“One of her horrible migraines just hit. Those things come out of nowhere and always start with blurred vision,” Grace said and then gave Sarah a look that said they needed to talk.
Sarah hated that her cousin was in such pain, but she breathed a sigh of relief. This would give her and Grace a little longer to figure out how to break the news to Macy.
Rip off the bandage in one fell swoop. Macy is stronger than you think,her mother’s voice said loudly in her head.
I don’t think so,Sarah argued.
“Are you having a mental conversation with someone?” Grace asked.
“Yes, I am,” Sarah answered. “With our mother.”
“My granny still pops into my head sometimes,” Raelene said and glanced over at Audrey. “I’m glad to know that I’m not the only one who hears voices.”
“Not me,” Audrey said. “The only thing I hear is my algebra teacher fussing at me for not getting all my work in on time.”
“How many lessons are you behind?” Grace asked.
Audrey cut her eyes to her mother. “Maybe ten. Crystal said he wouldn’t dare flunk her or Kelsey because their dads are on the school board, and since I’m their friend...” She let the sentence hang.
“They’re wrong,” Raelene said. “Mr.Randolph is a tough teacher, and you get what you earn in his class.”
Audrey looked toward the ceiling, sighed dramatically, and finally said, “Is the offer still on the table for you to help me to get caught up?”
“Are we friends?” Raelene asked.
“Nope,” Audrey said without a moment’s hesitation.
“Then it will cost you. I only help friends for free,” Raelene told her. “I get ten dollars an hour for tutoring. I figure we can get you in good shape for about twenty dollars a day.”
“That will wipe out what I’ve saved from my allowance. I wanted to buy Crystal something nice for her birthday with that money.” Audrey gasped.
“Then flunk algebra and take it again.” Raelene shrugged and turned off the oven. “Your choice. You can either hire me and get a decent grade, or buy something for your friend and maybe not have enough credits to graduate. You do know that those two girls are using you and making fun of you behind your back.”
Sarah bit back a giggle. “If I was in your shoes, I’d pay Raelene.”
“Right up front, the end of each lesson,” Raelene said.
“Okay, okay!” Audrey agreed. “But you’re still not my friend. And Crystal and Kelsey are not using me or talking about me behind my back.”
“That’s fine by me, but now let’s talk about Macy.” Raelene turned away from Audrey. “Granny called what’s ailing Macy asick headache. She had them pretty often, and I know what to do to help. I’ll watch over Macy and take care of her this afternoon. I’ve got some chamomile oil that I rubbed on Granny’s temples. That and a couple of over-the-counter pain pills seemed to work for her better than anything.”
“I’m sure she’d appreciate any help you can give her,” Sarah said and hoped that someday she’d have a daughter as kindhearted as Raelene.
“I’ll get the oil, then. I’ll need to do it every hour until she is feeling better.” Raelene disappeared down the hallway.
“We’d better get on to the shop,” Grace said.
“Why are you going now?” Audrey asked.
“Once a month we deep clean the kitchen. You never know when a health inspector might pop in,” Grace explained. “But you don’t have to be a part of this job. Work on your algebra. Be sure to pay Raelene. Since you created this problem, then you get to use your money.”
“I hate mopping floors, cleaning windows, wearing one of those dorky T-shirts, and everything about that shop, but I hate algebra evenmore,” Audrey griped, getting in the last word before hurrying off to her room.
Sarah waited until she and Grace were away from the house to bring up the subject. “How do you feel about Raelene charging Audrey for tutoring?”
“I’d rather my kid spend her money for that than buy a present for a girl that I’m almost positive is the guilty one for having either the cigarettes, booze, or maybe both at school,” Grace answered.
“Amen to that,” Sarah agreed. “And now what about Macy? I hate breaking her heart even worse than getting mine broken.”
