sit down. She smile. I figure she gonna tell me I shouldn’t be doing Biddy’s cooking for her or some such.
    “Well,” she say, looking pleased as punch. “This is working out just fine.”
    I give her my “Huh?” look.
    “Quincy, we didn’t put you and Biddy together just because you happened to graduate at the same time.”
    I didn’t know what to say.
    “We spend a lot of time deciding what two people have strengths and weakness that kind of, well, fit with each other.”
    Ms. D. must see in my face I didn’t know what she was talking about.
    “How is this arrangement working out for you? If you are doing the cooking for Biddy, what does she do for you in return?”
    Ms. D. sat for a while. She wait and didn’t say no more. Shoot-a-goose!
    “She clean our apartment.”
    Ms. D. nod. “So, you are learning to cooperate?”
    I give her a look.
    Ms. D. smile this time. “Get along. Share the work.”
    “I guess so. But she still Biddy and I still Quincy.”
    “Quincy,” Ms. D. say, “you and Biddy won’t find it as easy as most people to live on your own. You’ll have to help each other.”
    “Well, I did help her. I am helpin’ her. Does that mean I win somethin’?”
    Ms. D.’s smile straighten out. “I hoped you wouldn’t keep score.”
    I follow her out and there’s Biddy singing the “Itsy-Bitsy Spider” song to her duck. I plumb weary of that song. I sure wish she knew more.

Ms. Delamino tell us that she has both our paychecks. She’s taking us to the bank to help us open checking accounts. Then we going on a shopping spree. I don’t know exactly what that is. But I think