Ronnie."
Mr. Collins smiled. "I'm sure he wouldn't have said anything to be malicious, but sometimes people tell secrets just to get attention."
Winston did have a tendency to be a blabbermouth, Elizabeth thought, but he would have had to go out of his way to tell Ronnie, someone he wasn't even friends with, about the letters. Still, she had to admit it was the best possibility so far.
"I suppose I could ask him," she said.
"That's using your head." Mr. Collins winked at her as if she'd thought it up all on her own. "I'm sure it'll turn out one way or another, Liz. Enid's hurting right now, and when people are hurt, they want someone to lash out at. Often it's someone they love."
"Why is that?"
"Because the people we love, who love us, are the ones who will forgive us later on when it all blows over."
Elizabeth looked at him, a slow smile flickering across her features. "How did you get to be so smart, Mr. Collins?"
He shrugged. "Remember, I've been around a few more years than you."
"Yes, Grandpa," she teased.
"Not that long." He laughed. "I've got a way to go yet before they put me out to pasture. Besides, how would all you goof-offs get along without me to crack the whip over you?"
"We'd probably turn this paper into The National Enquirer," Olivia interjected as she sailed past, bearing an armload of letters she'd collected from the box outside their office. "Honestly, you should see some of this garbage!"
Mr. Collins's expression darkened as he examined a few of the letters she'd dumped on his desk. "This," he said, jabbing his finger at an offending note, "is what I call malicious gossip. The worst kind, since it's totally unfounded. I spoke with Nora Dalton this morning in the teachers' lounge, and I can tell you she's pretty upset about all this talk. She's actually made herself sick over it. In fact, she looked so bad, I talked her into going home and getting some rest."
"I heard she even got some obscene phone calls at her apartment," Olivia said. "Gosh, I
don't know what I'd do if it were me. How does she stand it?"
"The best way she knows how--by not giving it more credence than it deserves. I think we should all do the same." With one swoop, he swept the letters into the trash can.
Everyone suspected that Mr. Collins had a special interest in the pretty Ms. Dalton, so he had double the reason to be disturbed over what was happening. At least he trusted her, though, Elizabeth thought.
"I wonder how Kenny's taking it," she mused aloud.
"Nobody seems to know," Olivia answered. "He's been absent the past couple of days. There's a nasty rumor that he got mononucleosis from k--"
"That's enough!" In a rare show of temper, Mr. Collins slammed a book down on his desk. "Haven't you two got anything better to do than talk about this thing?"
Elizabeth blushed. Mr. Collins was right--the best way to deal with gossip was just to ignore it. But that was easier said than done when you were on the receiving end. Her heart went out to both Ms. Dalton and Enid. She knew only too well what it was like having conversations end abruptly when you walked into a room, having people look at you as if you'd just sprouted another head or something. People had treated her like that when Jessica had been
picked up at an off-limits bar during a wild brawl--and had let the police believe she was Elizabeth. The next day everyone at school was smirking behind her back. Elizabeth would never forget what a miserable time that had been.
She went back to the "Eyes and Ears" column she was working on. News about the upcoming dance. A story about Winston Egbert and his wrong turn down a one-way street during drivers' ed. Thinking of Winston, her mind flashed to the last line from George's letter:
P.P.S. Say hi to my buddy Winston.
Was Winston really such a good buddy? Elizabeth was determined to find out.
"Sure, Liz, I knew George had been writing to Enid." Winston sat hunched on the bleachers, watching basketball practice. "But
Mr. Collins smiled. "I'm sure he wouldn't have said anything to be malicious, but sometimes people tell secrets just to get attention."
Winston did have a tendency to be a blabbermouth, Elizabeth thought, but he would have had to go out of his way to tell Ronnie, someone he wasn't even friends with, about the letters. Still, she had to admit it was the best possibility so far.
"I suppose I could ask him," she said.
"That's using your head." Mr. Collins winked at her as if she'd thought it up all on her own. "I'm sure it'll turn out one way or another, Liz. Enid's hurting right now, and when people are hurt, they want someone to lash out at. Often it's someone they love."
"Why is that?"
"Because the people we love, who love us, are the ones who will forgive us later on when it all blows over."
Elizabeth looked at him, a slow smile flickering across her features. "How did you get to be so smart, Mr. Collins?"
He shrugged. "Remember, I've been around a few more years than you."
"Yes, Grandpa," she teased.
"Not that long." He laughed. "I've got a way to go yet before they put me out to pasture. Besides, how would all you goof-offs get along without me to crack the whip over you?"
"We'd probably turn this paper into The National Enquirer," Olivia interjected as she sailed past, bearing an armload of letters she'd collected from the box outside their office. "Honestly, you should see some of this garbage!"
Mr. Collins's expression darkened as he examined a few of the letters she'd dumped on his desk. "This," he said, jabbing his finger at an offending note, "is what I call malicious gossip. The worst kind, since it's totally unfounded. I spoke with Nora Dalton this morning in the teachers' lounge, and I can tell you she's pretty upset about all this talk. She's actually made herself sick over it. In fact, she looked so bad, I talked her into going home and getting some rest."
"I heard she even got some obscene phone calls at her apartment," Olivia said. "Gosh, I
don't know what I'd do if it were me. How does she stand it?"
"The best way she knows how--by not giving it more credence than it deserves. I think we should all do the same." With one swoop, he swept the letters into the trash can.
Everyone suspected that Mr. Collins had a special interest in the pretty Ms. Dalton, so he had double the reason to be disturbed over what was happening. At least he trusted her, though, Elizabeth thought.
"I wonder how Kenny's taking it," she mused aloud.
"Nobody seems to know," Olivia answered. "He's been absent the past couple of days. There's a nasty rumor that he got mononucleosis from k--"
"That's enough!" In a rare show of temper, Mr. Collins slammed a book down on his desk. "Haven't you two got anything better to do than talk about this thing?"
Elizabeth blushed. Mr. Collins was right--the best way to deal with gossip was just to ignore it. But that was easier said than done when you were on the receiving end. Her heart went out to both Ms. Dalton and Enid. She knew only too well what it was like having conversations end abruptly when you walked into a room, having people look at you as if you'd just sprouted another head or something. People had treated her like that when Jessica had been
picked up at an off-limits bar during a wild brawl--and had let the police believe she was Elizabeth. The next day everyone at school was smirking behind her back. Elizabeth would never forget what a miserable time that had been.
She went back to the "Eyes and Ears" column she was working on. News about the upcoming dance. A story about Winston Egbert and his wrong turn down a one-way street during drivers' ed. Thinking of Winston, her mind flashed to the last line from George's letter:
P.P.S. Say hi to my buddy Winston.
Was Winston really such a good buddy? Elizabeth was determined to find out.
"Sure, Liz, I knew George had been writing to Enid." Winston sat hunched on the bleachers, watching basketball practice. "But
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