Mothers always know best and mine was no
different. I would glare mutinously at her over
the top of my new
plastic glasses frames that made
me
look ugly
and she'd ignore it, walking me to Red's house.
'Red is nice.'
'No, she
isn't.'
'You used to like her.'
'No, I never'
'I'm not going to
argue with you, Jane. You're going to be
polite and you're going to have fun.'
When Mother said she would not argue
that meant the conversation was
over and she would
not listen. Mother always told me I would have fun
and she was always wrong
half the time.
'Red's not nice to me anymore.'
'Really?'
'
She sat next to Miriam at lunch and she says
I shouldn't play on the monkey bars anymore because I
always fall off in middle.'
'But Miriam's her
cousin, sweetie. And are you sure that's what she
meant about the bars?'
'Mom, I said'.
Red was no worse and no better than the
rest of the second graders. I was no
cuter and no
uglier than them either but I think they were jealous.
Yeah, that's it. Jealous. Because I had glasses and
I got to sit in the back row now. And I knew how
to do the math work and I wouldn't help Red with her
homework unless she begged. But then I wouldn't get
first turn on...
'MommyPleaseIwannagoHOME
'
'Don't be silly. You behave, remember
to say please and stuff. I'll be back for you in about an
hour.'
Walking home I showed Mom the
paper dolls we made. Red said mine were still better
than Miriam's.