A Hourse to Love (11 page)

“Skye Nicholson, when are you going to stop banging your head against a wal ?” Mrs. Chambers asked as she sat down and copied Skye’s pose.

“How did you find me so soon?” Skye said.

“Contacts in high places, my dear,” Mrs.

Chambers said sternly. “Are you coming back with me wil ingly, or do I need to cal the police?” Skye lowered her head, resting it on her knees.

“I take it that means you’l come peaceful y.

Good.”Mrs. Chambers’ voice relaxed as she handed Skye a wad of tissues. “Honey, you real y did it this time. You’l be facing some tough consequences. I only hope the Gilberts don’t press charges. As angry as they are, I’d be prepared for it. If that happens we won’t be able to keep you out of Chesterfield.” Mrs. Chambers gently placed her hand on Skye’s shoulder, waiting for a reply.

Skye shrugged off Mrs. Chambers’ hand and tightened her pose. “Miss High and Mighty deserved what she got.” She blew her nose in the tissues and

threw the shriveled-up bal against the dumpster.

“You’re doing it again, Skye. You’re blaming other people for your unacceptable behavior.”

“Wel — she just makes me so mad!”

“One of the reasons you’re with us is to learn how to control that anger. When wil you learn that your temper causes you nothing but trouble and heartache?”

Skye didn’t answer.

“Here’s what we need to do,” Mrs. Chambers said.

“We’l go back to my office. I have phone cal s to make, including the Gilberts and Mr. Bubbosco. And I want you to do some serious thinking about what you did. Every day next week we’re going to zero in on your temper. By next Friday you should be ready to bring yourself up.”

“Bring myself up? No way! I won’t do that.
Ever
!”

“The only way we’re going to keep you out of Chesterfield is to show the school and the judge that we’re making progress. Consider your options.

They’re pretty limited right now.”

A picture of Champ romping in the pasture ran through Skye’s mind. She remained silent for a long time.

“Wel ?”

“Al right, I’l try,” Skye grumbled.

“That’s al I ask,” Mrs. Chambers said.

“How about doing some homework together?” Morgan asked as she motored into Skye’s bedroom.

Skye, assuming her usual pose on the bed, did not answer.

“Earth to Skye!” Morgan glanced at the desk heaped with books. “Let’s do some homework. You might have been expel ed, but you stil have to meet with that tutor at Maranatha every day, don’t you?”

“Don’t go bal istic on me, Morgan!” Skye protested.“I might as wel be locked up in that closet for the next few weeks. I didn’t think I’d get the death penalty for such a stupid thing as punching Hannah’s lights out.”

“Yeah, but you’re lucky the Gilberts decided not to press charges. And you better obey that restraining order the judge issued. As long as you and Hannah don’t cross paths you should be okay.”

“Okay? You say
okay
when my life is ruined? No school, no friends. And on top of that, no game room, no phone, and no Champ for two whole weeks in this prison. I can’t even walk down to the barn to look at him! Take me out and shoot me!”

“Skye, I told you to be careful. Mr. and Mrs. C.

aren’t people you mess with,” Morgan said, flipping back her long red hair. “I had to learn the hard way too. What restrictions do you have?”

“Only child abuse to the
n
th degree. That’s al .” Skye tightened her folded arms and crossed her legs with a snap. “Extra cleaning jobs, double-duty weed picking in the garden, helping
y o u
cook at least twice a week — the list goes on and on!”

“Give me a break,” Morgan said. “Look at the bright side for once, wil you? At least you’re not in

jail. You can stil play board games with us in the evening.”

“Whoopdeedoo.”

“And the Chambers included you in last night’s Bible study group.”

“Double whoopdeedoo.”

“And what about the horse show in August? It sounds to me like they expect you to show Champ.” Skye ran both hands through her hair excitedly.

“Now you’ve got my attention. If I ever get to see Champ again, wil you show me how to practice for the show? He’s the only thing that keeps me sane.” But even thoughts of Champ couldn’t keep Skye from fixating on her punishment. “Then there’s Maranatha. Get this! Mrs. Chambers wants me to bring myself up on Friday. She has got to be kidding.

She thinks I’m ready, but is she in for a surprise — a big one!”

“You stil don’t get it, do you?” Morgan said. “The Chambers and Keystone Stables are the best things that ever happened to you.”

“Al right, kids,” Mr. Scott announced to the circle of slouching, grouching kids in I C, “today we’re going to the Chambers’ home. You can play in the game room or take a riding lesson from Mr. Chambers. As usual, no straying from the group, and please get permission to use the bathroom. The main floor is off limits, and I repeat,
off limits
. Is that clear, ladies and gentlemen?”

The grumbling was almost deafening.

“Any questions?”

Mr. Scott turned to Skye and gestured. “Before we go, we have unfi nished business. It’s Skye’s turn to bring herself up. Come here, Skye.”

Like magic, every kid sat erect and focused on the center of the circle. The room became a tomb.

Skye’s hands started to sweat and she wiped them on her jeans. It was time to run, but where to?

And how would she get out? Where could she hide from the group’s icy stares and stinging words?

Skye forced herself toward Mr. Scott, her eyes glued to the floor. With her face grimacing in pain, she hugged her chest so tightly she could hardly breathe.

“Okay, Skye, it’s al yours,” Mr. Scott said.

Skye swal owed hard. “I — I’m bringing myself up because I punched Hannah Gilbert in the face,” Skye said in a whisper, stil staring at the floor.

“Look at the group, please,” Mr. Scott directed.

“And speak louder.”

Skye raised her head like a bashful child. “I’m bringing myself up because I punched Hannah Gilbert in the face,” she repeated a little more forceful y.

“Why did you do that?” someone yel ed from behind.

“Yeah,” said someone else.

At this point, everything Skye had learned and witnessed in I C dissolved into thin air. Skye the liar was also Skye the coward. Her pride was stil in control.

“I hit her because she made me!” Now no one had trouble hearing her. Skye’s face flushed and her body stiffened with anger.

“She made you?” the boy with the braids chimed.“Cop out!”

“Woo, she made you. Aren’t you the big shot!” Pam yel ed.

Mr. Scott stepped forward. “Al right, people, calm down.” He raised his hand toward the group. “Now, Skye, it’s time to come clean. Why did you hit her?”

“Because she’s a snob and she deserved it!” Skye answered.

“Unacceptable!” one kid yel ed.

“Unacceptable!” added another.

“Yeah. C’mon,” a thin boy in front of Skye said.“Don’t you wanna make your mother proud?”

“Leave my mother out of this!” Skye demanded.

Mr. Scott raised his hand again, sensing impending disaster. “Whoa. Slow down, everybody.

Now, Skye, there’s no reason to get so upset about your mother. Tel us a little bit about her.”

“Yeah,” yel ed an overweight girl with a shaved head. “We al have one — or were you hatched?” Skye’s head almost exploded when they started snickering at her.

“Yeah,” they al repeated.

That did it. “Shut your big mouth, sleazebal !” Skye screamed. Up went her fists, her face turned fiery red, and she exploded toward the overweight girl.

The girl launched from her chair, which clanged across the floor, and braced herself for a boxing match that would have ended before it began. One half-hearted blow from the heavyweight girl would put Skye out for a week — something Skye didn’t think about.

As though escaping from hot lava, the kids scrambled from their chairs, flinging them in al directions, bracing for the rumble of the week.

Instantly, a kid on each side of Skye rushed toward her, grabbed her arms, and swooped her up in the air while she swung her fists and kicked viciously.

“Let me at her!” she screamed.

“Al right! That’s enough!” Mr. Scott exploded as he hurdled over the flying chairs into the middle of the group. He grabbed Skye and spun her behind him as he yel ed, “Sit down, everyone! And don’t move until I get back!”

Like toddlers forced to come in from the rain, everyone grumbled while retrieving their chairs and slamming them in a disheveled circle, and they took their time to settle. Mr. Scott was stil in charge —

but barely.

He spun toward Skye and before her next breath, her arms were pul ed behind her, and she was ushered out of the room and down the hal way toward Mrs. Chambers’ office.

“No!” she yel ed as she kicked and squirmed. “Let me go!”

In front of the office, a powerful arm slipped around Skye’s waist as another arm reached toward the doorknob. Mr. Scott’s foot kicked open the door, and Skye felt herself pushed through the doorway and placed into the chair in front of Mrs. Chambers’

desk. Mrs. Chambers shot up from her seat and waited for an explanation.

Mr. Scott huffed from exertion as he backed out of the room. “I think you should sit down with Skye. She just exploded in group when someone asked about her mother, and then tried to get in a fistfight with one of the girls. I’d talk to her, but I gotta get back to the group before it gets any worse in there.”

“Thanks, Fred,” Mrs. Chambers said quietly.

“Please close the door.”

As the door closed, the room was silent except for Skye’s loud huffing. Gripping the arms of the chair, she stared at the floor, her hair hanging down over her face. In one vicious swipe she ran her fingers through her hair, returned her arms to the chair, and slid down so low she almost fel in the floor. Mrs.

Chambers stared at her in silence and went back to her reading.

In her mind, Skye went over every miserable moment of I C. Stil Mrs. Chambers kept reading.

Skye glanced at her watch. Fifteen minutes had passed in total silence.

Mrs. Chambers continued to read, ignoring Skye.Skye repeatedly checked her watch, watching another fifteen minutes crawl by.

Strangely,

Skye’s

rage

slowly

dissipated,

disappearing into an aura of gentle peace that seemed to flow from the woman behind the desk.

The hatred that clouded Skye’s mind slowly dispersed like a morning fog, and like a breath of fresh air her common sense overtook her stubborn wil .

Stupid!
Skye thought.
I am an expert at being
stupid! Again, she glanced at Mrs. Chambers, this
time connecting with the blue eyes that were staring
back at her.

“Skye,” Mrs. Chambers said as she leaned forward on the desk, “I love you very much.” Skye recoiled and lowered her head.

“The trouble is you always want to be the one in control,” Mrs. Chambers scolded softly. “You need to let somebody else run your show, somebody like God. Give it up, honey.”

Skye refused to respond.

“Isn’t it about time for you to face al that bitterness eating away at you? You’l never change the facts about your mother or your father, wherever they are.

This might surprise you, but I was a foster kid too. I never knew my parents either. I can’t change my past, and you can’t change yours. The only thing you can change is your heart. Skye, are you listening?”
Mother! Father! Why did she have to bring them
up? Skye thought angrily. She slapped her hands
over her ears, banging her elbows on her knees,
and focused on a stain in the worn carpet.