SHARING

         “T-R–E-E, tree.”

         “Very nice Amanda! Class the winner of today’s spelling bee is Amanda. Tomorrow we’ll do the words starting with C-R.” Miss Williams pinned a blue ribbon on Amanda’s dress.

         ‘Amanda again! Well, better Amanda than anyone else,’ Francine thought as she bent her head down. She could read faster than anybody if her voice wouldn’t evaporate as it did, but she couldn’t spell well. The letters jumbled up in her mind when she tried. She sighed and took a blue crayon and colored the sky in the coloring page in front of her.

         “I like the way you color. “ Amanda said. “How can you always stay inside the lines?”

         Francine shrugged. “I don’t know.”

         “My Mom says my hands aren’t developed yet.”

         Francine giggled, “But you have your hands, Silly.” Then she sighed, “You always spell so good.”

         Amanda said, “It is because I look.”

         ”You look? Where?”

         “Inside me. I first see the word; then looking at it, I spell it.”

         “But you always close your eyes.”

         “You have to close your eyes if you’re looking inside you. Try it.”

         “Maybe.”

         “My tooth is loose. My mommy says it is time for the tooth fairy. I can’t wait. Hey, you already have yours out. What did the tooth fairy leave for you?”

         “Nothing.”

         “Why? Did you do something bad?”

         “No.”

         “What does your Mommy say?”

         “I don’t have a Mommy. Just my Dad, but we got Santa Claus.”

         “Don’t worry. Santa is better anytime. Maybe it’s Mommies who call the tooth fairy over. I don’t know the whole truth behind these things. Sammy, my brother, says parents make this up to get us to behave.”

         “Okay, Class. We’ll have free time now. You may do what you want without making too much noise,” Miss Williams announced.

         “Let’s go talk to the guppies,” Amanda said.

         “Others are there,” Francine was hesitant to talk to people except for Amanda.

         “So what? We can watch the fish with them.” Amanda pulled Francine by the hand.

         There were three boys, Darrin, Sean, and Al, in front of the aquarium. They shoved the girls away. Francine stepped back but Amanda wouldn’t let go.

         “If you don’t let us near the fish, I’ll give you a kiss,” Amanda said.

         “Eeeeeewwww!” The boys made faces.

         “That always gets them,” Amanda whispered in Francine’s ear.

         “Never Mind, Amanda, let’s go sit by the bookshelf,” Francine said.

         “Okay, then I’ll teach you to spell. Now look at this word, “Trip”. Look really hard. Now close your eyes. Say the letters as you see them.”

         “T-R-I-P”

         “Great. See I told you, it’s easy. You just have to look at things real hard when you see them.”

         “What are you doing, ladies?” Miss Williams crouched near them.

         “We’re spelling,” Amanda said.

         “She’s teaching me,” Francine said.

         “She already knows,” Amanda shrugged.

         “Very good,” Miss Williams said. “Was there a problem near the aquarium?”

         “No,” Francine said.

         “Yes,” Amanda said, “But we can handle it. Don’t worry, Miss Williams.”

         Miss Williams went back to her desk. The girls started to look at books. Suddenly Francine saw Sean sneak behind Amanda with a dripping paper cup. Al and Darrin were giggling behind him.

         Francine suddenly jumped and pushed Sean back. Sean fell back and the water spilled on the floor.

         Miss Williams rushed near them in two strides. Amanda was looking stunned. Francine too was surprised. She had acted on an impulse.

         “Sean! Don’t you remember we’re not allowed to eat and drink near the bookshelf? And Francine, we don’t push.”

         “He wasn’t going to drink it,” Amanda said. "He wanted to wet us."

         “Sean, is that true?” Miss Williams asked.

         “No, Miss Williams,” Sean lied.

         “Pick up the paper cup and put it in the wastebasket, Sean. Class, free time’s over. Let’s all sit down and take out our Math folders,” Miss Williams said.

         Francine’s eyes were teary. She didn’t like to be guilty.

         “Don’t worry, Francine. You come over to my house and I’ll share my Mommy with you,” Amanda hugged her.

         Share Amanda's mommy? Now, that was something to really look forward to.