Starting Over

by Sheri S. Levy

  Colton barked.

  “Shh! Quiet, Colton” I fussed at Chase but smiled. “You scared me!” But I focused on the bag waving in his hand. I handed Chase my small white box. “Here’s my surprise.”

  He shook his head. “No. Ladies, first.” He held out a bag with purple tissue paper sticking up.

  “Wow, this is pretty.” I reached into the bag and lifted out a soft, stuffed turtle.

  She was lavender all over, except her shell was a deep purple, and she had two brown beads for eyes.

  “Oh, this is so perfect.” I chuckled. “Okay. Now it’s your turn.

  He opened the little box and laughed out loud. “We do think alike, don’t we? This is spectacular! He looks just like a loggerhead.”

  For a moment, we smiled at each other, lost for words. And in the next second, we wrapped our arms around each other and squeezed. Colton stared, but stayed quiet.

  At the same time, Peyton and Sarah ran by. He slapped Chase on his back. “It’s time to go, bro.”

  At the Food Works, our mothers stood off to the side. What else could we say? Our time together was over. We stared at each other, and painfully walked away, promising we’d talk on the phone.

  Driving home, Colton lay across my lap. Not wanting to talk about the guys, Sarah put in her ear buds. My thoughts whizzed through my head like the trees outside until Sarah tapped my arm.

  I twisted around.

  She blinked her intense, sad eyes. “I need to think about something else. Tell me what’s happening with Morgan. Is your plan working?”

  Surprised, I took a moment. What did I want to share? “Morgan’s actually sharing little bits of her personality, as long as no one else is around. Once in a while she’ll come over for lunch at my house. She stays all day at the barn with no food and never knows when she’s going to be picked up.”

  “What does she do?”

  “She calls a taxi most of the time.” I squinted and shook my head. “I don’t know, Sarah. Something is off with Morgan. The other day I carried another box turtle out of the yard. The minute I picked him up he tucked his head into his shell. He reminded me of Morgan when she chooses not to share any more information. Every time I try to reach out to her, she shuts down. I’m hoping, if I give her enough space, she’ll feel safe enough to hold her head up and share her problems.”

  Sarah leaned her head sideways and smiled. “You’re doing a good job helping her. I just hope she doesn’t hurt you in the end.”

  We grew quiet, again.

  I looked over at her. “Okay, Sarah. We’re both sad. But we have to move on. Our free time is almost gone. And since you’ve started soccer training and working on your campaign for Class President, I’m already missing our time together. Don’t forget, I’d love to help make posters.”

  She patted Colton’s head. “Next week, I’ll tell you when we’re getting together at my house. You can bring Colton.”

  I straightened my shoulders. “Super! Can you believe in one more week, we’re going to be stuck with homework and schedules? I’ll have less time at the barn.”

  Sarah shook her head, “I know. Is it getting harder for you to find time to ride?”

  I puckered my mouth. “Yep, I had always dreamed about trying out for the Clemson College riding team, using one of their horses, and competing. If I ever learned enough. But—” I shook my head and looked down. “—That’s not happening. Sometimes I get jealous watching Morgan training.” I glanced out the window. “Oh, wow! We’re home. I hate that this day is over.”

  Sarah nodded and made a deep groan.

  Mrs. Neal dropped us off at home, and I couldn’t wait to see Chancy. I took Colton’s cape off and let him run free outside while I changed.

  Mom sipped on a cup of tea as she handed me her phone. “Ms. Sue left you a text on my phone. Here, you need to read it.”

  “Trina. Reminding you about our lesson tomorrow. Be there at 10:00.”

  Mom smiled. “I wish I could watch, but I’ll be at work.”

  My shoulders squared and my chin lifted. “I’m pretty proud of his progress. I bet Ms. Sue will be surprised.”

  “You’ll have to tell me all about your lesson when I get home.”

  Chapter 20

  At ten o’clock, the doorbell rang, and Colton raced to the front door. He pounced on the side window ledge and barked. When I caught him by his harness, he pulled me across the hardwood floors.

  Ms. Sue watched from outside. The minute I opened the door, he quieted and wiggled.

  I shrugged my shoulders and sighed. “He’s getting worse instead of better.”

  Ms. Sue glanced down. “Hey, Mr. Colton.” He stared back at her. “I know what we’re working on today. If you’re going to be a working dog, you must have better door manners.”

  He panted, swishing his tail across the floor.

  “Get your clicker, Trina. Fill your pouch, and if you have a bath mat that will not slide, we can use it as his Place in the entry way. While I found supplies, Ms. Sue put Colton through his normal commands. My heart swelled as I listened to her tell Mr. Colt how wonderful he performed.

  On the floor, a distance away from the front door, I laid a yellow bath mat. “Okay. I’m ready.” I patted my pouch. “He’ll like these.”

  Ms. Sue held her clicker and walked up to the mat. Without saying a word, her eyes fell on the mat, and waited for Colton’s eyes to follow. The moment he looked at the mat, she clicked, and gave him a treat. When she gazed at the mat again, she added the word, “Place.” He followed her eyes and looked at the spot. Sue clicked, and he gobbled another treat. Step by step, she continued this procedure until he settled all four paws on the mat and lay down.

  I froze, watching. As Colton lay quietly on his Place. “That was amazing.”

  Ms. Sue spent an hour training one step at a time. I was to say, “Just a minute,” to alert anyone waiting outside. And those words would signal Colton to go to his Place.

  Smiling, she stroked Colt’s head. “Have your friends help. Explain the need for them to wait outside until you’re ready to open the door.”

  I couldn’t contain my laugh. “He’ll be quite the challenge. I’ll try. Thanks for coming.”

  Later that night I called Sarah. She described all the things she had to do from now until school started. I listened to each subject and waited for her to finish rambling. Then she paused. “Umm. How about tomorrow night? That’ll work for me.”

  “Perfect. I’m asking Morgan tomorrow at the barn.”

  “Ugh. You sure are getting friendly with her. I guess you’re sticking to your plan. Hope it works out for you.”

  The next day at the barn, I approached Morgan while she readied Knight. I explained why I needed her help. She hesitated, and then shared another secret. “I didn’t do well at the last competition. My parents think I’m not working hard enough. They don’t know I’ve made a friend, and I can’t tell them I’m going to your house, or they’ll think I’m wasting my time. I’ll be here all day. Let me see how it goes. Dad’s out of town, and Mom never knows if she’s going to be at the hospital all day or night, and my brother’s gone back to school.”

  “Well. You have to come for dinner. And then we’ll practice with Colton. Do you have food for the day?”

  Morgan waved over her shoulder on her way to the tack room. “I’ll be fine.”

  Which meant she was on her own again. I’d work with Colton, then bring a picnic lunch back to the barn, and afterwards, let Colt hang out by the pond.

  Inside the tack room, Morgan and I chatted while we devoured sandwiches, chips, and sweet tea. I brought brownies and apples for later. Morgan even asked about Chase. I shrugged and told her I hadn’t spoken to him in a week.

  Morgan changed the subject and bragged in between bites about how she could do whatever she wanted, but sh
e contradicted herself by revealing she wasn’t telling her parents about Colton or me. Finally, she stopped blathering and moaned, “Oh, why not. I’ll come after I feed Knight and help Ms. B. She’s already invited me to dinner with her.”

  I frowned, worrying. “Doesn’t your mom wonder what you’re doing?”

  “Not usually. We have a housekeeper who does most of the cooking. She always leaves food in the frig.” She mumbled to the floor. “Dad cooks sometimes.” Then she lifted her face and smiled. “And when he’s not traveling, he’s good company.”

  “That’s good. Come over, whenever. Sarah’s going to help, too.”

  At eight o’clock in the evening, the hot sun slipped lower in the sky and the temperature faded a few degrees. Once Sarah and Morgan arrived, I explained what I needed them to do. Colton cocked his head sideways, and his innocent, chocolate-brown eyes melted my heart, but I knew he wouldn’t be an easy fix.

  The girls strolled outside, out of sight. I sat on the couch with Colton at my feet, but I held his leash, waiting for them to stand at the door. Colton’s ears pricked at their voices and he tried to dash to the door. I made him walk, saying, “Easy.” Instead he pulled me to the door, barking.

  I glanced at the door. “Just a minute.”

  His attention zoomed to the figures at the door. “Colton, Look!” He glanced at me. I clicked, and gave him a piece of cheese. I signaled with my hands, saying, “Back.” As he scooted backwards, I pointed to the mat, “Place.” He wiggled his bottom on the mat and stayed. But with people outside, the doorbell became another distraction. He fought to stay in ‘Place’ for a whole three seconds before he rushed at the door.

  I spoke through the cracked opening. “Please, disappear again. I need him to stay on his mat when I open the door.”

  They giggled and ran around the side of the house.

  I walked Colton to his mat and gave him instructions. I remembered Ms. Sue saying, “Let each command sink in. He needs time to process each word.”

  He knew what I had said, but hadn’t mastered the skill.

  After four more tries with the girls standing outside, Colton stayed and didn’t bark at the bell. This time as Sarah and Morgan stepped inside, he waited.

  “YES! Good boy!” I clicked, stroked his head, and fed him pieces of cheese. And then I bent down to be face to face. “Good boy!”

  His mind and his body struggled with each other, and in seconds he popped up, barking and curving his body in a u-shape around the girls. Not the right response, but he’d made progress.

  “See, Morgan? He’s learning to stay back. Will you do it one more time?”

  She shook her head. “Nah, I’m tired of hearing him bark, and I’m bored.”

  “All right. Enough. Let’s go to my room.”

  Colton beat us, and stood at the top step. He panted while he waited. I removed his cape, and he rolled on the carpet to scratch his back. When he finished, I sat next to him, and Sarah sat on the other side.

  Morgan flopped in my desk chair and leaned back. Colton darted over and pawed her leg. She cringed.

  I pressed my lips together, containing my smile. “He only wants you to pet him and will probably pester you until you do. I can put him downstairs. I don’t want you to get sick.”

  “Nah. Let me see what happens. Maybe if I touch him just a little, I’ll be okay.” She slowly lifted her hand and hesitated.

  Colton put his nose on her knee. She raised her hand higher but made eye contact with Colton.

  She snickered. “He likes a lot of attention, doesn’t he?”

  “Yep. And as you can see, he’s a little pushy.”

  Morgan patted Colton’s head with her fingertips. With each pat, his eyes blinked like he was being hit on the head. Gradually, her entire hand flattened on his head and she stroked his soft ears, mumbling under her breath, “When I try to get any attention, I usually get arguments. Maybe Colton can teach me new ways to talk to my parents.”

  Sarah snorted. “I wouldn’t try barking.”

  We cracked up, but I saw right through Morgan’s happy mask. I’d worn one of my own at the beach. She had bottled up her frustrations and carefully kept them from fizzing so she wouldn’t explode.

  As we quieted, I wondered if I should mention my birthday in September. Morgan had begun helping me with barn chores, and I set up fence rails for her. Fall season had creeped in and cooled our evenings, but the days were still warm. Mrs. B had offered to let me have a pool party. Even Sarah was excited since she knew how to swim. What the heck! All she could do is say “No.”

  “Morgan, I’m having a pool party on September twenty-first. If you’re not going to a horse show, maybe your parents could come and meet mine and Sarah’s.”

  Her face drooped. Her brown eyes grew darker, and she tried to smile. “I’ll check my schedule. I can probably come, but my parents, never. Sorry. That’s just the way it is at my house.”

  A phone buzzed, breaking the awkward silence

  Morgan reached into her pocket and clenched her jaw. “Oh no!” She stared straight ahead and her arm twitched like she had been electrocuted. “Dad just called. He’s not supposed to be back. He went to the house and saw I wasn’t there. He’s coming to get me. I have to get to the barn.”

  She shot to her feet and headed down the stairs. Sarah and I gaped at each other and followed. “I’ll go with you, Morgan. Sarah, do you want to feed the horses?”

  Morgan grabbed the door knob and shook her head. “Please, please, don’t come right now. I need to leave as soon as he drives up. If he knows I have a friend and mentions it to Mother, I’ll be in big trouble.”

  Swallowing my alarm, I sucked in my breath, aimed my eyes at hers, but she avoided mine.

  I touched her arm. “Okay. If you’re sure you don’t want company? I have things to do.”

  Sarah nodded a blank face. “Me, too.”

  Morgan flew out the door.

  Chapter 21

  Mom drove Sarah and me to school on our first day back. As we sashayed through the front double doors, Sarah shouted, “Yay! We are eighth graders!”

  I hooted and added, “And Sarah Neal is running for Class President. Come and join her campaign.”

  For two weeks, we passed out flyers with a picture of Sarah in her soccer outfit, her leg aimed at kicking the ball. Written in big bold letters under the picture, MAKE A NEW GOAL! VOTE FOR SARAH NEAL.

  Finally, Friday arrived and the voting was over.

  At the end of our last class, the only one Sarah and I had together, the intercom static crackled. Everyone looked towards the speaker in the ceiling and held their breath with anticipation as the principal announced, “And this year’s eighth grade Class President is Sarah Neal!”

  Heading into the hallway, many friends cheered and surrounded my best friend. She didn’t notice I had moved out of the way and watched from the doorway. I trembled with excitement for her but knew our time together would change. A gust of sadness started at my chest and rumbled down to my feet. I banged the toes of my sandals together, knocking away the sensation. I hoped we’d still have our time at night doing horse treats.

  I had always excelled at school, but after two weeks I already lagged behind. Colton had improved his skills during each of his training classes, setting an example as being the star pupil. I wished I could do the same. I spent more time at the barn and training Colton than on my assignments.

  I sat at my desk and stared out the window, avoiding the stack of books and my list of homework assignments. I had Spanish and algebra to learn and an essay to write. But tomorrow was our last puppy class, and I wanted Colton to show off.

  During dog classes, Wesley’s obnoxious behavior sort of disappeared into an awkward kind of flirting. Being noticed was a novelty. He always paid special attention to how I looked. Only a few months ago, I had no in
terest in boys or clothes. Even though Wesley charmed me, guilt crept in. I wished the attention came from Chase.

  My eyes drifted to the window. Chase’s calls came less frequent. With the distance between us, I couldn’t help wonder if he’d met another girl at school. I shook my head. Maybe the silly worries would sprinkle out like salt.

  But Sarah and Peyton had totally stopped calling each other. She changed boyfriends so fast I couldn’t keep up. No one seemed to keep her attention for long. For me, the idea of a boyfriend made me feel good, but they took too much effort and distracted me from the things I needed to do. The relationship with Chase on Edisto Beach had been different.

  Colton crawled under the desk and waited for me to wrap my legs around the middle of his chest. As I repeated my Spanish sentences, he tilted his head and stared at me, trying to understand what I was saying. “Hola. ¿Cómo está? Muy bien. ¿Habla inglés? ¿Dónde está el baño?” I wrote my ten new vocabulary words in sentences: mesa, amigo, libro, libre, joven, leche, gracias, fútbol, escuela, and casa, and then I closed my notebook. I slapped the pile of books and moaned.

  Since I couldn’t concentrate, I decided to get up early the next morning and write my essay. I’d do my algebra during lunch. The moment I lifted my legs from Colt’s warm body, he shot out from my desk. “Come on, fella. Let’s practice one more time.”

  We rehearsed and ran out to the woods. A full moon glowed over head as we chased fireflies and listened to crickets. The horses neighed from their paddocks. An owl hooted somewhere in the woods and a wood pecker whittled on a tree. Twenty minutes later, Colton flopped on his stomach, panting, his tongue drooping. That was my cue. “Good boy. Time for bed.”

  Squeezing my eyes closed, I struggled to fall asleep, but I couldn’t turn off the talking in my head. Maybe I should help at the barn only on weekends. I didn’t have time for lessons now, so I didn’t need the money. I curled into a ball. I probably should do my homework first, and then train Colton. I uncurled and lay on my back. No, that wouldn’t work. He needed my attention and had so much to learn. I sighed. At least tomorrow, he’d be best in class, and I could figure out what to do later.