'It was a lot longer than a minute, and I had to go to the bathroom! You can get up and go whenever you like. You know what it's like for me to do the simplest things now. You know that and yet you dillydally with your art teacher,' she said, wagging her head.
'All right, Gisselle,' I said, exhausted from her constant badgering. 'I'm sorry.'
'Just lucky for me I have other friends now to look after me. Just lucky.'
'Okay.'
The truth was that I never realized how lucky I was back in New Orleans, having my own room, with walls to separate us. 'How were your classes?' I asked, to change the subject.
'Horrible. They're all so small, the teacher hovers over your shoulder and watches every little thing you do. You can't get away with anything here!'
I laughed.
'What's so funny, Ruby?'
'Despite yourself, you will likely do a lot better with your schoolwork,' I said.
'Oh, forget it. There's no sense in talking to you,' she said. 'You'll probably sit down and start your homework right now too, won't you?'
'Abby and I are going to do our work now and get it out of the way.'
'Peachy. You'll both soon be Greenwood honor students and go to dozens of teas,' she quipped and wheeled herself out and into Jacki and Kate's room.
Mrs. Ironwood had said I was to be responsible for Gisselle and her behavior? I might as well try to change the habits of a muskrat or tame an alligator, I thought.
Our first week at Greenwood flew by quickly. Tuesday night I wrote letters to Paul and to Uncle Jean, describing everything. On Wednesday night Beau phoned. We had the use of a telephone in the corridor just outside our quad. Jacki came to our room to tell me I had a call.
'If it's Daddy, I want to talk to him too,' Gisselle demanded, eager to continue the flow of her stream of complaints.
'It's not your father,' Jacki said. 'It's someone named Beau.'
'Thank you,' I said and rushed out of the room and to the phone before Gisselle could make any of her nasty remarks in front of Jacki.
'Beau!' I cried into the receiver.
'I thought I'd give you a day or so to settle in before I called,' he said.
'It's so good to hear your voice.'
'And good for me to hear yours. How's it going?' 'Rough. Gisselle has been making life miserable from the moment we arrived.'
'I can't say I'm not rooting for her,' Beau said, laughing. 'If she gets you both kicked out, you'll be back here.'
'Don't count on it. If we don't last here, my stepmother will surely find somewhere else to send us, and maybe next time it will be twice as far away. How's school for you?'
'Boring without you, but I keep busy with the football team and all. What's it like there?'
'The school's nice and so are most of our teachers. I'm not fond of the principal. She's a tyrant made of cold stone, and Daphne has already filled her ear with tales about my evil Cajun background. She thinks I might be Annie Christmas.'
'Who?'
'The flatboat bully who could chew off a man's ear.' I laughed. 'She just thinks I might be a bad influence on her preciously perfect young Creole ladies.'
'Oh.'
'But I am enjoying my classes, especially art.'
'And what about . . . boys?'
'There are none here, Beau, remember? When are you coming? I miss you.'
'I'm trying to work it out so I can get there weekend after next. With these weekend football practices and all, it's hard.'
'Oh, please try, Beau. I'll be half mad with loneliness if you don't come.'
'I'll come . . . somehow,' he said. 'Of course, I've got to do it on the sly, so don't let anyone know . . . especially Gisselle. It would be just like her to get it back to my parents somehow.'
'I know. Her mean streak has gotten even thicker since the accident. Oh, I've made friends with one of the girls in my quad, but I'm not sure I want you to meet her.'
'What? Why not?'
'She's very pretty.'
'I have eyes only for you, Ruby,' he said. 'Hungry eyes,' he added softly.
I leaned against the wall and cradled the receiver against my ear as if I were pressing a precious little baby to my cheek. 'I miss you, Beau. I do,' I said.
