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all, and Walt and I talked over what I could do to make it up to the
school, and then this morning Ms. Baxter said Mrs. Poindexter wanted
students to get involved in the campaign. And so then I thought I
could
do that, and Walt said he'd help. I--I really want to make up to
everyone
for what I did, and this way, if anyone on the outside finds out
about
it, the ear infections, I mean, it'll be easier for Mrs. Poindexter
and
everyone to say that I'm really sorry ..." I swallowed against the
sick
feeling that was creeping up my throat from my stomach. It wasn't
that I
didn't think it was a nice thing for Sally to do--I did--it was that
she
seemed to be doing it for the wrong reasons. "If the campaign's a
success," she was saying, "that means that Foster can go on giving
people a good education. Later, Walt and I will tell you about some
dances and rallies and things we're planning, but right now I wanted
first of all to apologize, and secondly--well, to ask for your
support
in the campaign." She blushed and ran back to her seat. There was
applause again, but this time it was uncertain, as if the other kids
were as surprised and as uncomfortable as I was about Sally's making
so
much of the ear piercing--she made it sound as if she thought she'd
murdered someone.
But Mrs. Poindexter and Ms. Baxter looked like a couple of Cheshire
cats, one large and one small. "How was I?" Sally asked. "Great,
baby,
terrific," Walt said, hugging her. "Wasn't she great, Liza?"
"Sure," i said, not wanting to hurt anyone's feelings.
After school I
went to the art studio to do some work on my senior project. Sally
and
Walt were there, bent over a huge piece of poster board, painting,
and I
had to admit that Sally looked happier and more relaxed than I'd seen
her for some time. Maybe, I thought, doing this won't be so bad for
her
after all.
"Hi, Liza," Walt called cheerfully, as I rummaged in the
supply cabinet. "What shall we put you down for? We're making a
list--how
much do you think you can pledge?"
"Pledge?" I asked, not understanding.
"That's the word Mr. Piccolo says fund raisers use," Sally said
proudly.
"It means, how much do you promise to give to the Foster Fund Drive.
Doesn't that sound good, Liza--Foster Fund Drive? So--um--
metaphoric."
"Alliterative," I grumbled, sitting down.
"Welcome back, Liza," Ms.
Stevenson said, peering out
from behind her easel, where she was working, as usual, on what we
all
jokingly called her masterpiece; it was a large abstract painting
none
of us understood. "Thanks," I said, poking a pair of dividers down so
hard I made a hole in my paper.
"Ms. Stevenson's pledged twenty-five
dollars," Sally said sweetly, waving a small notebook.
"I don't know what I can give yet, Sally, okay?" I told her.
"Okay, okay," she
snapped. "You don't have to be that way about it." Then her angry
expression vanished as if it had been erased, and she got up and put
her
hand on my shoulder. "Oh, Liza, I'm sorry," she moaned. "It's me who
shouldn't have been that way. I'm sorry I snapped at you for being
uncertain." She patted my shoulder. Ms. Baxter, I thought; she's been
talking to Ms. Baxter--that's what it is. But of course I couldn't
say
that.
"It's okay," I muttered, glancing at Walt, who shrugged. Ms.
Stevenson dropped a large tube of zinc white, and Sally and Walt
nearly
crashed into each other trying to be first to pick it up for her. I
pushed away from the drawing table, muttered something about
homework,
and ran out of the art studio. Before I even thought about it
consciously, I was in the phone booth in the basement, dialing
Annie's
number. As I waited for someone to answer, I reluctantly noticed the
paint peeling off the steam pipes that ran along the walls, and a big
crack that ran from the ceiling almost to the floor. All right, all
right, I said silently. I'll do something for the silly campaign!
"Hello?" came Nana's gentle voice. "Hi," I said--I never knew whether
to
call her Nana to her face or not. "This is Liza--is Annie there?"
"Hello, Lize. Yes, Annie's here. How you been? When you come see us?"
"I'm fine," I said, suddenly nervous. I'll come soon."
"Okay. You not forget.
Just a minute, I call Annie." I could hear her calling in the
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