by Ann Hunter
Alex shrugged and took another bite.
Brooke nodded as though Alex had spoken til she was out of breath. "Why do you call her Marshmallow?"
Alex wiped her lip with her wrist. "She's a softie."
"Not because of her weight? She's not really fat, y'know. Maybe baby fat, but not, like, a whale or anything."
Alex shrugged again.
"Softie's don't usually laugh when their horse goes nuts like that."
"I'm surprised she hung on." Alex chirped to Promenade again, stretching out her arm and offering the half-eaten apple.
Brooke turned her back to the fence and leaned against it. "Do you know the saying 'You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink'?"
"Maybe."
"You can teach someone to do something, but you can't make them do it."
"Going somewhere with this?"
Brooke nodded. "Gimme a second here."
Alex blew out a breath that made her lips flap together. Promenade shook his white mane and batted his tail at a couple of flies. He rubbed his nose against the tall sock on his leg.
"I watch you…"
"Creepy." Alex bit into the apple again when her effort proved fruitless.
Brooke chucked her in the arm. "I watch you with Promenade. He trusts you, but he hasn't chosen you."
Alex lifted an eyebrow. "Chosen me?"
"See with horses, when you make a bond, it's because the horse chooses you. You don't choose the horse. That's what makes the bond special. It's kind of like love. You don't get to choose who your family is, or your friends are, or even who you fall in love with. You open yourself to it, and love finds you."
"So the dumb horse doesn't love me. Big deal. Y'all are gonna sell him anyway."
Brooke hopped up on the top board of the fence, and folded her hands between her knees. "There you go again."
"What?"
"You putting up that shield of yours. Disconnecting so you don't have to hurt."
Alex grunted, "That's stupid."
"But it's true. Hurt can be a good thing.” Brooke shoved her toe into Alex’s ribs, giving a little push.
“Ow!” Alex glowered.
“See? It means you're alive. Much better than the alternative, don't you think?"
Alex shoved Brooke’s knees away from her, and sank her teeth into the last of the apple.
"You can't win over a horse by force. It has to be through respect and requesting they submit. Trust is earned."
Alex swallowed and tilted toward Brooke, speaking in a low voice. "I really don't think you should pretend to be an expert on trust right now."
"A racehorse whose lost trust in you, in the world, whose faith is shattered, is a broken one."
Alex leaned away, her eyes fixed on Promenade in the fading light. "Why do I have a feeling that you're really talking about me?"
"Am I?" Brooke raised an eyebrow.
Alex glared back from the corner of her eye.
Brooke hopped off the fence forward and paced away. "Take all the time you need to figure that one out. Carol and I are going to be busy with finals the next few weeks."
Brooke sat across from her grandfather at the dinner table.
"You ain't been talkin' much," he said.
Brooke sighed, her mind fixed on Alex. "I'm afraid I've lost a friend."
"I told you that girl was nothin' but trouble. Shoulda listened."
She plated a chicken breast and some vegetables for her grandfather and passed it to him.
"Or maybe you shoulda had someone else work with Promenade so Alex could be mad at them instead."
Joe cut into his chicken and took a bite. "Girl's gotta learn some time how the world works."
"That girl learned a long time ago how the world works, Pop.”
"Not our world."
Brooke sighed, resting her head against her hand. She pushed her broccoli around her plate half-heartedly. "It's like she's got this shield around her, and now I've given her a sword to lash out with."
"You've got to stop beating yourself up over this, Brookie. She needs to learn you're doing what has to be done. The world is made up of those who dream of doing, and those who do it."
"It's made up of liars and cheats, too, Pop. And now Alex thinks I'm one of them."
"'S'all she's ever known. What did you expect? It's like the yearling you feed apples to only to turn around and get bit in the arse."
Brooke poked her broccoli, knowing that wasn't entirely true. "North Oak's a family. She's part of our family now. How can I get her to trust me again?"
Joe chewed methodically. "If you can't trust family, who can you trust?" He pushed his plate away and threw down his napkin. "Chicken's dry."
Brooke raised her eyes slowly to meet his. "You know I'm not letting you drink anymore."
"Well what else am I supposed to wash this down with?"
Brooke slid her glass of ice water toward him. "Pretend it's gin."
BONFIRE HEART
Carol sighed in relief as she closed her locker. One less textbook to lug around now that she had finished the final for it. Another one bites the dust. She smiled.
The day was going smoothly. She just had to get through one more test, and then tutor Alex, before she went home to celebrate her fourteenth birthday with her mom.
Then she noticed the sneakers besides her sandals. She didn't have to look up to know it was Brad Hopkins. "Well if it isn't my favorite person. Hello Ape Man."
He leaned in on her. "How's it goin' Light Chunk Tuna?"
Carol tucked her hair behind her ear. "Doing anything fun this summer?"
"Oh, lots. Me and my friends, we're gonna live it up. But what would you know about that? Who would want a chunk like you? What could you possibly offer anyone?"
Carol forced a smile in spite of his words, even as Alex and her apathy flashed through her mind.
"You know what else I'm gonna do this summer, Chunk?"
She shook her head and tried to step around him, but he grabbed her arm and swung her back against the locker.
"I'm going to think of a million new ways to say hello to you next fall. You're gonna be here with me all the time as an official high schooler."
Carol squirmed to get away from him, wondering why the other kids passing them would look their way, then turn a blind eye.
Brad pressed harder against her, his grip tightening. He breathed huskily in her ear. "I should pay you for the things you let me do to you."
She laughed like he made a joke. "Would that be in cash or check?"
He moved his head back to lock eyes with her. "You want a check? Okay. Here's one."
She gulped as Brad pulled her toward him, then shoved her. Carol’s backside thudded against the locker. His elbow rattled the metal door as he braced his arm over her head and he leaned in, pressing himself against her.
"Reality check, Nerd-a-saurus Rex. The Seventies called. They want their hippie back."
His two-dollar cologne invaded her senses. Carol's ears cowered to her shoulders. "The hippies were in the sixties, brickhead."
"How would you know?"
"Common sense."
"Common sense, huh?" Brad swatted the side of her head. "How's that for common sense?"
Carol winced. Why wouldn't teachers step in? They never seemed to step in. She pushed back against him, inching away, but he yanked the feather braided into her hair.
"And what's with the feathers anyway, Chief Chumba Wumba? Think they'll help you fly away?" He put his nose close to hers when she didn't answer. "Huh? Not that you could get off the ground, even if you wanted to," he hissed, wrapping the braid around his fist.
Carol swallowed. She squeezed her eyes shut and turned her head away. Beads of sweat formed at her temples. Her voice came out as a whisper. "Please. You're hurting me."
When he was silent, Carol peeked through one eye.
A sick smirk twisted the corner of Brad's mouth. He let go of her braid, and gently brushed a
stray hair from her brow. "Oh, sweet little chunk-a-lunk…" His hazel eyes skimmed her face. Carol felt his fingers quiver against her forehead. He eased away from her. "I haven't even started."
Brad brushed her cheek with the back of his hand, and Carol's skin crawled. She couldn't catch her breath. Her hand clutched at her heart just as Brad smacked her lightly.
He laughed softly, as though it had all been play. "See you in September, Chunk."
Carol bit her lip, eyes watering. She rubbed her cheek, trying not to let any of her other classmates see the flush rising to her face, or her chin tremble.
Happy birthday to me.
Alex narrowed her eyes at the little white clock mounted in near the front door. Could it not tick any slower? Where was the Marshmallow? She should have been there an hour ago for math.
Alex crossed her feet on the kitchen table and tilted back in her chair until it balanced on its hind legs. She'd give the girl five more minutes. But that's it. She had better things to do than wait around for some brainiac.
A soft knock fell on the door, and Alex almost fell over in her chair. She grabbed the table and scrambled to the door with a little more enthusiasm than she wanted to admit.
When she opened it, she found Marshmallow standing on the stoop, staring down.
"What took you so long, you were— "
Alex paused as Carol slowly looked up, revealing a red mark across her face. Instinctively, Alex scanned the rest of her and found bruises on both arms. Her words fell like stones. "What the hell happened to you?"
Carol rubbed her arm. "I… I don't know if I can tutor you today," she murmured.
"Who did this to you?"
Carol looked away. "I just thought you deserved to be told in person."
Alex opened her mouth, but Carol stopped her from speaking.
"Please don't call your mom. You'll make it worse."
She looked at her hard. "Get in here."
Carol hesitated, but Alex grabbed the hem of her shirt and jerked her inside, shutting the door firmly.
"Tell me who did this."
Carol’s shoulders rose to her ears. She bowed her chin to her chest and shivered.
Alex lowered her voice. "I know what it's like. You can tell me."
Carol lifted her eyes to Alex whose heart broke a little to see them faded away from that crazy vibrant hue she liked, to something so much paler.
"Brad Hopkins."
Heat rose in Alex’s cheeks, her nails bit into her palms, as the name burned into her. She clenched her teeth and stepped back slowly with a dark look on her face.
She wanted nothing more to make sure it never happened again. Not because she liked the Marshmallow, but because abuse was never okay.
Before Carol could say anything more, Laura came through the door and dumped her backpack by the coat rack. "Hi, guys."
Carol took a deep breath. "Done with finals?"
Laura plopped on to the bottom stair of the staircase and pulled her shoes off. "Yeah. I think I did okay. How did you do?"
"Okay."
Laura leaned around to look between Alex and Carol. Her eyebrow raised at their terse expressions.
"Why the long face?" When they stayed quiet, she smiled and whispered aside to them, "It's funny cuz we live on a horse farm."
"Hillarious," Alex muttered.
Carol sighed, wringing her hands. "It's my birthday."
"Happy birthday!" Laura grinned. "Alex, please tell me you were nice to the girl and said happy birthday."
Alex wrenched out a chair from the kitchen table near Carol and dropped into it. "It's been a rough one." She folded her arms on the tabletop and dropped her head to them.
Carol braced against the back of Alex’s chair. Nothing but silence for a good two minutes.
"Crickets," she said nervously.
Alex grunted softly in amusement.
Laura rose from the staircase. "You know what we need? We need a bonfire." She crossed to the counter. "I'll grab the cookies."
Hillary peeked out from the top of the stairs. "I thought I heard my girls."
"Mom, when did you get in?" Laura asked.
"Took the day off so I could be on call tonight. What are you up to?"
Laura grinned, hand in the cookie jar. Alex was already into the cupboards.
"I've got the…" she hesitated, holding a bag of marshmallows up. She hoped she didn’t….
She saw Carol take a deep breath, her cheeks pinching with color. Alex bit her lip. Aw, crap she’s thinking it.
"Well these."
"You found where we hid them," Laura said.
Hillary came down stairs. "That explains why the bag is half empty."
Alex’s voice cracked a little behind a sheepish grin, stuttering, "Ii-i-in my defense, it's still half full."
Hillary looked at Carol. "It would seem my girls are kidnapping you for the evening. Should I call your mom?"
"I shouldn't go. My mom and I had plans."
"Trust me," Laura said with a wink. "You're going to have way more fun with us. I promise."
Carol wasn't so sure. She only knew Brooke and Laura from school and Alex, well…
“Who would want a chunk like you?” Brad echoed in the back of Carol’s mind. “What could you possibly offer anyone?”
Was he right? Alex often had a hard expression on her. Whenever they locked eyes, the hair on Carol's arms stood on end. Like now. Alex was giving her that look again.
What was going on in that steely mind of hers? Alex was so hard to pin down; apathetic with a dry humor Carol hadn't seen before, and smart. Alex had to be smart. She knew things Carol didn't. Maybe spending time with her away from home wouldn't be such a bad thing, regardless of if Alex wanted her there or not.
Finally, Carol nodded mutely.
Hillary pulled her cell phone out from her back pocket.
"Fist pump," Laura said with an actual fist pump. She reached toward Alex. "Knuckles?"
Alex scooted away from her like she was insane.
“Really? You’re just gonna leave me hangin’?” Laura shook her head with a laugh. She put the cookies into a ziploc bag and glanced at her mother. "Call Brooke too. We'll do a double birthday since hers was a few weeks ago."
Hillary noted her request with a thumbs up.
Alex beat through the low branches, surrounded by sweet pine, and the rustle of leaves and earth beneath her. She jogged over squishy moss, and splashed through a vein of Boyd’s Branch to keep up with Laura and Brooke who seemed extra squirrely.
"Quick, before our moms get here," Laura hissed.
They broke through the edge of the woods, down to the bank of their little beach and started loading the bonfire barrel frantically. Carol trudged in behind them, a bit winded, but game.
Alex folded her arms, gripping the bag of marshmallows and wondering if these two yahoos were going to take all night getting this fire started.
"Caroline Daves." Brooke raised her arms, bearing a lit torch in her right hand, like this was some sort of magical ritual. "With the lighting of this fire, we welcome you as sister and initiate into the Order of the Bonfire."
"Even when Alex is being a butthead," Laura blurted.
Brooke smirked. "Especially when Alex is being a butthead."
"Hey!" Alex scowled.
Carol covered her mouth to stifle a giggle.
Laura bounced around the barrel, kicking up sand and loam from the shore of the lake. "Let it begin. Let it begin!"
"But I was gonna say stuff," Brooke whined.
Alex swooped over to her and grabbed Brooke's elbow, yanking the torch closer. "Would you light the damn thing already."
She stole it from her fist and threw it into the barrel. The logs and brush crackled to life. Laura and Brooke started marching around, patting their mouths to ululate like a bad impression of a Native Americans.
Alex stepped out of the way of the crazies. Carol tilted her head toward her. "Are they always like this?"
"But they're Freshmen."
"Laura insists she's a sophomore now that school is out for the summer."
From the corner of her eye, Alex saw Carol gazing at her. She turned her head. "Now you're giving me a weird look."
Carol looked away. "No I'm not."
"You totally are."
She smiled. "Whatever."
Alex chuckled to herself then stepped toward Brooke and Laura who were still rain dancing or whatever around the fire barrel while Carol hitched off to a log stretched across the shore.
"Hey," Alex called to them. "Thing One and Thing Two."
Laura and Brooke paused as Hillary and a woman who looked similar to Carol strolled through the edge of the forest.
"How come I didn't get this initiation thing, huh?" Alex asked the girls.
They shrugged. "I guess it's a club for girls who teach Alex normalcy," Laura teased.
Alex grabbed a marshmallow and hurled it at her.
Laura ducked with a squeal. "What a way to waste a perfectly good marshmallow."
"Yeah," Brooke hooted. "You wasted it on Laura."
Alex choked on a laugh.
Hillary strolled up to Alex. "Alex, I want you to meet Carol's mother, Charlotte."
Alex studied Charlotte a moment and noticed Hillary moving her mouth with a stern, Be nice.
Alex shoved a marshmallow into her mouth so she couldn't blurt out anything Hillary found rude, and offered her hand to Carol's mother.
"I've heard so much about you," Charlotte said. The corners of her cheeks near her eyes wrinkled when she smiled.
Alex chewed methodically. I bet I've given your girl lots to say about me. She backed away slowly, drawing a marshmallow skewer from near the fire barrel and pressing several marshmallows on to it.
Hillary and Carol's mother strolled down the beach, deep in conversation.
"Alex," Laura grabbed her attention. "Brooke and I have a new recipe to teach you."
Brooke smooshed a roasted marshmallow between two chocolate-covered sandwich cookies and hoisted it toward the sunset. "Behold!" She lowered it to Alex. "The S'moreo."
Alex plucked it from her fingers. "You guys are so bad."