Read Online Golden Filly Collection Two by Lauraine Snelling - Free Book Online
Authors: Lauraine Snelling
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everything is fine. Well it’s not. It’ll never be fine again!” She felt like planting her fist in the middle of her brother’s nose.
Caesar whimpered at Trish’s harsh voice. He nudged her fist with his cold nose and whined again. When she ignored him, he tried a sharp bark.
Trish dropped to her knees and buried her face in the collie’s heavy ruff. When David laid a hand on Trish’s head, she shook it away. “Just leave me alone. Everyone, just leave me alone.”
And that’s what she felt like when she walked into the house. Alone. Her dad wasn’t sitting in his recliner. He’d never sit in his chair again.
Chapter
07
T rish, I’m so glad you’re here.” Rhonda threw her arms around her friend.
“Yeah, me too.” Trish stuffed her book bag into her locker. At least Prairie High hadn’t changed in the month or so she’d been gone. Kids still bumped into each other in the halls, yelled across the commons, and rushed off to class when the bell rang. She kept expecting everything to be different, just because she was.
“Can I help you somehow?” Rhonda clutched her books to her chest.
Trish shook her head. She seemed to be doing a lot of that lately. “David says just to pick up our lives and go on. That’s what Dad would want.” She felt like slamming her locker door and running screaming down the hall. “So my dad died. So what’s the big deal?” Trish lifted her chin in the air and glared at her friend.
“Tee, you know David didn’t mean it like that,” Rhonda scolded.
“We’d better get to class. I’ve got a final first period. I can’t wait till this is over.”
Others looked the other way when they caught Trish’s eye. There would be no “welcome home” or congratulations this time.
Rhonda stopped Trish before she entered her first-period class. “They don’t know what to say, Tee. None of us do.”
“Yeah, congratulations doesn’t fit, does it.” Trish shifted her books to the other arm. “Forget it, Rhonda. Just ace your test.”
Trish had a hard time focusing on the test paper in front of her. The words ran together. They carried no meaning. She glanced up at the clock. Fifteen minutes had passed; she’d written down one answer. Her jaw was beginning to ache from being clenched so tight, but Trish used the pain to help her focus. She would not fail these tests. She was tough—wasn’t she?
Brad was waiting outside the school in his Mustang at the end of the day. Trish dropped like a stone onto the front seat.
“Pretty bad, huh?”
She exhaled and leaned her head back on the seat. “Worse.”
“I’ll bet they’d give you an extension if you asked.” Brad tilted his seat forward so Rhonda could get in the back.
“Mrs. Olson told me she would. But I’d rather tough it out and get done.”
“How’s it feel to be done with high school?” Rhonda asked Brad, blowing upward to lift her bangs.
“Good. I just came back to gloat over you guys still struggling with finals. I also knew you wouldn’t want to take the bus.”
“Thanks,” Trish said. “I don’t think I could have handled the bus ride today. I was hoping to have my new convertible, but they aren’t in yet.”
“You think your mom will let you drive it to school?”
“I think she’s going to have a cow every time I get in it.”
“You want to study together? I can come over.” Rhonda leaned her chin on the back of the front seat.
“No—I don’t think so. I’m so tired; I’m going to bed. I’ll probably study later.” If at all. Who cares, anyway? Trish’s thoughts seemed louder than her voice.
That evening her mom woke her to say Red was on the phone. Trish stumbled into the kitchen and sank down on the floor to lean against the oak cabinets, the phone clamped between her ear and her shoulder.
“How’s my girl?” Red’s voice sounded as if he were in the next room.
“Sleepy.” Trish couldn’t control a yawn. “I had two finals today; I have two tomorrow, and
Caesar whimpered at Trish’s harsh voice. He nudged her fist with his cold nose and whined again. When she ignored him, he tried a sharp bark.
Trish dropped to her knees and buried her face in the collie’s heavy ruff. When David laid a hand on Trish’s head, she shook it away. “Just leave me alone. Everyone, just leave me alone.”
And that’s what she felt like when she walked into the house. Alone. Her dad wasn’t sitting in his recliner. He’d never sit in his chair again.
Chapter
07
T rish, I’m so glad you’re here.” Rhonda threw her arms around her friend.
“Yeah, me too.” Trish stuffed her book bag into her locker. At least Prairie High hadn’t changed in the month or so she’d been gone. Kids still bumped into each other in the halls, yelled across the commons, and rushed off to class when the bell rang. She kept expecting everything to be different, just because she was.
“Can I help you somehow?” Rhonda clutched her books to her chest.
Trish shook her head. She seemed to be doing a lot of that lately. “David says just to pick up our lives and go on. That’s what Dad would want.” She felt like slamming her locker door and running screaming down the hall. “So my dad died. So what’s the big deal?” Trish lifted her chin in the air and glared at her friend.
“Tee, you know David didn’t mean it like that,” Rhonda scolded.
“We’d better get to class. I’ve got a final first period. I can’t wait till this is over.”
Others looked the other way when they caught Trish’s eye. There would be no “welcome home” or congratulations this time.
Rhonda stopped Trish before she entered her first-period class. “They don’t know what to say, Tee. None of us do.”
“Yeah, congratulations doesn’t fit, does it.” Trish shifted her books to the other arm. “Forget it, Rhonda. Just ace your test.”
Trish had a hard time focusing on the test paper in front of her. The words ran together. They carried no meaning. She glanced up at the clock. Fifteen minutes had passed; she’d written down one answer. Her jaw was beginning to ache from being clenched so tight, but Trish used the pain to help her focus. She would not fail these tests. She was tough—wasn’t she?
Brad was waiting outside the school in his Mustang at the end of the day. Trish dropped like a stone onto the front seat.
“Pretty bad, huh?”
She exhaled and leaned her head back on the seat. “Worse.”
“I’ll bet they’d give you an extension if you asked.” Brad tilted his seat forward so Rhonda could get in the back.
“Mrs. Olson told me she would. But I’d rather tough it out and get done.”
“How’s it feel to be done with high school?” Rhonda asked Brad, blowing upward to lift her bangs.
“Good. I just came back to gloat over you guys still struggling with finals. I also knew you wouldn’t want to take the bus.”
“Thanks,” Trish said. “I don’t think I could have handled the bus ride today. I was hoping to have my new convertible, but they aren’t in yet.”
“You think your mom will let you drive it to school?”
“I think she’s going to have a cow every time I get in it.”
“You want to study together? I can come over.” Rhonda leaned her chin on the back of the front seat.
“No—I don’t think so. I’m so tired; I’m going to bed. I’ll probably study later.” If at all. Who cares, anyway? Trish’s thoughts seemed louder than her voice.
That evening her mom woke her to say Red was on the phone. Trish stumbled into the kitchen and sank down on the floor to lean against the oak cabinets, the phone clamped between her ear and her shoulder.
“How’s my girl?” Red’s voice sounded as if he were in the next room.
“Sleepy.” Trish couldn’t control a yawn. “I had two finals today; I have two tomorrow, and
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