Violet Raines Almost Got Struck by Lightning by Danette Haworth

program like that. I can’t wait to see what happens today!”
    Oh, my Lord, they’re talking about that stupid Paris Heights. I’m about to walk away when Lottie changes the subject.
    â€œI still feel bad about your mom last night. I know she was trying to help.” Lottie tucks her hair behind her ear. “It’s just that Tootsie’s only three, and she’s used to being at home with our mom.” Lottie’s voice crumbles on that last part.
    â€œYeah, that’s what my mom said too.” Melissa sighs. “Poor Tootsie! I’ve never seen anyone cry like that before, and every night! My mom thinks she’ll be all right, though; she’ll get used to being at our house.”
    I try to picture Tootsie in Melissa’s house, but I can’t do it. I can only imagine her in her and Lottie’s room—Tootsie-Tutu and her dolls, Tootsie and me and Purple Eyebrows. It crushes me to think of Tootsie crying every night. My eyes get big and wet but I don’t blink.
    I hear a ragged breath and when I look back out, Lottie’s head is bent. Melissa slips onto the swing next to Lottie and puts her arm around her. “Don’t cry, Lottie,” she says. “Your dad will work it out. He’s on the phone with the insurance people every day.”
    â€œI know,” Lottie says. “But . . .”
    She don’t say nothing else. Then they just sit there, swinging.
    My throat aches something awful. I stand there, not because I am a slow-moving statue, but because a heaviness has filled me up. Waves of sadness wash over me. I quietly move away from the living room and close up the other rooms.
    When I walk back up to the front, I make a lot of noise; I don’t want to hear anything else I’m not supposed to. But when I push on the front window, it don’t budge. It’s stuck open. Gritting my teeth, I stand on my tiptoes and haul the window down with all my might. Blam! Melissa startles at the noise, but I don’t get no pleasure out of it, that’s how bad I’m feeling.
    I put on my fake-happy face when I step out. I haven’t had much practice with this one ’cause I usually don’t have to fake this face, but it’s been an awful hard summer. As we walk, Lottie talks more about her dad yelling on the phone and Tootsie crying every time Mr. and Mrs. Townsend leave; then we start talking about school and I find out me and Lottie won’t even be in class together.
    As we cut into the woods, we see Eddie.
    â€œEddie!” I shout. Then I remember what Melissa said about Eddie and me, and I look at her real quick. But she’s not looking at me; she’s looking at him, and her face has gone all soft.
    â€œHey, Violet!” He throws a stick into the woods and meets us on the path. “Hey,” he says to Lottie and Melissa. Even though Melissa has teased me about him, I can’t help but be pleased that mine is the only name he actually says.
    â€œWe’re going to look for shells by the bridge,” Lottie says. “Want to come?”
    â€œSure. Might see Alfred today.”
    Before I can chime in to correct the name, Melissa says, “Who’s Alfred?”
    Eddie looks at her wide-eyed. “You ain’t heard of Alfred?”
    Melissa shakes her head. She listens carefully.
    â€œAlfred is the biggest alligator we’ve spotted,” he says. I notice he don’t mention we ain’t seen Allie since last year.
    â€œAlligator!” Melissa says. By the lift of her voice, I can’t tell if she’s excited or scared, but I choose scared for her.
    I walk up and stand by Eddie. “No big deal,” I say.
    Melissa’s look of awe radiates. “You mean you saw it too?”
    I shrug one shoulder. “Yeah.”
    She stares at us, then squints and shakes her head. “No way!”
    â€œIt’s true,” Lottie says. “Even though I didn’t see