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yard. We raced each other through the gate, pushing and shoving and laughing.
I got to the ball first, and Marnie tried to wrench it out of my hands.
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æ"Jump ball," called a deep voice. We looked up. Coach was standing on the
back porch. At least, a version of Coach.
D He hadn't shaved yet, and the dark curls on one side of his head--probably
the side he'd slept on-- were flattened and pushed in funny directions. His
jeans, which were far tighter than anything he wore to PE class, had holes in
them, and his sweatshirt was frayed around the neck and sleeves. He came down
the steps, holding on to his coffee mug like it was a life-support system,
being trailed by his overweight cat.
F"Hey, Big Mama," I greeted the cat.
¾"Is this the kitty you trapped in the bureau drawer?" Marnie asked as we
knelt down to pet her.
¬ Coach nodded, then crouched down next to us. "Here's where she likes to be
scratched," he said, running his fingers very gently around the back of the
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cat's ears. "And under the chin--don't you, baby," he murmured.
DBig Mama flopped over on her side.
À"Oh, yeah, you like that," Coach said, his voice tender. "You like that sweet
ol' belly rubbed."
T Marnie glanced sideways at me, sucking in her lips, trying not to laugh. I
wondered if Coach had selected the heart-shaped ID tag that dangled from the
cat's pink collar.
| We let Big Mama smell us, then petted her tummy and chin as she stretched
back luxuriously on the warm concrete. Coach stood up. "You have new buddies,"
he said to his cat, sounding pleased,
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æthen headed toward Mrs. Bean's garage, emerging from there a few minutes
later with a rake and a bag of grass seed.
4"Need some help?" I asked.
ö"Thanks, but no thanks," he said. "This is part of the apartment deal--I pay
almost nothing for rent. Besides, I enjoy it."
x As he started to rake, the cat leaped to its feet and hopped up on the
picket fence to watch. "My supervisor," he told us with a smile, then went
back to work, whistling softly to himself.
è Marnie and I returned to the alley and played a round of horse. We had just
started a second game when a car turned down the alley. The driver was
swerving left and right, desperately trying to avoid the potholes. I didn't
know who it was--no one on our alley owned a Mercedes, and the reflection of
trees and sky on the tinted glass kept us from seeing who was inside. Marnie
and I quickly moved over to the fence, but the driver stopped and parked the
file:///C|/Documents%20and%20Settings/Faazy/Desktop/EBOOKS/New%20Text%20Document.txt[5/2/2010 8:45:32 PM]
car in the center of the alley. A door opened.
,"Travis!" I exclaimed.
Ø"Watch the doors. Don't bang them against the fence," he said as Stacy and
Adam got out from the other side.
ä"Hey, Daisy," Stacy called cheerfully. "We just picked up your shoes for the
wedding and decided to drop them by."
"Not one of our better ideas," Travis remarked. "There are no parking spaces
on your street. There are none in this neighborhood."
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¬"It's Saturday, and everyone's home," I explained. "Travis, this is my friend
Marnie."
b"Nice to meet you," Marnie told him. "Hey, Adam."
"Hi, Marnie. Jane," Adam said, coming toward us. He handed me a box of
shoes. "I'm glad I'm not the one who's got to hobble around on these."
¬"Daisy, I found the most fantastic purse for you," Stacy said. "Wait till you
see it!"
Z"Watch the doors," Travis reminded her again.
~She pulled several shopping bags out of the car and began sorting through
them.
4"Hey, Coach," Adam called.
DCoach waved but kept his distance.
îStacy's head suddenly popped up. "Hi, Grizzly," she said, looking surprised
to see him. "I didn't know you lived here."
"Just moved in."
X Adam introduced his stepbrother to Coach, who came over to the fence, still
holding on to his rake, and shook Travis's hand. "Congratulations. Best wishes
for the big day."
ÀTravis nodded and glanced up at Mrs. Bean's place. "Nice house," he said.
"Not much to keep up."
r"Actually, I just rent the third floor," Coach explained.
"Oh."
"Which really
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isn'tN much to keep up," Coach said, smiling.
Ü"Here it is, Daisy," Stacy said, removing the lid from a store box. "The
purse to die for. What do you think?"
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ò "Uh, well ..." I thought it looked just like Stacy. It was violet satin, the
same shade as my dress, about six inches wide and shaped like a heart. A huge,
violet satin rose was sewn in the center of the heart, and silver, sequined
leaves sprouted out from it. A braided rope with tassels was attached to the
heart's exaggerated humps, so I could hang the purse on my shoulder.
"It's great," I lied, removing it from its box to show Marnie. It was the
last purse in the world I would've chosen. But it was Stacy's wedding; I'd
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