ADWPPg3

"Uh . . . my mom doesn't allow me to give out our number," Pepper said. "Give me yours and I'll call you."

Amanda wrote it on a note and passed it to Pepper when the teacher wasn't looking.

The afternoon flew by. Pepper and Amanda walked to the buses together.

"See you tomorrow," Pepper said and stepped on the bus.

"Bye," Amanda said and gave her one more wave before she walked to her bus.

Amanda waited all evening for Pepper to call. She jumped and ran for the telephone each time it rang.

"Mom, please let me stay up until ten," Amanda pleaded. "Pepper said she'd call. Maybe her bedtime is later
than mine."

"No," she said.

Amanda stomped off to bed but stayed awake until at least eleven, listening for the telephone to ring.

She woke up the next morning and felt a little hurt that Pepper didn't call. Her mom had to yell at her twice
because she moved so slowly. The bus had to wait while she ran back inside to get her math homework she left
on the table after her dad checked it.

She gave up on Pepper after eight-thirty. Certainly the bus had come by now. Had she gotten sick? They did play
hard yesterday and the air was chilly - maybe she caught a cold. Pepper wasn't used to playing so hard.

The day dragged on. Amanda picked at her lunch and didn't feel like playing during lunchtime. She sat on
Pepper's bench and dragged my toes in the dirt. The teacher droned on and on all afternoon and she barely
opened her mouth during music class.

"I'm not feeling well," she told her mom when she asked what was wrong. She did all her homework without
whining, took a bath without being told and fell asleep early. Surely Pepper would be at school tomorrow.

Amanda's bus ran late the next day and she didn't get to school until right at eight o'clock. She ran ahead of the
other students and rushed into the classroom. Her eyes went directly to her desk - and the empty chair.
Amanda couldn't hide her disappointment as she trudged back to her seat. The teacher asked her if there was
anything wrong.

She had to go up to the teacher's desk to turn in her spelling test and worked up the nerve to ask her about
Pepper. The teacher shook her head, put her finger to her lips and motioned Amanda to sit down.

She perked up enough at recess to join in a game of dodge ball, but fell on the asphalt and skinned her knee
just as the class was heading inside. The teacher gave her a wet paper towel to hold on her knee until the
bleeding stopped and told her to go to the office. Amanda thought she was going to get a band-aid until she
saw her mother sitting in a chair chatting with the secretary. Her mother did put a bandage on her knee, but
then the Principal ushered them both into his office and closed the door.

Mr. Fuller had a serious look on his face, more serious than normal. Amanda wondered what she'd done and her
heart started to pound. Her mom patted her hand. Mr. Fuller didn't sit behind his desk, but pulled his chair
around and sat next to Amanda.

"Amanda," he said. "How well do you know Cindy?"

"Well," Amanda said. "She sits is front of me in class. I ate lunch with her yesterday. I guess she's my friend."

Amanda got a lump in her throat when her mother dabbed her eyes with a tissue.

"Amanda," Mr. Fuller began. "I have some very bad news. Cindy won't be able to come to school anymore."

"Is she sick?"

Mr. Fuller wiped the sweat from his forehead.

"Cindy's in heaven, honey," Mom said.

"What!" Amanda cried. "Why?"

"Sometimes children aren't as fortunate as you are. . . .to have a mommy and a daddy like you have," Mr. Fuller
explained.

"What's wrong with Cindy's mom and dad?"

Amanda's question was met with silence.

"Cindy's dad doesn't live in this city," Mr. Fuller said. "Cindy's mom . . Cindy's mom has been accused of doing a
very bad thing to Cindy."

"Did Cindy's mom kill her?" Amanda asked through gasping sobs.

Amanda eyes welled with tears. She'll never forget Mr. Fuller turning away from her. He was the first man she
ever saw cry.

"Is Cindy with Jesus?" Amanda asked.