Sara, Book 3 (4 page)

C
HAPTER
6

S
ara waited by the school’s flagpole for Seth and Annette. She anxiously scanned the faces of person after person, trying to
remember what Annette looked like. She hadn’t really gotten a good look at her yet, but she remembered that she was rather
tall, taller than Sara, and very slender. Her hair was about the same color as Sara’s, but longer and straighter.

“Sara? I’m Annette. Seth has told me so much about you.”

Sara looked at the very pretty girl standing before her.

“Hi,” Sara said, self-consciously running her fingers through her own long, curly hair.

“Seth said you are the best friend that he has ever had and that there was no one in this town, or anywhere on the planet,
for that matter, that would be better for me to know.”

Sara smiled. That all sounded pretty good.

“He’s so sweet, Sara. Couldn’t you just eat him up?”

Sara felt that knot in her stomach.

“Yeah, I guess.” Sara flushed.

Sara heard the big door on the school building bang shut. She turned around to see Seth bounding down the steps, taking two
at a time.
He’s sure excited about all of this,
Sara thought.

“Hey, I see you two have already met. Ready to go?”

“I am,” Annette piped up cheerfully. “I just can’t wait to see whatever this amazing surprise is that you have to show me.”

Yeah, yeah, yeah,
Sara thought.
It’s amazing, you’re amazing, I’m amazing. We’re all pretty darn amazing.

Seth started out ahead of them. The sidewalk wasn’t quite wide enough for them to walk three abreast, so Seth walked out ahead
and Sara and Annette followed, side by side.
Already, I don’t like this,
Sara thought to herself.

“You two go ahead,” Seth said, stepping off into the grass to let them pass. “I’ll follow you.” Annette smiled. “You are such
a gentleman, Seth Morris.”

Yeah, yeah, yeah,
Sara thought sarcastically.

“So, Sara, Seth told me that you’ve lived in this town all of your life.”

“Yep,” Sara said, almost rudely.

Seth looked at Sara. He was surprised at her shortness with their new friend. Sara wasn’t herself. Not even close.

Sara felt embarrassment wash over her.
What’s the matter with m
e? she chastised herself.
I’ve got no good reason to be mean to Annette. I’m sure she’s a very nice person who doesn’t deserve this.
She took a deep breath, swallowed, and then said, “Yep, I’ve always lived here. It’s a good place to live, I guess. How do
you like it so far?”

“Well, it’s okay. It’s not like home, or what used to be home. But I guess I’ll get used to it.”

Annette looked sad. She didn’t seem to be focused in this moment anymore. Her eyes had a sort of distant look in them, like
she was thinking of another place, far away. Sara felt sad for her. It must be hard to leave everything that’s familiar and
plunge into a new place with all new people. For a moment, Sara realized what it was that Seth must have felt that made him
to want to tell Annette about the tree house.
If I had met her first, I probably would have wanted to tell her about it, too,
Sara tried to console herself.

“I’ve always lived in a big city,” Annette continued. “But my dad says that’s no place for us kids to grow up. I don’t know
what’s so bad about growing up in a big city. Big cities have great stores and grand museums and wonderful restaurants. Where
do you guys eat around here anyway?”

Seth and Sara looked at each other. What an odd question. “We eat at home,” Sara said. “Well, mostly. Sometimes we grab a
hamburger at Pete’s Drugstore, and there’s school lunch if you’re brave enough.”

“Oh.” Annette sounded very disappointed.

“Well, we’re almost there,” Seth interrupted. “We don’t have any grand museums or great restaurants here, but I’ll bet we’ve
got something you haven’t seen before. But you have to promise not to tell anyone about it. It’s, like, our secret, you know.
Just the three of us.”

Sara flinched.
Just the three of us.
That was going to take some getting used to.

Annette smiled brightly. “What is it? I can’t wait. Tell me!”

“Can’t tell you. We have to show you. It’s not far.”

Seth moved out ahead of them and ducked off the pavement onto the dirt path. They walked along single file. Sara couldn’t
help but notice the extra lilt to his walk.
Don’t get your hopes up,
Sara thought.
Annette is a city girl.

“Tah-dah!” Seth said loudly, gesturing toward the tree. “Here it is. What do you think?”

“I think you’re way too excited about showing me a tree, that’s what I think. We do have trees in the city, you know,” Annette
kidded.

“Ah, not a tree like this one, ya don’t,” Seth said, leading Annette around to the backside.

Annette’s mouth dropped open as she gazed up into this giant of a tree.

Seth grinned. He hadn’t felt this proud of his handiwork since he had showed it to Sara for the first time many, many months
ago.

“Seth, you made this ladder?” Annette asked in amazement, standing back, trying to get a clearer view of the row of boards
Seth had nailed from the base of the tree all the way up into the branches and out of view.

“Feel like going up?”

“Wow,” Annette gasped. “Do I ever!”

Oh, this is just great. She loves it,
Sara thought.

Seth climbed quickly up the ladder toward the platform, and Annette followed just as fast right behind him. Sara slowly dragged
herself up behind them.

Seth pointed out all the special features of his wonderful creation to Annette. And with an enthusiasm Sara couldn’t remember
ever seeing from Seth, he explained how he had carefully sanded every piece of the ladder so you wouldn’t get splinters; and
he demonstrated the bucket and pulley system he had rigged, showing how it’s much easier to use than trying to climb up the
ladder with your arms full of things. Sara listened, wanting to feel appreciation for all of these wonderful things that Seth
had built, but she didn’t feel happy or proud like she had when he’d shown them to her for the first time. She felt bad.
I thought he did these things for us, for me,
she thought.

“And that,” Seth said, pointing dramatically, “is the launching pad!”

“Launching pad? You mean . . .” Annette could hardly believe what she saw.

“That’s how we fly through the air, with the greatest of ease!”

“All right!” Annette’s voice echoed down the river.

“Sara, you want to go first, to show Annette how it’s done?”

Sara jumped a little. Seth was so excited about his new friend that he’d hardly spoken to Sara. She was beginning to feel
like she was invisible. “No, you go first,” Sara said, trying to sound cheerful.

“Okay. Here I go. Here’s what you do: You put your foot in this loop and grab hold of one of these knots. This one will probably
work best for you,” Seth said, showing Annette the knot he had tied for himself. “Just step off, and away you go!” Seth leaped
off the platform and flew out across the river.

“Whoa!” Annette exclaimed, as Seth yahooed across the river. “This is fantastic. Oh, wow, I do love this! Hey, it’s really
high up here. How’d you guys find this place? I love it! I love it! I love it!”

Seth did his best dismount ever, which didn’t surprise Sara, and then called up to Annette, “Okay, your turn!”

Sara sat back, watching, thinking about her first swing on the rope and how awkward and scary it had felt. She remembered
the first brutal dismounts that both she and Seth had experienced, tumbling into the muddy water again and again, and she
smiled inwardly, as she imagined Annette’s first dismount.

Seth climbed the tree and pulled the big rope back up to the launching pad, but as he began to explain again to Annette just
how to proceed, she grabbed the rope and leaped off the platform, wrapping her legs around the rope as she swung out across
the river. She swung back and forth with her long, pretty hair flowing out behind her. But then, Annette let go of the rope
with her hands!

“Watch out!” Sara screamed.

But Annette had wrapped her legs tightly around the rope, and she soared gracefully, upside down, with her arms stretched
out before her, as if she were flying. Back and forth she flew, laughing and squealing with each pass.

Sara looked at Seth in amazement.

“She’s a gymnast,” Seth said quietly. “Isn’t she great?”

“Oh yeah,” Sara said under her breath. “Great.”

Sara looked up and spied Solomon perched on a branch high above their heads. Solomon winked at Sara as if to reassure her
that he wasn’t going to hop down on the platform and start talking.

All is well, Sara.
Sara heard Solomon’s clear, calm voice in her head.
In time, if it is your desire, you may introduce Annette to me. Like you and like Seth, Annette will enjoy our interaction. She is like us, Sara. She is a bird of our feather.

“Oh that’s just great,” Sara said, right out loud.

“What’s great?” Annette asked.

Sara jumped. She hadn’t been aware that Annette had already climbed back up the ladder.

“Sara, did you see that dismount!” Seth exclaimed as he climbed up behind Annette. “Wow, Annette, how did you ever learn to
do that? Can you teach us how to do it? Geez, Sara, did you ever see anything like that in your life?”

“No, never,” Sara said, trying to sound enthusiastic. She didn’t want to admit that she hadn’t seen it at all.

“Sure, I can teach you. It really isn’t hard. It’s mostly about timing. I’ve been swinging on ropes for as long as I can remember.
But never from trees, and never outside—and never out over a river. I had no idea what I’ve been missing. This is just the
very best thing I’ve ever done. Oh, thank you, you two, for sharing your secret place with me! I just can’t believe that I
could be so lucky. I just love this. Thank you so much!”

Seth was grinning from ear to ear, and Sara took a deep breath. Annette was genuinely excited about her new experience of
flying from the tree house, and Sara could see a new anticipation shining in Seth’s eyes.

Sara heard Solomon’s voice in her head.
Do not worry, Sara. This will unfold very nicely. Just relax and enjoy your new friend. She will awaken new things in you and in Seth, just as you will awaken new things in her. This will be a wonderful co-creation. You will see.

“Sara, aren’t you going to swing?” Seth’s question startled her.

“Oh, yeah, I am,” Sara said softly.

Sara took hold of the rope and put her foot in the loop; she held tightly to her knot and jumped into the air. Part of her
wanted to lock her legs around the rope and let go with her arms and fly through the air just as Annette had done, but she
knew she wasn’t ready for that. But the idea of learning this new trick did feel exciting, and as the rope swung back and
forth, Sara tried to imagine what fun it would be to be looking at the water while hanging upside down. She smiled, in happy
anticipation of learning something new.

And then Sara leaped from the rope and landed a perfect landing on the riverbank.

“Hey, great dismount!” Annette called from the launching pad. “Good job, Sara!”

Sara felt elated, and shivers rippled up and down her spine. That compliment felt especially good coming from such a rope-swinging
expert as Annette. But mostly, it just felt good to feel good.

There you go, Sara. Welcome back.
Sara heard Solomon’s voice in her head.

“Thanks,” she whispered. “It’s nice to be back.”

C
HATER
7

S
ara stopped by her school locker, stuffed her jacket and book bag inside, and pulled out the library book she had been enjoying—and
her sack lunch.
Mmm, smells good,
she noticed. In fact, everything inside her locker smelled like the meatloaf sandwich her mother had made for her that morning.
Tucking her library book under her arm, she peered inside her lunch sack to examine its contents. She was happy to see a bright
red apple, two chocolate chip cookies, and a sandwich, neatly wrapped. Sara had been so involved in her lunch sack that she
wasn’t watching where she was going, and she gently bumped shoulders with someone. She looked up, startled, apologizing, into
the happy eyes of Annette.

“Hey, Sara, how are you?”

“I’m good. Sorry about almost running you over. I think I’m way too excited about a meatloaf sandwich.”

“A what?”

“A meatloaf sandwich. That’s what I’m having for lunch. How about you?”

“I’m on my way to the cafeteria.”

“Oh, that’s too bad,” Sara said, half kidding and half not. Sara knew that today was Tuesday, and that the hot lunch on Tuesday,
for as long as she could remember, was soup. “Hearty Vegetable Beef Soup,” the luncheon menu proudly proclaimed on the sign
in the hallway. But students who had eaten it through the years had come to call it “Swamp Stew.” It probably didn’t really
taste so bad, but it looked awful. Long, stringy, overcooked vegetables that usually could no longer be identified made up
the bulk of this strange concoction, and Sara, and most of the other students, found a way to avoid the cafeteria on “Hearty
Vegetable Beef Soup” day.

“Hey, why don’t you share my lunch!” Sara blurted, before she realized it. “I never eat all of it anyway. I was going to sit
outside under the tree and read. Wanna come?”

“Oh, I don’t want to eat your lunch, Sara, I’ll just go check out this Hearty Vegetable Beef Soup. It sounds pretty good.”

“It isn’t. Trust me. The only people who are in there are those with no ability to discern food from tree bark, like Jimmy
there. He’ll eat anything. Trust me, Annette. You don’t want to go there.”

Annette laughed. “Sara, you’re a funny girl. Okay, if you’re sure you don’t mind.”

Sara couldn’t help but like Annette, and she wasn’t sure just how she felt about that. She wanted to like her, but she wanted
not to like her.
I’m schizophrenic,
Sara thought to herself.
Oh well.

Sara stopped at the vending machine and dropped in a quarter. She pulled a lever, and a plump bag of potato chips slid down
a chute. “Everything goes better with potato chips, don’t you think?” She pulled two more quarters from her pocket and bought
two cans of orange soda. “There’s not much of a selection here,” she said to Annette, “but, hey, it’s only 25 cents.”

Sara and Annette found a sunny spot on the school lawn. Sara felt the grass with her hand to make sure the morning dew had
dried, and then she plunked herself down. She tore open the sack, making a paper table between them, and unwrapped the meatloaf
sandwich.

“My, that smells wonderful.” Annette said, watching Sara carefully unwrapping the sandwich.

Sara’s mother had sliced it into two halves. Sara took one piece for herself, and with the wrapper, she handed the other
to Annette, being careful not to touch her piece with her fingers. Annette smiled. She couldn’t help but notice what a considerate
person Sara was.

Both girls bit hungrily into their sandwiches at the same time, looking at each other as they chomped.

“Oh, Sara, this is the best thing I have ever put in my mouth! How could you stand to give half of it up? This is fantastic!”

Sara agreed that this was a really good sandwich, but she did think Annette was getting a little carried away about it all.
“I’m glad you like it, Annette. But it’s only a meatloaf sandwich.”

“Well, whatever it is, it is wonderful.”

Annette took another small bite and chewed it, and savored it for a long, long time. Sara was certain she had never seen anyone
enjoy a sandwich, or anything else, for that matter, as much as Annette was enjoying her meatloaf sandwich. She didn’t reach
for a potato chip; she didn’t take a drink of her soda; she focused completely on the sandwich until it was gone.

Then the girls finished off the potato chips and drank their sodas. Sara looked at the apple. She realized that she didn’t
have any way to split it into two pieces, so she reached into her sack and took out the chocolate chip cookies. Sara and her
mother had made them the night before. They made two big batches, so there was plenty for the family to enjoy while watching
television, and several to be put in the freezer for lunches and snacks for the next week. Sara offered a cookie to Annette.
Annette didn’t hold back in the least. She bit into the cookie and closed her eyes as she exclaimed. “Oh, Sara, this is sooooooooooo
good!”

Sara smiled. What in the world is going on with this girl? Hadn’t she ever eaten a meatloaf sandwich before? Hadn’t she ever
eaten a chocolate chip cookie before?

Sara loved chocolate chip cookies. In fact, she loved just about every kind of cookie. But she didn’t love them like Annette
loved this one. Not even close.

The bell rang and both girls jumped a little. “Well, that was a short hour,” Sara said. “Time flies when you’re having fun.”

“Sara, thank you so much for sharing your lunch with me. It was really good.”

“Sure,” Sara said, standing up, brushing crumbs from her lap. “Anytime.”

“Oh, I almost forgot,” Annette said. “I can’t go to the tree house tonight. My dad said he has something that he wants us
to do right after school, so I have to go straight home.”

“Oh, okay. Well, then, I’ll see you Monday.”

“Okay, see ya.”

Sara watched Annette running off toward the school building. What a strange mix of feelings moved within her. Annette wasn’t
easy to figure out. She was so pretty, very smart, truly nice, from the big city, and way too excited about meatloaf sandwiches
and chocolate chip cookies.

Oh well,
Sara shrugged, and went inside the building.