A Forever Friend

by Judy Katschke

  Mrs. Worthington frowned as she stood up from her chair. “No wonder Kate’s eyes are so red,” she said.

  “What do you mean, Jill?” Mom asked.

  “Kate suffers from allergies when she’s around animals,” Mrs. Worthington explained, gently brushing Kate’s hair from her eyes.

  “Allergic to animals?” Willa asked Kate. “You weren’t allergic to animals when I lived in Chicago.”

  “We never had any pets in Chicago,” Kate said.

  “There are allergy tablets inside her bathroom kit,” Mrs. Worthington explained to Mom and Dad. “Could you make sure Kate takes them?”

  “Of course,” Dad agreed.

  Kate gave a loud sniff then rubbed her eyes.

  Oh no, Willa thought with a pang of dread. What about New Cat? What about Amos? And most of all—what about the ponies?

  Chapter 3

  ONCE KATE’S PARENTS LEFT FOR the island Harbor Resort and Kate had taken her allergy medicine, Willa said, “We’ll have so much fun sleeping in my room. It’ll be like having a sleepover every night.”

  “Just don’t forget to sleep,” Mom joked.

  “You aren’t allergic to feathers, too, are you, Kate?” Dad asked.

  Willa groaned. “We’re not going to have a pillow fight, Dad.”

  “That’s not what I meant,” Dad said. “I need a favor over at Mrs. Cornett’s house.”

  “Oh,” Willa said. Their neighbor Mrs. Cornett’s house was a short hike through the woods. It was also filled with chickens.

  “Mrs. Cornett grows vegetables and raises chickens,” Willa explained to Kate. “Are you okay with that?”

  “Sure,” Kate agreed. “My down comforter at home is filled with goose feathers. And I’ve got a down jacket.”

  “You should be fine, Kate,” Mr. Dunlap said. “Mrs. Cornett is stuck in the house waiting for a delivery. She can’t bring by my vegetable order for the day, so I need someone to pick it up now.”

  Mom looked down at Kate’s feet and frowned. “You really ought to put on sneakers before you go. Those sandals aren’t ideal for country roads.”

  “I’ll be okay, Mrs. Dunlap,” Kate said, wriggling her blue toes.

  Willa noticed Ben coming toward the house. He gave Kate a little wave but kept walking.

  “Hey, Ben,” Willa called. “Come say hello to Kate. You haven’t seen her in more than a year.”

  “No, thanks,” Ben called back. “I’ll see her later. I’m busy.”

  When Ben was out of earshot, Willa turned to her parents. “Probably with that top secret project, whatever that is.”

  “Well, now you have a project too,” Dad said with a grin. “Thanks for helping out, girls.”

  “No problem, Dad,” Willa said. She turned to Kate. “Let’s go upstairs first. I want to show you my new room. And change into a clean T-shirt.”

  The friends ran upstairs to Willa’s room.

  “You’ll sleep in my bed, and I’ll use my sleeping bag,” Willa said, still hoping Kate wouldn’t hate the unicorn comforter. “So what do you think of my new room? It’s different from the one in Chicago, right?”

  “I love this huge mirror,” Kate exclaimed, heading straight to Willa’s dresser. She leaned over, gazed into the mirror, and squeezed on more lip gloss from a tube.

  “Mom found it in an antique store,” Willa said slowly. How much lip gloss did Kate need?

  Willa changed into a clean T-shirt. Kate put away her lip gloss. A few minutes later they were on their way to Mrs. Cornett’s.

  “You didn’t warn me about goose poop on the ground,” Kate complained as they ambled up a rocky path. “Alexa was right. She said Chincoteague would be nothing like Chicago.”

  “Alexa Santos?” Willa asked. “From our fourth-grade class at school?”

  Kate nodded as she flicked a pebble out from between her toes. “Alexa and I are friends now. Well, more than just friends,” she explained. “We do practically everything together. She even gave me my first tube of lip gloss.”

  Willa tried to hide her surprise. Kate had hardly known Alexa when she left Chicago. Now they were friends. Maybe best friends.

  “Alexa won first in balance beam at the gymnastics meet,” Kate went on. “She even had a girl-boy party for her birthday.”

  Willa didn’t think that was such a big deal. All the parties on Chincoteague so far were for girls and boys. But the way Kate was going on about Alexa, who wasn’t even there—that was a huge deal.

  Kate stumbled a few more times by the time they reached the cozy yellow cottage. Mrs. Cornett was outside and greeted the girls with a warm smile.

  “Guess what?” Mrs. Cornett asked as she led Willa and Kate inside. “My delivery just arrived a few minutes ago. It’s in the garden if you’ll follow me.”

  “What were you waiting for, Mrs. Cornett?” Willa asked as they filed out the back door into the garden.

  Mrs. Cornett nodded at a cardboard box on the ground. “Why don’t you take a peek and see for yourself?”

  Willa and Kate hurried over to the box and peered inside.

  “Oh my gosh!” Willa gasped.

  “Sweet!” Kate exclaimed.

  Inside the container were about twenty fuzzy baby ducks.

  “These ducklings just arrived Quick Delivery,” Mrs. Cornett said. “Or should I say . . . Quack Delivery.”

  Willa and Kate were too busy watching the ducks to laugh at Mrs. Cornett’s joke.

  “I didn’t know you could get baby ducks in the mail,” Willa admitted.

  “It’s perfectly safe if it’s done correctly. Some farms and hatcheries deliver overnight, some within two days,” Mrs. Cornett explained. “This container has plenty of holes so the ducklings can breathe. There’s a soft bedding made out of fine pine shavings too.”

  “What do they eat?” Kate asked.

  “Mostly fine-chopped greens,” Mrs. Cornett said, pointing inside the box. “But you’ll notice lots of hydrating gel taped along the walls of the container. It’s filled with water and nutrients.”

  Mrs. Cornett introduced the different breeds: Cayuga ducklings, Indian Runner ducks, and Chocolate Runner ducks.

  “Chocolate Runner ducks?” Willa giggled. “Do they lay chocolate eggs?”

  “No such luck,” Mrs. Cornett said, grinning. “But they will lay some mighty fine white and blue eggs.”

  “More eggs?” Willa asked. With all her chickens, and now ducks, Mrs. Cornett had enough eggs to fill the Grand Canyon.

  “I know I’ve got a lot of eggs,” Mrs. Cornett said, “but now with Misty Inn using the eggs, it’s a good excuse to grow my brood.”

  She pointed to one of the ducklings and added, “That one there’s an Indian Runner. Those ducks are great for mosquito control.”

  “I could use one of those,” Kate said as she scratched her arm. “I think I was attacked in the woods by a swarm.”

  Willa was about to inspect Kate’s bites when one of the babies climbed out of the box. He dropped to the ground and began waddling away.

  “Heads up,” Mrs. Cornett exclaimed. “We’ve got a runaway.”

  “I’ll get him, Mrs. Cornett,” Willa said, jumping to her feet. “Come on, Kate.”

  Soon both girls were laughing and running through Mrs. Cornett’s garden, zigzagging around plants and flower patches to catch the runaway duck. Kate’s sandals didn’t even slow her down.

  The duckling reached a thick hedge and paused. Willa bent over to gently scoop him up.

  “Gotcha,” Willa whispered. The tiny duckling felt downy soft and warm in her cupped hands.

  “Sooo cute,” Kate cooed, stretching out a finger to pet the fuzzy feathers.

  “Once Ben and I had a crazy chicken chase right here in the garden,” Willa told Kate. “Ben fell backward onto a raw egg.”

  “Eww,” Kate cried with a laugh.

  Willa laughed too. For the first time since Kate had arrived, they were laughing together. Just like they had in Chicago
.

  Maybe Kate is slowly liking Chincoteague, Willa thought hopefully. Maybe we will have a blast this week.

  “Mrs. Cornett?” Willa asked. “Can we help you take the ducks out of the container and put them in a crate?”

  “I’d love the help,” Mrs. Cornett said, “but you girls have some produce to bring back to your dad.”

  “Oh right.” Willa remembered. They were having so much fun in the garden, she forgot about the veggies.

  Willa and Kate each picked up a basket and started the walk back to Misty Inn.

  “We’re having a great time,” Willa said excitedly. “Right, Kate?”

  Kate answered with a groan. “I didn’t know these baskets would be so heavy,” she complained, stumbling on the rocky road. “How can I scratch my mosquito bites while I’m holding this thing? They’re so itchy, I want to scream.”

  Oh well, Willa thought. I guess maybe just one of us is having a good time.

  “Isn’t Ben having dinner with us, Mom?” Willa asked that evening.

  It was seven, but the summer sun made it seem as bright as noon. Mom had set up a real Family Farm picnic on the deck just for them.

  “Ben is eating at Chipper’s house tonight,” Mom explained as she poured lemonade into paper cups. “Chipper must miss Sarah while she’s away too.”

  Kate sprayed her arms and legs with a mosquito repellent Mr. Dunlap had given her. As she fanned away the fumes, she asked, “Isn’t Sarah your friend, Willa? Why would Ben’s friend miss her too?”

  Willa explained, “Sarah is Chipper’s sister. When we first moved to Chincoteague, I never thought I’d be friends with Sarah, but now we’re practically—”

  Willa stopped midsentence. She didn’t want to say “best friends” and possibly hurt Kate.

  “We’re practically together all the time,” Willa blurted. “Like you and Alexa.”

  Kate stopped spraying. She picked up her first golden-brown fried oyster and took a bite.

  “Mmm,” Kate said between chews. “This is totally yummy.”

  “Better than Chicago pizza?” Willa asked.

  “I wouldn’t go that far,” Kate teased. She looked around and smiled. “It’s so pretty around here. And it smells a lot better than the city in summer too.”

  “Yes.” Willa cheered to herself.

  She was having a hard time figuring Kate out today, but she hoped the Chincoteague food and Misty Inn was making its mark, just like it had on Willa.

  Chapter 4

  “NOOOOOO. MAKE THEM STOP. MAKE it stop.”

  Willa woke with a start. Was she dreaming? Or was somebody—screaming?

  “Kate.” Willa remembered as she sat up in her sleeping bag.

  When she turned to her, Kate’s eyes were half closed but her mouth was open in another scream: “Where am I?”

  Willa climbed out of her sleeping bag. Something told her that Kate was having a very bad dream.

  Shaking her friend’s leg under the unicorn comforter, Willa whispered, “Kate. Kate, wake up.”

  “I am up,” Kate cried, sitting up. “Why is it so dark in here?”

  “Because it’s the middle of the night,” Willa explained gently. “I think you were having a nightmare.”

  Kate moaned as she scratched both arms.

  “You know what’s really a nightmare?” Kate demanded. “These itchy mosquito bites. I feel like armies of ants are marching up my arms.”

  Willa felt helpless as she watched Kate claw and scratch. Her pink unicorn comforter and what Kate thought of it were the last of her worries now.

  Light filled the room as Willa heard the door open. She turned to see Mom standing in the door frame.

  “Who just screamed?” Mom asked. She snapped the light on before walking into the room. “Is everything all right?”

  “Kate’s itchy mosquito bites woke her up,” Willa explained. “I think she’s afraid of the dark too.”

  “I am not,” Kate hissed.

  “Kate, you poor thing.” Mom frowned. “I’ll be right back with some itch cream that will make you feel better.”

  Mom left the light on as she hurried for the bathroom cabinet.

  “I’m not afraid of the dark, Willa,” Kate insisted. “It’s just that my room in Chicago never gets this dark at night.”

  “That’s because we’re in the country,” Willa told her. “In Chicago there’s always a ton of light coming in from the street. Neon signs, car headlights—”

  “The light from the top of the Willis Tower,” Kate cut in with a little smile. “It’s so bright, I’ll bet they can see it from space.”

  Willa smiled at the mention of the Chicago skyscraper, one of the tallest buildings in the world.

  “Remember when we went up to the Skydeck, Kate?” Willa asked. “And when we looked down, the cars looked like teeny, tiny ants—”

  “Ants,” Kate cried, scratching her arms. “Arrgh. Make it stop. Make it stop.”

  I had to mention ants, Willa thought glumly.

  Mom returned with a tube of cream in one hand, a glass of water in the other.

  “And last but not least,” Mom said. She dug into the pocket of her robe and pulled out a night-light. “Let there be light.”

  Willa recognized the yellow night-light shaped like a smiling half-moon. “That’s what Ben used to have in his room,” she pointed out, “when he was afraid of the dark.”

  Kate groaned under her breath as she squeezed a squiggle of cream along one arm. “I told you, Willa. I am not afraid of the dark.”

  “I’ll plug it in just in case you need to go to the kitchen for more water,” Mom answered. “Nothing wrong with that, right?”

  “Thanks, Mrs. Dunlap,” Kate agreed.

  Mom said good night, snapped off the light, and left the room. As she shut the door, the room darkened except for the soft glow from the man in the moon.

  Kate lay back on her pillow, staring up at the ceiling.

  “Better?” Willa asked.

  “I guess,” Kate answered, still gazing up. “But now I can’t sleep. I hate it when I can’t sleep.”

  Willa heaved a big sigh. Calming Kate that night was harder than gentling a wild pony.

  Pony, Willa thought with a smile. That’s it.

  “Kate?” Willa asked. “How about if I tell you a story?”

  Kate wrinkled her nose. “You mean like a princess fairy tale? Aren’t we too old for that?”

  “This is a story about Starbuck,” Willa said, “and how he became my pony.”

  Still staring up at the ceiling, Kate murmured, “Sure. Go ahead.”

  Willa sat cross-legged on the bed facing Kate. She took a deep breath and began: “Once upon a time . . . I mean, last fall, Starbuck kept escaping over and over from the field at Miller Farm.”

  “What’s Miller Farm?” Kate asked.

  “Remember from my letters? It’s the animal rescue center my grandma Edna and grandpa Reed run,” Willa explained. “I told you that Grandma Edna is a vet. She takes care of all kinds of animals, even Assateague ponies like Starbuck.”

  “You mean the ponies that swim to this island?” Kate asked.

  “Exactly,” Willa replied. “Ben and I thought Starbuck kept escaping because she wanted to go back to Assateague. But late one night when Starbuck escaped again, we followed her deep into the woods.”

  “The woods?” Kate asked, sitting up in bed. “Where was Starbuck going?”

  “Home,” Willa replied.

  Kate scrunched up her nose. “I thought you said home was Miller Farm. Wasn’t Starbuck going the wrong way?”

  “That’s what we thought,” Willa said as she wiggled closer to Kate. “But when we found Starbuck, she was at a spot in the woods almost exactly behind Misty Inn. So Starbuck wasn’t trying to leave home—she was trying to go home to us.”

  Willa waited for Kate’s reaction. Why wasn’t she saying anything? Did she think the story was babyish? Or boring? But then—

  “W
ow,” Kate blurted. “That was an awesome story, Willa.”

  “It was?” Willa asked, delighted.

  “Totally.” Kate nodded. She climbed on top of the comforter and folded her legs facing Willa. “Okay. My turn to tell a story.”

  “Go for it,” Willa urged. She leaned forward and listened closely to Kate’s real-life story about the time they went trick-or-treating in Willa’s building in Chicago.

  “We started with the doorman on the first floor, who gave us chocolate bars,” Kate recalled. “Then we worked our way up to the eighth floor.”

  Willa pictured her old building. Each floor had five apartments. And eight times five equaled lots of treats.

  “Some of my neighbors dressed up and turned their apartments into haunted houses.” Willa remembered. “Mr. Wong opened his door dripping with blood.”

  “It was spaghetti sauce.” Kate chuckled. “I could smell the onions and garlic.”

  Willa loved talking about her building in Chicago. It was a big, old renovated warehouse filled with modern lofts and lots of artists. No wonder their apartments on Halloween resembled horror-movie sets.

  “I heard one apartment in that building really is haunted,” Kate said. “The couple who lived there moved out because they heard weird noises at night. And found ghosty-white handprints all over the walls—”

  “Too much information,” Willa cut in. She hopped off the bed and slid into her sleeping bag. “We’d better go back to sleep. But I really liked your story, Kate.”

  “And I liked yours,” Kate said, trying to stifle a yawn. “But you know what else I like? Reeeeeeally like?”

  “No, what?” Willa asked.

  “This amazingly cozy unicorn comforter.” Kate sighed as she snuggled underneath. “Good night.”

  Willa smiled. It was a good night and the best way to end the day.

  Chapter 5

  “FEELING BETTER, KATE?” MOM ASKED the next morning after Willa and Kate came downstairs.

  Dad was busy scrambling eggs with shrimp for the guests’ breakfasts. Mom was working on her computer at the kitchen table.

  “Thanks, Mrs. Dunlap,” Kate answered. “The cream you gave me really helped.”