her back for siccing Taffy on me that day at the vacant lot.”
Another chair was removed and the music started again. Leslie glanced around for Bud and Gary, but she didn’t see them in the crowd. Maybe the warning her mother had given them had done some good. At least they wouldn’t dare pick on her with Mom and Mike right here.
“Ouch!” Leslie gasped, tears springing quickly to her eyes. Someone had elbowed her in the back. A moment passed and another shove made her stumble. The kids were piling up at the end of the row chairs and she looked back to see Gary grinning at her. She was sure he was the one who had shoved her.
Leslie walked a little faster, attempting to put several other kids between Gary and herself, but he followed just as fast. She was getting a little frightened now. Bud Allen was there, too, right behind Gary.
Karen watched, but it was difficult to pick out Leslie in the crowd of laughing children. Perhaps her little talk with the boys had helped. They were apparently behaving themselves now.
Karen looked away for a moment to switch off the music. That was when it happened. She heard Leslie’s sharp cry; and when she looked up, her daughter was facedown on the grass, the sleeve of her birthday dress ripped at the seam.
“He pushed me!” Leslie accused, glaring at Bud. “Both of them did! Make them go home, Mike—they’re awful!”
“That’s enough, Leslie!” Mike’s voice was sharper than he had intended, but he didn’t want Leslie to make a scene. There was a sudden stillness as all the children stopped talking and waited to see what would happen.
“I’ll take care of it, Karen.” Mike helped Leslie to her feet. “You start a different game and I’ll see that Leslie gets cleaned up. Just go on playing, kids. Leslie’s not hurt.”
With a hand on her shoulder, Mike hurried Leslie toward the house. He heard Karen’s voice explaining the next game and the children laughed as they started to play. He was embarrassed at the scene Leslie had made. The boys were a little too rough, but that was natural for boys their age. Leslie had acted as if they’d personally attacked her. Taffy and Susie hadn’t made that much of a fuss when they were pushed down.
“Come on now, Leslie. It’s not that bad.” Mike shook his head as he opened the door for his stepdaughter. “Your mother can fix your dress and it was an accident.”
“It was on purpose!” Leslie’s voice was stubborn. “I’m not going back out there until they leave!”
“They’re guests, Leslie.” Mike’s voice was sharp. “It’s not polite to ask an invited guest to leave, you know that. You’ll never make any friends here if you do something like that!”
As he spoke, Mike ushered Leslie up the stairs and into her room. He smoothed her hair and wiped a smudge of dirt from her cheek.
“Now, put on another dress, honey.” He gave her a quick hug. “I know how you must feel, but you do have to go back to the party. You’re the birthday girl and you have an obligation to your guests.”
Leslie’s mouth dropped open in surprise as Mike spoke. The Cold Spring kids were more important to him than she was. It made her feel as if they were choosing up sides, and Mike was on theirs.
“Hurry up now, Leslie.” Mike’s voice was firm as he turned to leave. “We’re going to have lunch in a couple of minutes. After that you’ll cut the cake. Now, be a good sport and let everyone see you know how to act.”
As the door closed behind Mike, Leslie drew a deep breath and dried her eyes. There was no use arguing. She’d have to go back to the party, but she didn’t have to like it.
Scowling, Leslie dressed quickly in a silk blouse and a skirt. She glanced at her key on the dressing table and on an impulse dropped it into one of the deep pockets of her skirt. Maybe it would bring her luck. Somehow she had to get through the rest of this afternoon. If she didn’t go back out there with a smile on her face,
Another chair was removed and the music started again. Leslie glanced around for Bud and Gary, but she didn’t see them in the crowd. Maybe the warning her mother had given them had done some good. At least they wouldn’t dare pick on her with Mom and Mike right here.
“Ouch!” Leslie gasped, tears springing quickly to her eyes. Someone had elbowed her in the back. A moment passed and another shove made her stumble. The kids were piling up at the end of the row chairs and she looked back to see Gary grinning at her. She was sure he was the one who had shoved her.
Leslie walked a little faster, attempting to put several other kids between Gary and herself, but he followed just as fast. She was getting a little frightened now. Bud Allen was there, too, right behind Gary.
Karen watched, but it was difficult to pick out Leslie in the crowd of laughing children. Perhaps her little talk with the boys had helped. They were apparently behaving themselves now.
Karen looked away for a moment to switch off the music. That was when it happened. She heard Leslie’s sharp cry; and when she looked up, her daughter was facedown on the grass, the sleeve of her birthday dress ripped at the seam.
“He pushed me!” Leslie accused, glaring at Bud. “Both of them did! Make them go home, Mike—they’re awful!”
“That’s enough, Leslie!” Mike’s voice was sharper than he had intended, but he didn’t want Leslie to make a scene. There was a sudden stillness as all the children stopped talking and waited to see what would happen.
“I’ll take care of it, Karen.” Mike helped Leslie to her feet. “You start a different game and I’ll see that Leslie gets cleaned up. Just go on playing, kids. Leslie’s not hurt.”
With a hand on her shoulder, Mike hurried Leslie toward the house. He heard Karen’s voice explaining the next game and the children laughed as they started to play. He was embarrassed at the scene Leslie had made. The boys were a little too rough, but that was natural for boys their age. Leslie had acted as if they’d personally attacked her. Taffy and Susie hadn’t made that much of a fuss when they were pushed down.
“Come on now, Leslie. It’s not that bad.” Mike shook his head as he opened the door for his stepdaughter. “Your mother can fix your dress and it was an accident.”
“It was on purpose!” Leslie’s voice was stubborn. “I’m not going back out there until they leave!”
“They’re guests, Leslie.” Mike’s voice was sharp. “It’s not polite to ask an invited guest to leave, you know that. You’ll never make any friends here if you do something like that!”
As he spoke, Mike ushered Leslie up the stairs and into her room. He smoothed her hair and wiped a smudge of dirt from her cheek.
“Now, put on another dress, honey.” He gave her a quick hug. “I know how you must feel, but you do have to go back to the party. You’re the birthday girl and you have an obligation to your guests.”
Leslie’s mouth dropped open in surprise as Mike spoke. The Cold Spring kids were more important to him than she was. It made her feel as if they were choosing up sides, and Mike was on theirs.
“Hurry up now, Leslie.” Mike’s voice was firm as he turned to leave. “We’re going to have lunch in a couple of minutes. After that you’ll cut the cake. Now, be a good sport and let everyone see you know how to act.”
As the door closed behind Mike, Leslie drew a deep breath and dried her eyes. There was no use arguing. She’d have to go back to the party, but she didn’t have to like it.
Scowling, Leslie dressed quickly in a silk blouse and a skirt. She glanced at her key on the dressing table and on an impulse dropped it into one of the deep pockets of her skirt. Maybe it would bring her luck. Somehow she had to get through the rest of this afternoon. If she didn’t go back out there with a smile on her face,
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