I never thought it was any big deal. You know, like he and Enid were--were--uh--"
"I get the message, Win. You knew that Enid and George were just friends, right? That Enid was only trying to help George?"
"Yeah, that's it." He relaxed. Underneath all his clowning, Winston was really very shy.
She took a deep breath. "Win, did you by any chance tell Ronnie Edwards about the letters?"
Winston shot her a startled look, "Why would I do a thing like that? I hardly even know Ronnie.
What's he got to do with it, anyway?" He turned his attention back to the court. "Hey, check out that drive shot. Way to go, Wilkins!" he bellowed down to Todd, who flashed him a grin and blew Elizabeth a kiss. Even with his shirt stuck to his chest in sweaty patches, Todd looked beautiful to Elizabeth.
"The thing is," she pressed on, "someone told Ronnie about the letters, and Enid thinks it was me."
"Gosh, Liz, that's awful!"
She sighed. "Tell me about it."
"What're you going to do?"
"What I'm trying to do is find out who's responsible."
"You don't really think it was me, do you?"
"I didn't think you'd do it to be mean, Win. I just thought maybe you'd let it slip out by accident or something."
"Nope. I promised George I wouldn't. He figured Enid wouldn't want anyone to know. I mean, she's so straight now and everything. Anyway, George is a good guy. He's really changed. I can't wait to see him when he gets back."
"It sounds like he really cares about Enid."
"Sure he does. What're friends for? Anyhow, in my book a friend isn't someone who blabs a secret all over the place. I know everyone thinks I have a big mouth, but I know how to keep it shut when it counts."
Elizabeth looked at Winston with new respect. She realized she was seeing a side of him that few people were lucky enough to glimpse. It was too bad Jessica didn't see him as the sensitive, honorable person he was, instead of just a nerd who had a crush on her. In Elizabeth's opinion Winston was far superior to that stuck-up Bruce Patman, who roared around in that flashy car of his and acted generally obnoxious.
"I believe you, Win," she said, leaning over to plant a kiss on his cheek.
"Hey, watch it, Egbert!" Todd yelled good-naturedly from his position under the basket. "That's my girl!"
Elizabeth couldn't help thinking that if Winston got any redder, they'd have to paint a white line in front of him and use him as a stop sign.
Ten
Todd reached across the table at the Dairi Burger to lace his fingers through Elizabeth's.
"Hey," he said, "you don't look too happy for someone who's going to the dance tonight with the most fantastic guy on the West Coast."
She forced a weak smile. "Burt Reynolds is taking me to the dance?"
Todd laughed. "That's what I like about you, Liz. Even when you're down, you can always smile."
"That's me, all right--smiling on the outside, crying on the inside." Her smile wilted even as she spoke. "Oh, Todd, what am I going to do? I've tried everything, and Enid still won't speak to me."
The day before, she'd gone over to Enid's
house after school, hoping to catch her alone so that Enid wouldn't be able to run away from her. But she hadn't even gotten past the front door. Enid's mother explained that Enid wasn't feeling well and didn't want any visitors. Visitors! Since when had she been just a visitor? She had turned away in tears, so blinded by her hurt that she nearly collided with Enid's little brother as he came barreling up the front drive on his bicycle.
"You've done what you could," said Todd. "If she doesn't want to believe you're innocent, there's not much you can do."
"Something's wrong, Todd. This just isn't like Enid. She's never stayed mad at me for this long before. If I didn't know better, I'd swear someone was feeding her lies about me. But who would want to do a terrible thing like that?"
Todd shrugged as he stuffed a French fry into his mouth. "Anyone who's really your friend wouldn't believe a bunch
"I get the message, Win. You knew that Enid and George were just friends, right? That Enid was only trying to help George?"
"Yeah, that's it." He relaxed. Underneath all his clowning, Winston was really very shy.
She took a deep breath. "Win, did you by any chance tell Ronnie Edwards about the letters?"
Winston shot her a startled look, "Why would I do a thing like that? I hardly even know Ronnie.
What's he got to do with it, anyway?" He turned his attention back to the court. "Hey, check out that drive shot. Way to go, Wilkins!" he bellowed down to Todd, who flashed him a grin and blew Elizabeth a kiss. Even with his shirt stuck to his chest in sweaty patches, Todd looked beautiful to Elizabeth.
"The thing is," she pressed on, "someone told Ronnie about the letters, and Enid thinks it was me."
"Gosh, Liz, that's awful!"
She sighed. "Tell me about it."
"What're you going to do?"
"What I'm trying to do is find out who's responsible."
"You don't really think it was me, do you?"
"I didn't think you'd do it to be mean, Win. I just thought maybe you'd let it slip out by accident or something."
"Nope. I promised George I wouldn't. He figured Enid wouldn't want anyone to know. I mean, she's so straight now and everything. Anyway, George is a good guy. He's really changed. I can't wait to see him when he gets back."
"It sounds like he really cares about Enid."
"Sure he does. What're friends for? Anyhow, in my book a friend isn't someone who blabs a secret all over the place. I know everyone thinks I have a big mouth, but I know how to keep it shut when it counts."
Elizabeth looked at Winston with new respect. She realized she was seeing a side of him that few people were lucky enough to glimpse. It was too bad Jessica didn't see him as the sensitive, honorable person he was, instead of just a nerd who had a crush on her. In Elizabeth's opinion Winston was far superior to that stuck-up Bruce Patman, who roared around in that flashy car of his and acted generally obnoxious.
"I believe you, Win," she said, leaning over to plant a kiss on his cheek.
"Hey, watch it, Egbert!" Todd yelled good-naturedly from his position under the basket. "That's my girl!"
Elizabeth couldn't help thinking that if Winston got any redder, they'd have to paint a white line in front of him and use him as a stop sign.
Ten
Todd reached across the table at the Dairi Burger to lace his fingers through Elizabeth's.
"Hey," he said, "you don't look too happy for someone who's going to the dance tonight with the most fantastic guy on the West Coast."
She forced a weak smile. "Burt Reynolds is taking me to the dance?"
Todd laughed. "That's what I like about you, Liz. Even when you're down, you can always smile."
"That's me, all right--smiling on the outside, crying on the inside." Her smile wilted even as she spoke. "Oh, Todd, what am I going to do? I've tried everything, and Enid still won't speak to me."
The day before, she'd gone over to Enid's
house after school, hoping to catch her alone so that Enid wouldn't be able to run away from her. But she hadn't even gotten past the front door. Enid's mother explained that Enid wasn't feeling well and didn't want any visitors. Visitors! Since when had she been just a visitor? She had turned away in tears, so blinded by her hurt that she nearly collided with Enid's little brother as he came barreling up the front drive on his bicycle.
"You've done what you could," said Todd. "If she doesn't want to believe you're innocent, there's not much you can do."
"Something's wrong, Todd. This just isn't like Enid. She's never stayed mad at me for this long before. If I didn't know better, I'd swear someone was feeding her lies about me. But who would want to do a terrible thing like that?"
Todd shrugged as he stuffed a French fry into his mouth. "Anyone who's really your friend wouldn't believe a bunch
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