Party at Silver Spires by Ann Bryant Page B

no words had been spoken between us.
    Antonia hadn’t moved at all and I suddenly wondered if she was ill. I mean really ill . Not pretending, like me. Feeling nervous and unsure of myself, I tiptoed towards her bed, just near enough to see her face. It was streaked with tears. I really couldn’t ignore her now. “Antonia…” I tried softly.
    She sighed and turned her head towards me, and then I saw that her eyes were full of new tears now and one or two of them were actually rolling down her face.
    â€œOh… What’s the matter? Are…are you okay?”
    She shook her head, which made the tears roll across her cheeks, but still she was silent. I bet she was wishing that anyone but me had walked into the dorm at that moment. I felt so sorry for her that I went right up to her bed.
    â€œAren’t you feeling well? Shall I get…someone?”
    â€œI am…unhappy,” she said, in the smallest voice.
    Me too , I felt like saying.
    â€œWhy?” I asked, because I couldn’t think what else to say.
    â€œBeing here…”
    â€œYou miss your family?”
    She nodded and her face crumpled and big choky sobs started coming out of her. “I don’t…belong…here.”
    I swallowed and felt a huge cloud of sadness weighing me down. This wasn’t what was supposed to be happening. It was almost as though Antonia and I were acting in a film – the film of Life at Silver Spires – and Antonia had taken over my part and was saying all my lines and acting like the one who didn’t fit in, when clearly that was me. Wasn’t it?
    â€œWh…why?” I managed to utter.
    â€œBecause I…miss my family…and my home,” she stammered in gulps. “And I do not understand Engleesh well…enough…and because…because…”
    I wished I could reach up and hold her hand. That might make her feel a bit better, but I was afraid she’d snatch it away.
    â€œâ€¦because of you.”
    â€œMe!” It was like a punch in the stomach. “You’re unhappy because of me ?”
    She nodded, then broke into more loud sobs and hid her face as she shook.
    â€œBut…you don’t like me…Antonia!”
    She was trying to say something, but she was crying so hard I couldn’t make out what it was.
    â€œI can’t hear you…” I said.
    She moved her hands away and I saw that her eyes were all red and her hair was falling over her cheeks and sticking to her tears. “No…” she said through her sobs. “ You do not…like… me .”
    â€œYes I…yes I…” I was going to say, Yes, I do! but that wouldn’t have been the truth, so I just stopped and bit my lip and felt my throat hurting. It was awful to see Antonia so sad, and something was making my heart bang against my ribs with big alarm.
    She suddenly sat up and spoke sharply. “You see! You do not like me. I was right. Just because I am not clever like you. Just because I do not understand theengs, you theenk I am stupid.”
    I gasped. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. How could Antonia have got it so wrong?
    â€œI don’t think you’re stupid. I’ve never said that!”
    â€œBut you look at me and I theenk you theenk I am stupid. And you have a scholarsheep.”
    My hackles were really rising now. I’d never looked at her in any way at all, because she was never looking at me in the first place.
    I climbed up the ladder and sat cross-legged on the end of her bed so we were facing each other. Her eyes were wide and protesting and I had the feeling mine might look the same. “It’s you who doesn’t like me !” I insisted crossly. “You were the only one who didn’t say anything about my scholarship.”
    â€œBecause I do not like to find you are even more clever than I theenk. And I do not know what is geeky. And how can I ask when you do