And Nothing But the Truth by Kit Pearson Page A

off the singer, however; she wore a blue sparkling dress that was cut so low you could see her bosom!
    To their astonishment, Miss Guppy produced a box of chocolates at intermission. The group stood in the upper lobby and sampled them. Polly let one melt in her mouth, savouring its creamy sweetness.
    “Do you like the concert, Polly?” Alice asked her. “I think it’s terrific!”
    “Sort of,” said Polly. “But why does the singer have to go so high? It hurts my ears!”
    Alice laughed. “That’s just opera. That’s what I’m going to do one day, you know!”
    “You are?” Polly gazed at her with awe. Then she chose another chocolate, wandered over to the railing, and watched all the people milling below her.
    “Hi, Polly!”
    A boy in a school uniform stood beside her. Chester! Polly swallowed her chocolate so fast she almost choked.
    “What are
you
doing here?” she gasped.
    Chester grinned. “Same as you! I’m on a school outing. We’re not allowed to stay, though. Some of the fellows were making fun of the singer’s—well, umm … anyway, we were fooling around, so we have to leave after intermission.”
    Polly giggled. “Her dress
is
kind of low!”
    She was so happy to see him her legs were wobbly. Chester looked so spiffy in his navy blazer, white shirt, and red tie.
    “How do you like St. Winifred’s?” he asked.
    “Polly Brown!” Miss Guppy’s bark was so loud that people turned their heads. She advanced towards them.
    “Oh-oh!” said Chester. “See you at Thanksgiving, I hope!”
    He fled before Miss Guppy arrived.
    Her face was thunderous. “Who was that boy you were talking to?” she quizzed.
    “Just Chester,” whispered Polly.
    “And who is ‘Chester’?”
    “He’s a boy from home. He goes to St. Cuthbert’s.”
    Miss Guppy grabbed Polly’s arm and yanked her back to the other girls. “You are
not
to talk to boys, even if you know them! Do you understand, Polly?”
    “Yes, Miss Guppy,” muttered Polly.
    All through the second half, the other girls nudged her and grinned. Polly couldn’t smile back. The concert was ruined. Why
shouldn’t
she talk to Chester? They were friends! But she had been snatched away from him as if he were an alien species.
    “Who was that boy?” whispered Daisy after lights out. It was the Crab’s night on, so they had to keep their voices low.
    “Chester Simmons,” said Polly. “I know him from the island—we went to school together.”
    “Is he your
boyfriend
?” asked Rhoda in a mincing voice.
    “No!”
    “
I
have a boyfriend. His name is Frank, and I think he really likes me. The day before I left, he rode his bike over to my house to say goodbye.”
    “Don’t be silly, Rho—none of us are old enough to have boyfriends,” said Eleanor calmly. She yawned. “Let’s go to sleep.”
    But Polly tossed for hours. Her mind raced with everything that had happened that day. Of
course
Chester wasn’t her boyfriend! But she had to admit she’d had special feelings for him since she was ten. How wonderful it had been to see him, and how cruel to have their conversation cut short! But Chester had said he hoped to see her at Thanksgiving. Maybe she would have the courage to ask him to do something, like go for a walk or a boat ride.
    Polly went over every detail of being at Miss Falconer’s. She pondered the novelty of living with someone and not being married. What
was
the point of marriage? Uncle Rand might say it was something to do with God. Sadie, who had married Gregor in August, might say it was to wear a beautiful dress and have a joyful party afterwards. Noni would say it was about commitment.
    Do
I
want to get married?
Polly wondered. She decided that she did. Then she thought of the loving way Miss Falconer had talked about Mr. de Jonge. Perhaps you could be committed to someone even if you
weren’t
married.
    Her mind went back to the class again and she fell asleep sketching an apple.
    The next morning, Polly was called