CHAPTER ONE

When Eddie B. dared me to walk the net bridge over the Elijah Hatchett River where we’d seen an alligator and another kid got bit by a coral snake, I wasn’t scared—I just didn’t feel like doing it right then. So that’s how come I know just what he’s saying when I see him in church, flapping his elbows like someone in here is chicken. When Momma’s not looking, I make my evil face at him, but he just laughs and turns the right way in his pew.

I fold the bulletin and fan myself. Lord, it’s hot in here. The windows are open but all that breezes in are a couple of lovebugs, landing in front of me on a lady’s hair. I elbow my best friend, Lottie T., and point at the bugs. They crawl around and slip under a web of hair-sprayed strands. I start giggling and Lottie does too. Only we press the giggles down so instead of coming out of our mouths, the giggles shake our shoulders.

Taking a deep breath, I lean forward and then, “AH-CHOO!” The lady’s hair blows over in one piece like a typhoon hit it, and two black specks fly out. Lottie laughs out loud. When the lady turns around, I see she has devil eyebrows, the kind that go up in a point. I smile innocently. “’Scuse me, ma’am.” She nods and turns around. I look at Lottie and laughter starts bubbling up from somewhere deep until Momma puts her hand on my arm, pulling me back in the seat. I look forward and try to pay attention.

The preacher’s talking about how too much honey can make you sick, and I know it’s true because I have put too much honey on my peanut butter sandwich before and I just about puked. But I get that he’s talking about too much sweetness is sickening. He doesn’t have to worry about me. I am never too sweet to anybody.

Just then, the church doors swing open and slam against the walls. Everyone turns around. I squint, but all I can make out are two tall people and a girl; the sun blasting in from behind has turned them into figures of darkness.

“Welcome,” the preacher says. He doesn’t even sound annoyed. He smiles and steps down from the pulpit, standing on level ground with the rest of us.

The tall people step into the light and smile, their eyes darting around the sanctuary. The girl’s hair is so blond, it’s almost white.

“Well, come on up here and let everyone get a good look at you,” Pastor says.

As they pass, I notice the man has on a full suit, right down to the polished shoes. The lady’s dress flutters at the hem when she walks. She’s wearing some kind of summer dress made of a gauzy material, and she has a white hat on top of her perfect hair. The girl is dressed just like her, but she doesn’t smile or look around like the lady does. She walks like a sandhill crane, kind of floating, but with her nose up in the air.

Everyone in church watches them pass like this is a wedding or something. I can’t really blame them; we don’t always have strangers walking down the aisle, so it’s kind of interesting. I just hope this don’t make church run longer than usual.

Pastor greets them like they are long-lost friends. “Folks,” he says, “I want to introduce our new neighbors, Brad and Meagan Gold, and their beautiful daughter, Melissa.”

Everyone claps but me. I don’t know these people or if they deserve a clap.

Momma elbows me. “Violet,” she says. “We must make them feel welcome.”

I sigh and clap as ordered. But my clap is soft; my hands barely touch. If the whole church was silent and it was just me clapping, you wouldn’t hear anything, that’s how quiet my clapping is.

Pastor starts saying a few words about how they just moved down from a big city up north when Lottie shoves a note into my hand: Don’t you think she’s pretty? She looks like a model! I wonder how old she is! Let’s try to meet her after church!

I scrunch my lips together. Three exclamation points in Lottie’s note. I don’t think the new girl is that pretty.

She looks like a goose neck, I write and pass the note back. Lottie reads it, shoots me one of her looks, and slides the note into her Bible.

When church is over, everyone rushes outside. As we walk out of the shade, the sun burns the part in my hair. Dust puffs up from the dirt parking lot and sticks to my legs. My head prickles with heat. I scratch it, but it’s still prickling. I scratch again and then I hear Eddie laughing behind me.

I whirl around and almost bump into him, he’s that close behind me. “What are you doing?” I say. I have to look up because he’s taller than me.

He laughs again. “What’s the matter, Violet? Did you think a bug was on you?”

I fold my arms. “No, just a bug behind me, a big stinkbug!”

He laughs. I can’t ever seem to cross him.

In the parking lot, Lottie and some other kids swarm around the new people like they’re movie stars. Melissa’s taken off her hat and turns the brim around and around with clenched fingers. I’m surprised the straw doesn’t break. I trudge over for a closer inspection.

“Violet!” Lottie’s cheeks are pushed up by her big smile. “Violet, this is Melissa!” Lottie looks at me expectantly. I don’t like how she introduces me to Melissa like something good’s about to happen now.

Melissa looks at me and smiles one of those stiff smiles. Well, I can’t hardly blame her. All these people clamoring around her like she is someone important. Since I am the leader around here, I decide to make it easier on her and I smile big, as if I mean it.

“Hi, Melissa.” Okay, let’s get this over with so’s me and Lottie can talk about what we’re going to do today.

“Hi, Violet,” Melissa says and nods like she’s approving something. “That’s a pretty name.”

I wasn’t expecting that. “Thank you,” I say. I do like her good manners. Maybe Lottie and I can show her around sometime, like in a few days or so when we’re not busy.

I stick out my arm and shake her hand like I’ve seen grown-ups do. My grip is firm and so is hers, but it seems like she tightens hers, crunching my knuckles till they hurt.

I take my hand back and look at her. If she did it on purpose, she’s good at hiding it.