Chapter Twenty-Nine, Part One

The next morning Sophie came sullenly down the stairs to breakfast, her pants and shirt clean and neatly pressed and her hair tidily braided. She glared at her father as she sat at the kitchen table and he set a bowl of oatmeal in front of her.

“Would you like some cream or brown sugar for that?”

Sophie shrugged in answer, and Robert set a sugar bowl and creamer in front of her. After another minute of glaring, which her father completely ignored as he got his own breakfast, Sophie sprinkled some sugar on her cereal, doused it in cream, and began eating as if it were a tedious chore.

If she had hoped to make Robert feel guilty about sending her to school, it wasn’t working. He sat down across from her and floated a little cream on top of his oatmeal. Then he picked up the book he was reading about solar power and proceeded to eat while he read.

Having failed to provoke an argument, Sophie wasn’t sure how to act, so she finished her breakfast in silence, washed her bowl and spoon in the sink, then went back upstairs, making sure to stomp on the stairs as she went. In her room, she began throwing her school things into her backpack, but unfortunately, this didn’t make a noise that could be heard beyond her bedroom door, much less downstairs. When she was finished, she flung herself onto her bed and closed her eyes.

It seemed like a long time before she heard her father wash his breakfast dishes and come up the stairs, and even longer before she sensed that he was standing in the doorway looking at her. She resisted the temptation to open her eyes.

“It’s time to leave,” he said.

She refused to answer and heard him step into the room.

“I’ve had about enough of this, Sophie. You’re going to school if I have to put you over my shoulder and carry you there. Is that what you want? Do you want all the other children in town to see you acting like a baby?”

Sophie still didn’t answer, but she opened her eyes.

“I’m going downstairs to get my account book and put my shoes on. If you aren’t in the kitchen with your school supplies, ready to go by the time I’m ready, not only will I drag you to school if that’s what it takes, but you won’t be riding Bandera for the next two weeks.”

At this Sophie sat up straight. “You’d take her away from me?”

“Babies don’t go horseback riding. If you insist on acting like a baby, I will treat you like one.”

Sophie watched him walk away and then heard his footsteps on the stairs. She picked up her backpack. Fine. She would go to school. But she wasn’t going to like it, and she was going to make sure her father knew it.

All the way to school, she made a point of glowering and answering her father’s occasional remarks with grunts or monosyllables. If this bothered him, he gave no sign. And to be honest, it was a little tedious to keep up such a display all the way from the house to the school, but Sophie was nothing if not persistent. As they approached the school grounds, though, she heard someone call her name.

“Sophie!” A black-eyed boy ran up to her, grinning. “I was wondering when you were coming.” He glanced at Robert, then gave a little nod. “Starting on Monday is probably a smart idea. It would feel weird to start in the middle of the week or something, wouldn’t it?”

In spite of herself, Sophie smiled. Mateo’s enthusiasm was infectious, and it was good to know at least one person here. If she already had a friend, how bad could it possibly be? “Yeah,” Sophie said. “My dad and I talked it over and thought starting on Monday would be best. That way I was able to help him with the inventory.”

“Well, come on. I’ll introduce you to everyone.”

Before Sophie could protest or decide whether she wanted to wave good bye to her father or let him think she was still mad at him, Mateo grabbed her by the arm and they took off toward the playground. She didn’t have to turn around to know that her father was watching. He was probably smiling, too. Even if today did turn out okay, she would have to be sure to tell him that it was awful.