him. Another girl with a blond ponytail and big legs smiled and said, “You're out!” the fat kid yelled. “By heck, if | am!” Ann yelled back. She turned to him. | was close enough to see her snear. She could lift one side of her mouth to show her teeth. “I’m safe, and don’t try tellin’ me | ain’t.” She was standing with her legs spread and her hands on her hips. The fat boy just threw down his glove and whined. “Oh, you’re always safe.” I could see that he had a cowlick that covered half his head. It stuck straight out. Daddy and me finally reached the gang that had gathered around them. “Yah, ling and “Hi,” and she just me. looked, to the car. and the blond “Hi, scratching on again. girl, Marilyn, and Gary coming from Ann’s house. They walked right to where | wats sitting on the board. | got up and tried to smile. with frecksnearing at after that. my glasses “Come and He was real tall. He was always scratching his freckled nose. He was the kid that smiled that first day. We got to be pretty good friends. | decided maybe | could make Ann like me. if Gary did. Ann never came over to see me until one day when the house was almost finished. | was sitting in the shade of a board watching Mr. Moore, one of the men, paint around the windows. | was talking to him to keep him from getting lonely. | saw Ann was said, He at her was eleven, two years older than me. his nose that was covered les. I felt sick. Ann was me. | just couldn’t smile For some reason, | felt were dumb. Daddy at back | went out to the lot sometimes while we were building the house. Once in a while one of the kids would come over and talk. One of the fellas, Gary, talked to me all the time when Ann wasn’t around. Gary starting at my feet and working her way up to my glasses and ponytail. She didn’t smile though. “What do you think we're doin’?”’ Ann said rapidly. “Me an’ Marilyn an’ the fellas are playin’ baseball.” She didn’t look at Daddy. She looked at me. About then we lost Daddy. He started gazing around the lot without hearing anything the kids said. He shaded his eyes from the sun with one of his big hands. All of a sudden the gang was staring at me. | tried smiling at them. One of the boys, @ tall skinny kid, grinned running timed back “Hi, beautiful,” he said to that Ann. said | smiled | grabbed Pop’s hand. Mom said that he liked me to hold his hand. It was big and rough. | liked to feel the hard skin on his palms. We walked—I mean Daddy and | double- She just sneared back at him. Then | wished he didn’t have that piece of Kleenex on his face. It looked dumb. “What are you doing?” he asked. | was glad Pop was being nice. Ann looked at me. | tried to smile. | hi.” the rest of the kids. They started yel- Katherine,’ Ann said. “What ya doing?” She almost smiled. At least she looked like she was trying to. Maybe she was trying not to snear. Gary and Marilyn didn’t say anything. They didn’t smile either. They both looked funny standing in the sun behind Ann. “I’m watching him paint,” pointing to Mr. Moore. ened me @ little. | said, Ann fright- “Well, Katherine,” she said (I wishand let's look around the lot.” He started to walk off through the dust and weeds without me. | didn’t want to stand here being stared at, so | trotted after ed she every would body call else), me “my Kathy like mommie just made some grape Kool-aid. | just wondered if you’d like to come have some with me an’ Marilyn an’ Gary.” (38) All at once I couldn’t think anything. Then | almost bawled,| was so happy. “Do you really want me to?” | know | broke into a great big grin. | had wanted to make Ann like me so much, and now she did. Gary scratched his nose and said, “Sure we do.” Marilyn said, “Yah, come on.” “Let's go, Ann said, “I’m don’t know if I held my breath. wanted to go to the weiner roast. “Just the into the cups, then thirsty.” they’re “Well, “Mommie,” breaths. from Ann | don’t Ann Who know, would rattles, “Il wouldn’t When crying “Ann, | do that, | can keep better. lower your voice, or she will hear you.” Her mommie sounded mad. “You can’t have a weiner roast if you don’t invite Kathy.” It smelled clean, like the floor was. The whole place gleamed, the sink, the floor, the walls and the table. “Let’s have a wiener roast,” she said. more,” bring a thing.” Marilyn and Gary were talking about baseball again. They didn’t notice | wasn’t listening. “Well, it’s alright, then,” she said. “You're asking Kathy, aren’t you?” | took a deep breath when | heard her say that. | stared hard at the shiny sink. “Crum, nol’ Ann yelled “I sure don’t want to. She built a house on our baseball field.” | took ten deep sat down. She looked at the wall, very carefully. “Yah,” said Marilyn, crossing her thick legs, “Let's have a wiener roast.” | didn’t say anything. | just looked ct the green cup in my lap. The punch had gathered in the fold in the bottom. It was turning dark. | tipped it, and a drop ran across the bottom, making a purple streak. “Who should we ask?” Gary said slowly. Out of the corner of my eye | could see him scratch his nose. | mad. Ann. It is short notice. bring the food?” The three of them started talking about baseball and football. | felt sort of funny so | didn’t say much. The punch tasted strong. It didn’t have enough sugar in it. It was cold though, so | liked it all right. | looked around the kitchen while they talked. Ann started talking about a party. no said. | looked at her; she sat smiling at the wall. “I'll go ask my Mommie if we can have it.” She got up and ran into the other room. | Marilyn and Gary were talking. | was sitting close to the door, so | could hear what Ann said. She talked awful fast. “Mommie, can we have a weiner roast tonight?” Ann’s Mommie had an even sort of voice: the kind that goes with mothers who get narrow eyes when They all turned and ran toward Ann’‘s house. “Tell Mom where I’m going.” | yelled at Mr. Moore as | ran out of the shade after them. Ann ran first, Gary after her. He ran loose, like a puppy almost. Ann threw open the screen door. We all rushed in after her. The kitchen was painted yellow and _ it gleamed. Marilyn and Gary sat down on yellow wood chairs. | sat down too. | was trying not to look scared. Ann put four Dixie cups on the yellow table. Then she got a pitcher out of the fridge. She poured grape Koolaid regulars, | “But Mommie,” Ann started. . “| mean it, Ann,” her mother said, When Ann came back in the kitchen she was walking real slow. She jutted her fuzzy head out. She looked at me and said slowly, “Do you want to come?” Even though | knew Ann didn’t want me, | still wanted to go. “I sure do,” | yelled. Marilyn stopped talking, and said, “What!” She stared at Ann. (39) “O. K.,” Ann said, “but the new comers have to bring all the hot dogs an’ buns.” She sneared at me again. “If ya wanta come, you gotta bring