sweat were starting to make her curls limp. “Ya sure have a nice hot day for your wedding,” said Jill, looking at Sarah again. “Oh, that doesn’t bother me. I’m glad,” said Sarah. Mrs. Slate turned around in her seat and looked at Sarah. ‘“You’d like this day no matter what the weather looked like,” she said. “So would you, Mom,” said Sarah knowingly. Jill smiled and looked at her mother. Her gray eyes looked expressionless as she talked to Sarah about the last minute arrangements of the ceremony. Jill thought how tired she must be from all the preparations she’d made. It was to be a big wedding and a huge reception, and Mrs. * ti Slate had been the head organizer of the whole thing. white orchid lay on the tissue paper.Lavender streamers bunched at the side of the flower. Jill thought it was the prettiest flower she’d ever seen. It looked so fragile and pure. “Like Sarah,” she thought. She put her face down close to the box and touched her lips to the bloom. She raised her oe quickly and looked outside of the car to see if anyone was watching er. sarah looked in the window and smiled at Jill. “C’mon,” said Sarah, “help me get dressed.” Jill smiled back at Sarah like a little three-year-old that had done something wrong. ‘‘O.K.,’’ she said. ‘‘Poor Mom,” thought Jill. “I bet she’ll be glad to get this thing over with.” Jill moved her eyes from her mother to the back of her father’s head as he spoke. “Did you remember the cameras?” he asked, glancing at Mrs. Slate and then back at the road. “Yes,” said Mrs. Slate, ‘‘and I hope you remembered to put film in them.” Mr. Slate didn’t say anything but just glanced at Mrs. Slate. He FEVER one. Sweating | stood stiff. Jill just kept looking at his black hair. He concentrated on his driving, or seemed to. She wondered what he thought about Sarah getting married. He hadn’t said much about it and Jill couldn’t tell what he was thinking as she could with her mother and Sarah. Jill looked out the window again. Mr. Slate turned the car onto Jefferson, the street that the church was on. Jill squinted as the light of the sun slowly shifted from the back window to the side window. As the car bumped along on the badly paved road the sun was intermittently blocked out by houses and trees. The orange ball didn’t have much farther to sink beneath the rough peaks of the western mountains before it would be completely out of sight. But, it still held enough heat to penetrate the old Buick and make the air hot and stuffy. Jill could smell the heat of the oN car. It made her head feel light. She always hated the stuffy smell of a hot car. Jill looked at Sarah. She looked at her auburn hair and thought how she’d miss brushing it. She loved Sarah’s hair and she hoped what her mom always told her would come true. Mrs. Slate always said that her orange hair would look just like Sarah’s when she got older. Jill hoped that she not only had hair like Sarah but looked like her, sang as she did and acted like her. “T love her,” thought Jill. The car jerked and Jill grasped her bouquet of purple orchids. ‘‘We’re here,” said Mr. Slate, “pile out everybody.” Jill watched Sarah gather her boxes from the floor of the car. She still had to dress in her gown and veil inside the church. Sarah looked at Jill and smiled. “Grab my bouquet and Bible, would ya, Carot Head?” she asked. “They’re in those two little boxes on your side.” “Sure,” said Jill, widening her eyes at Sarah. She wanted to reach over and kiss Sarah on the cheek, but she would feel stupid, so she didn’t. Jill watched Sarah climb slowly out of the car. Her mom and dad getting out too. All three doors banged shut one after another. Jill leaned over in the seat and picked up the two small boxes from beside her feet. She opened the bigger box and shoved the tissue paper out of the way. A Rippling farther from never answered anyone when he thought 20 the question was a silly its rock, The red eyed snake hissed! Dyrk TANKA The ocean waves toss, Spraying salty foam upward. Bright sun lights the sand. Swosh! Blue waves swoop helpless Jellyfish onto the shore. Marcia pe omerille 21 Farr